The teacher shortage in southern Illinois will be helped thanks to a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. It's called the Saluki Teacher Residency Planning Grant, and Dr. Christie McIntyre, Director of Teacher Education at SIU Carbondale, says the money will shorten the time it takes to get teachers to where they are needed.
"Instead of taking two years to get the degree, they'll do it in one and a half, they'll be in the schools four days a week. Like a second teacher co-teacher teaching in the classroom. And then, at the end of that school year, they'll do a few more courses in the Summer and then they'll be able to graduate."
McIntyre says the Saluki Teacher Residency Program will initially work with five school districts: Cairo, Meridian, Murphysboro, Carbondale and Vienna and is hopeful to expand to more districts.
