Finding and keeping top-notch teachers is one of the biggest challenges rural schools face today.
Illinois, Iowa and Missouri each have their own approach to hiring.
“I’ve been in education for 35 years and I’ve never seen a teacher shortage like we have now,” says Jon Turner, an associate professor at Missouri State University in the College of Education. “It’s not just teachers — it's custodians, school nurses, school administers.”
Iowa is funding a “grow your own” approach, targeting people already working in education. Last year, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the Teacher and Para- educator Registered Apprenticeship Grant Program.
It provides $46 million of federal funding to help para-educators, who provide instructional, behavioral, and other support to students, get on-the-job credit while they are taking university classes to get their teaching credentials, says Margaret Buckton, a professional advocate for the Rural School Advocates of Iowa.
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