Teaching assistants at District 118 schools who would like to receive their educational degrees will have some options available thanks to a partnership with Eastern Illinois University.
School board members approved an agreement Wednesday night with EIU that will allow staff members to receive their degrees while also promising to continue to teach in the district for a certain period of time.
Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis explains that many of the district’s teaching assistants have already received some form of college education.
“We have 39 TA’s with associate’s degrees, 29 with 30 credit hours and 39 of them with bachelor’s degrees who can’t make it to the teacher’s salary schedule, and that’s a difference of almost about $20,000 in their pay if we can get them licensed in this teacher shortage,” she explains.
There are three different options in the program:
- Teaching assistants with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree could be part of a cohort in Champaign for the next two years. The district will pay the tuition if the person guarantees a five-year commitment.
- Six people who have already begun the process will be allowed to complete their student teachings for a three-year commitment.
- Assistants without a college degree can take general education courses at Danville Area Community College now and then take classes through EIU beginning in 2023. It will come with a seven-year commitment to the district.
Dr. Geddis says that the program is designed to increase the teaching pool and strengthen the teaching staff that the district already has.
Incoming high school seniors of color who would like to become teachers will also benefit through a separate EIU program. The university is partnering with District 118 to send 15 students to Charleston between June 14th and July 2nd for a dual-enrollment class that will give them three hours of college credit. Students will live in the dorms, go to class during the day and also have time to interact with young children in a structured setting.
