Keith Sanders, Executive Director of the Board of Higher Education voiced appreciation for the cooperative effort of the three state agencies. This is a ground-breaking step for three agencies to harness their resources and influence to form an effective partnership for advocacy. The grant application by this coalition clearly identified the needs of middle school teachers and students and then effectively presented a strategy to meet those needs through systemic change. The federal grant, and state matching funds, will take us far over the next three years in recruiting and training a highly qualified cadre of middle school teachers. I am very excited about the receipt of the teacher quality enhancement grant.
Community colleges play a vital role in the preparation of teachers in Illinois.
The grant will enhance these efforts by expanding collaborations between baccalaureate degree granting institutions, community colleges, and P-12 public schools. Through the grant, new recruitment and enrollment of teacher preparation candidates at the community college level will increase the number of available candidates.