An Illinois State University education professor says the coronavirus has magnified the existing inequities in schools that should have been addressed years ago.
On paper, Marcus Brown is a fifth-grader at Irving Elementary School in west Bloomington. But he has another title that’s way cooler: Leader of the Black House of Altruismo, the House of Givers.
Blue Ridge Federation Community Support / Facebook
Blue Ridge teachers Union President Don Anton said Tuesday he believes a tentative three-year contract agreement with the district is a good deal for members.
Blue Ridge Federation Community Support / Facebook
The union for teachers and other employees at the Blue Ridge school district in central Illinois has filed paperwork, announcing plans to go on strike Oct. 28. But the union president says talks on a new contract are making progress.
Editor's note: This is Part 4 of GLT’s Skipping School, a special series about the teacher shortage facing Illinois schools. You can also read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Ten days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public sector employees who choose not to join unions no longer have to pay reduced fees to cover collective bargaining. And already, a crusade to persuade teachers to drop union membership has hit Illinois.
Chuck Bleyer is worried the southern Illinois school district he heads won’t be able to fill an open teacher position by the time classes start this fall.
In the Farrington school district, near Mount Vernon, a new teacher makes less than $29,000—even with a master’s degree. Farrington is one of the lowest-paying districts, but state officials say some 7,000 teachers statewide makes less than $40,000.
