Amid a nationwide teacher shortage, which includes Lake County, retaining seasoned instructors — as well as helping those new to the classroom develop — is crucial to ensuring all needed positions are filled.
Michele Bertola, principal at the O’Plaine campus of Warren Township High School in Gurnee, said her job involves both hiring teachers and developing them into leaders who mentor those new to the classroom, thereby continuing the cycle of quality educators for the community’s children.
Bertola said leadership does not necessarily mean moving from the classroom into administration, but being part of the decision-making process, whether for curriculum, classroom management or something else.
“It’s having your voice heard and having a seat at the table when decisions are made,” Bertola said. “It’s being part of what the plan is. All teachers are leaders because they are leading the kids in the classroom. We need to support them and help them grow.”
Bertola was one of 11 educators participating in a roundtable discussion with U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, on Wednesday at Ravinia Elementary School in Highland Park discussing the best ways to recruit and retain teachers.
Shortly before the roundtable, Schneider reintroduced his Teachers are Leaders Act along with four colleagues — two Republicans and a pair of Democrats — to create grant funding for professional development for more experienced teachers so they can mentor newer colleagues.
“Empowering experienced educators to mentor new teachers is one of the best ways we can retain a high-quality teaching workforce,” Schneider said after introducing the legislation. “This will give our best educators more opportunities to lead in their schools, mentor colleagues, share best practices and ultimately help our children flourish.”
Organized by the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, most of the participants in the roundtable were part of educational management. The lone classroom representative was Bryan Henley. He teaches STEM-related courses in Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41.
With four years in the business world before becoming a teacher, Henley said initially he did not feel supported as he first stepped into the classroom. Things started to change when he was able to play a leadership role.
“I did not feel that supported at first,” Henley said. “I felt like a force onto myself. The first two years are extremely hard. You get more comfortable after that. More leadership (and mentorship) is very important.”
Schneider said the mentor and mentee are in a two-way relationship. The “process is no different” in Congress. He looked to more-experienced members when he was first elected in 2012, and now he does the same for newer representatives.
Michael Karner, the regional superintendent of education for Lake County, emphasized that teachers need to have a voice. He said administrators must create leadership opportunities for teachers. Bertola said they can do this by coaching a team or sponsoring a club.
A coach in an academic subject in a department like social studies or math is responsible for helping teachers grow. Bertola said coaching is a leadership opportunity that also offers a comfort level for teachers.
“Their role is to make a teacher better,” Bertola said. “They are not reviewing performance. It is a one-on-one relationship, more like a partnership. They support them and help them grow.”
”Coaching is about saying, ‘How can I help you get better?’” added Dale Fisher, the assistant superintendent for human resources in Deerfield Public Schools District 109. “It helps them stay in peak performance.”
Fisher said, on average, it takes four years for a teacher to become fully comfortable and connected in their classroom.
Just as retaining teachers is important, Bertola said it is getting harder to find new ones. Though she filled all her open slots for the current school year, she used to get 30 applicants for every job opening and now it is closer to 15. It is more challenging in some subjects.
“It’s even harder to find teachers for English language learners and special education,” Bertola said. “It’s important to build a good team. We really want to focus on keeping our good teachers.”
