By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The director of the University of Illinois-based Council on Teacher Education says the state’s Teach Illinois recommendations are about to make the teacher shortage worse, not better.

A letter from State Board of Higher Education leaders says Teach Illinois ignores evidence and muffs an opportunity to work with colleges.

“Filling vacancies in the state with underprepared teachers and fueling teacher attrition rates” is one of the recommendations’ effects, says Nancy Latham. “These recommendations will only trade one hard-to-hide problem, which is vacancies in classrooms, with an easier-to-hide problem of the revolving door of teacher attrition, where teachers are leaving every two to three years.”

Latham says the recommendations open the door to unaccredited bad actors who could lead teachers to licenses which would be practically worthless – and make it difficult for the people doing the hiring to tell the good teachers from the other kind.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]