Newly certified personnel are the second largest source of educator supply, so it would seem that the state has a decent pool of teachers to meet demand. That fact may indicate stiffer competition for teachers from private schools, other states or the private sector. What's more, the better the economy the less likely it is that public education will be able to compete to attract and retain teachers. In 1996 there were 1,387 unfilled full-time equivalent teaching positions. This year's figure is a 90 percent increase over four years ago.
Several factors complicate the problem even more.
First, the number of educators approaching retirement is also increasing. Second, student enrollment continues to grow. Total Illinois public school enrollments have been rising by about 1 percent annually since 1990 and are expected to continue upward through 2004. As enrollments grow, so will the demand for teachers. From 1999 to 2000 demand for teachers increased 11 percent, and the demand for administrators grew by 3 percent.