Hiring math, science and special education teachers is a challenge throughout Illinois and across the country, and now North Chicago School District 187 will get some help from Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana Teach for America.
The district and Teach for America agreed Feb. 17 on a plan to bring 10 to 12 new teachers to North Chicago’s schools for the start of the 2021-2022 term, filling needs in a way which will enhance students’ education.
Superintendent John Price said the district began talking to Teach for America approximately two years ago. While finding special education, math and science teachers is harder than in other subjects, the “corps” of instructors who arrive in the fall will contribute in a variety of ways.
Whitney Stoepel-Brewer, the director of marketing and communications for Teach for America, said the organization looks for people willing to commit to teach in low-income, under-resourced schools for at least two years.
Price said finding teachers who will offer the greatest motivation and inspiration to North Chicago students, who are primarily Black and Hispanic, is a priority along with a strong background in their subject areas.
“There is a commitment to hire a majority minority class of corps members,” Price said. “They’ll teach special education, and upper-level math and science at the middle and high school level. We can prepare them for the classroom, but they know and can teach the physics.”
When students see and learn from teachers with whom they can personally identify, Price said research shows their academic performance improves. Teach for America has committed to helping find those kinds of instructors.
“When a student has just one teacher who looks like them, their academic performance really increases,” Price said.
Teach for America began working with Chicago schools 20 years ago, and has worked in northwest Indiana for the last 13 years. Stoepel-Brewer said the organization assists in 99 schools in Chicago and six in Indiana. North Chicago has one high school, one middle school and five elementary schools.
As District 187 and Teach for America talked for the last two years, Stoepel-Brewer said they searched for a way to make an arrangement work between them. The parameters fit, but more was needed.
“We wanted to know our corps (of teachers) could make a difference in North Chicago,” Stoepel-Brewer said. “As we worked with the district and AbbVie, we were able to make it feasible.”
Pharmaceutical manufacturer AbbVie, which is based in North Chicago, provided a grant to help fund the effort. The company is already spending $40 million to essentially rebuild the Neal Math and Science Academy middle school.
Claudia Carravetta, Abbvie’s vice president of corporate responsibility and global philanthropy, said the commitment is part of the company’s ongoing effort to foster education in the community, and assist in other ways.
“Teach for America will help with many of the things which need to be done,” Carravetta said. “There is a clear need in terms of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and special education. They will also help in terms social emotional needs.”
Stoepel-Brewer said the organization seeks a minimum two-year commitment from college graduates who want to make a difference by teaching children from low-income, under-resourced areas, who also show the potential for a long-term interest in helping others.
“We hope they will want to continue in teaching or a leadership role for the rest of their lives,” Stoepel-Brewer said. “Teaching is a way to teach leadership skills which can be applied anywhere.”
When the new teachers arrive in North Chicago, Price said they will be paid the standard salary, according to the union contract. They will have the same benefits package. They will receive a provisional certificate, and will spend two years also taking classes to become permanently certified as teachers by the state of Illinois.
“It’s a two-year commitment, but they usually stay for five years,” Price said.
Stoepel-Brewer said the corps members also have a coach provided by Teach for America. The coach acts as a mentor, both working with the teachers individually and melding them into a group so they can assist each other.
“The coach helps them navigate the process of the first and second year of teaching,” Stoepel-Brewer said. “There can be a lot of pressure that first year. The corps also builds a professional relationship with each other.”
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter.
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