The Road to Teacher Pathways

The road into the teaching profession can sometimes be daunting, but programs that provide a clear pathway through college and into a career can help passionate future teachers be successful. Rural Schools Collaborative is proud to announce it has partnered with ROE #33, with support from the Galesburg Community Foundation, to convene local education stakeholders to align and strengthen local teacher pathways.

Cross-sector participants-including those from the local school district, higher-education, educational philanthropy, economic development leaders, teachers, and students-will be invited to participate in these important conversations.

The overarching goals of this initiative are twofold: to address the educator pipeline as a continuum, and to also engage in storytelling to allow teachers to share best practices. Addressing the educator pipeline starts with recruiting teachers in middle and high schools all the way through supporting the retention, leadership, and development of veteran teachers. It also includes ensuring transferability of coursework from community colleges into four-year universities for future educators.

Engaging in storytelling will expose more districts to practices working to address shortages elsewhere and solve problems, and collect those stories and insight to help districts connect and learn from each other.

This project expands upon other collaborative initiatives which have helped strengthen rural teacher pathways across West Central Illinois, including:

• TARTANS in the Classroom: Mariah Garzee

• Monmouth College: Supporting Rural Teachers

• Promising Rural Pathways: The Impact of Carl Sandburg College on Local Communities

Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Executive Director of Rural Schools Collaborative, states, “We see unconditional positive regard for the potential of rural places. Successful education pathways and strong schools drive rural economic growth, and we are excited to see how this collaboration will benefit the broader community.”

The planning grant and meetings sessions will culminate in a regional Action Plan of findings and suggestions for how to move forward. Thank you again to our partners at Galesburg Community Foundation and ROE #33 for their support!