Illinois faces a critical shortage of teachers equipped to work with English learners. According to the 2023-2024 educator shortage report, Bilingual/ESL and Bilingual Special Education teachers all had vacancy rates above the state average. Indeed, more than 420 positions were unfilled, with 230 filled by other means such as hiring substitutes or retired teachers and increasing class sizes.

The shortage of bilingual/ESL teachers is a problem, both for students and our state. Bilingual/ESL educators attain additional credentials that enable them to support English learners (ELs), students in PreK-12^th grade whose first language is not English and who require additional programming to develop academic English facilitating their full participation in school. Without these educators, research shows that English learners will struggle to develop academic English and have difficulty engaging productively in reading, mathematics, science, and all other school subjects.

Illinois must do more to attract and retain these teachers as the number of English learners is on the rise. From SY2010-11 to SY2023-24, the EL population in Illinois grew from 156,888 to more than 271,000. This number will continue to rise due to the growing number of newcomer students and as Illinois increases access to preschool. The bilingual/ESL teacher shortage disproportionately affects Spanish-speaking Latino students, but also impacts students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. 

We echo the recommendations made in the report and would like to highlight some here:

Recruit individuals earlier: Educators Rising offers a model and curriculum for recruiting high school students into the teaching profession. High school students on the path toward the Seal of Biliteracy represent potential candidates and would ease the gap for bilingual educators as they have earned recognition for exhibiting college readiness in both English and a foreign language.

Train paraprofessionals and teacher assistants: School-based classroom staff are an invaluable resource. They often mirror the linguistic diversity among students, with one in five paraprofessionals speaking a language other than English. Illinois should support them to stay in their jobs while earning their license in a high-need subject, including offering tuition support.  

Recruit and support career-changers: Community members who are bilingual and possess bachelor’s degrees in non-teaching fields can be recruited and supported to earn a provisional license, enabling them to start teaching while working toward full teacher licensure.

We offer additional recommendations:

Increase salaries for educators who teach ELs and special education students, not simply for attaining a credential. Illinois has many bilingual/ESL and special education teachers who are no longer in front of English learners and students with disabilities.

Increase scholarships for educators, especially for those entering high-need areas.

Allow individuals to share a job, beginning in fourth or fifth grade when classes can be departmentalized by subject area.

These investments are critical as access to qualified bilingual/ESL educators is the most significant in-school factor for English learner achievement. These educators believe that students’ home language is an advantage and use theoretical knowledge and specific strategies to ensure students develop the knowledge and skills needed to engage in their learning.

Addressing the bilingual teacher shortage is an investment in our state’s future. We must prepare English learners to excel academically and contribute fully to our diverse society.

Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro is vice president of education policy & research for Latino Policy Forum. Gudelia Lopez is principal at Lopez Strategic Solutions in Oak Park.