The College of Education is excited about three new community-based programs, under the name CommuniTeach which will provide the quality of an Illinois State education in students’ home communities. The partnerships are specially designed with community partners including school districts and community colleges. The goal of CommuniTeach is to address the teacher shortage by focusing on rural and urban geographic areas with increased needs for teachers. In addition, the programs will meet students where they are at, providing flexible and nontraditional pathways that include integration into their home community for clinical experiences and flexible course delivery or sequencing of coursework. Each program is in different phases of developing local teachers for their communities.
Teach for Tomorrow
- Majors: Special Education Learning and Behavior Specialist
- Designed for working professionals in Peoria area: primarily teaching assistants and substitute teachers
- Cohort of 18 with bachelor’s or associate’s degree
- Part-time coursework will be hybrid with face to face instruction in Peoria
- Coursework begins in January 2020 and students will graduate with a bachelor’s degree and K-21 LBS endorsement in August 2023
Teach Chicago Tomorrow
- Majors: Special Education Learning and Behavior Specialist, Elementary Education with ESL endorsement, Bilingual-Bicultural Elementary Education
- Designed for Chicago students to participate in education pathway activities in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and then complete associate’s degree and pre-requisite coursework at City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)
- Students begin at CCC in Fall 2021 and the program is in the early stages of recruitment
- Complete ISU program with hybrid coursework including face to face courses held in Chicago
- Students complete year-long student teaching model in a CPS school
- Students will have supports and mentoring through NCUE, including extensive summer bridge programming which begins in Summer 2021
- Check out the press conference announcing the plan with President Dietz, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other officials
Community partner pathway
- Major: Elementary Education with ESL endorsement
- Partners: Heartland Community College, Illinois Central College, Illinois Valley Community College, Spoon River College, and Carl Sandburg College
- Early stages of planning for a cohort to begin at ISU in Fall 2022
- Anticipate a cohort of 25 students, primarily working professionals
- Students will complete missing pre-requisite coursework at community college partner
- Part-time coursework will be hybrid with face to face instruction being held on campus as a Saturday session
