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SPS

University

Recruiting Reimagined!

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Unit district (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
Approximately 3,000 students

Dr. Sara Dail

Sterling Public Schools

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Why Reimagined?

Elementary

Openings

Traditional recruiting methods are not enough!

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Why Reimagined?

Secondary Openings

Traditional recruiting methods are not enough!

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Will your Board of Education

support cost sharing?

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Will Your Board Support Cost Sharing?

If no…

If Yes…

Ask for a set amount of money to be spend on “SPS University” per year (ex: $50,000)

Can the district pay for the classes and deduct it from their future checks?

Ask for a set amount of money to be spend on “SPS University” per year (ex: $50,000)

Contract between Board & Employee

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Retirement Outlook

School Year	Open Positions
2025-2026	Elementary PE (1 TOTAL)
2026-2027	2nd Grade Bilingual, Math Interventionist, 5th Grade, MS PE, HS Spanish, Special Education (6 TOTAL)
2027-2028	MS PE, PreK, Business Education, Math Interventionist (4 TOTAL)
2029-2030	MS Science, MS PE, 5th Grade (3 TOTAL)

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Resignation Average

School Year	Open Positions
2019-2020	10 resignations
2020-2021	12 resignations
2021-2022	16 resignations
2022-2023	23 resignations

On average, 15 staff members resign each year.

*Not including retirements

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What does this mean for SPS?

19 retirements/resignations per year, on average

76 estimated openings over the next 4 years

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What does your BOE get out of Cost-Sharing?

Local staff, committed to teaching in your district who are already invested in your community

The district can choose the candidates going into the certification areas needed (ex- High School Chemistry)

Recruits paraprofessional staff

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3 Types of Employees

Types of Needs:	Associate’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Teaching Certification	NEXT STEPS
Employee A	NEEDS			Enroll in an Associate’s Program (SVCC)
Employee B	Already Completed	NEEDS		Enroll in SPS University to obtain their Bachelor’s (Bloomboard or another university)
Employee C	Already Completed	Already Completed	NEEDS	Enroll in a teacher certification Bachelor’s or Master’s Program (Teacher Ready, Golden Apple, SPS U Master’s)

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A

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Approximate Cost: $10,544

Total Timeframe to PEL: 4-5 Years

Employee A: Needs an Associate’s Degree

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Diverse Male Teacher Initiative

Provides funding to support individuals to obtain their teaching degree

Central and Southern Illinois

Promotes Males in Education

Promotes Diversity in Education

In other news… New Opportunity?

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3 Types of Employees

Types of Needs:	Associate’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Teaching Certification	NEXT STEPS
Employee A	NEEDS			Enroll in an Associate’s Program (SVCC)
Employee B	Already Completed	NEEDS		Enroll in SPS University to obtain their Bachelor’s (Bloomboard or another university)
Employee C	Already Completed	Already Completed	NEEDS	Enroll in a teacher certification Bachelor’s or Master’s Program (Teacher Ready, Golden Apple, SPS U Master’s)

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B

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Approximate Cost:

$18,800 district Total

$4,200/year Employee (can be covered by pell grant)

Total Timeframe to PEL:

2 Years

Employee B: Needs a Bachelor’s Degree

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SPS University

SPS Employees

“The difference between using a job-embedded Bloomboard program and a traditional bachelor's or master’s degree program is that the coursework is done in our SPS classrooms and is relevant to their current position. Instead of taking coursework at an outside university and writing papers and analyzing hypothetical student data, the coursework focuses on their actual student data and the classrooms they are already a part of. Additionally, with a traditional bachelor’s program, a staff member would have to resign or take a leave of absence to student teach. With Bloomboard, they can student teach and assume responsibilities of the classroom, while continuing their position.”

Benefits for the Employee

Immediate applicable learning
Online course format
Can continue working

Benefits for SPS

Broadened candidacy pool
Opportunity to diversify our candidates
Candidates invested in and familiar with SPS

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For current staff without a teaching certificate/degree:

Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP) that requires 60 college credit hours of courses and ends in an ISBE Professional Educator License (PEL), which allows the individual to teach in Illinois.

Total cost of the program is $27,000

The district cost of the program is $9,400 per year for two years for a total of $18,800.
The expected candidate cost of the program is $4,100 per year for two years for a total of $8,200 (can be covered by Pell Grant - candidates are eligible to receive up to $7,395 per year)

Note: the individual must already have an Associate’s Degree

Master’s of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MAT): Elementary or Secondary program that requires 36 college credit hours of courses and ends in an ISBE Professional Educator License (PEL), which allows the individual to teach in Illinois.

The cost of the program is $15,300 for 36 credits.

Note: the individual must already have a Bachelor's Degree

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For current staff with a teaching degree:

Master’s Degrees (all cost approximately $12,750 and require 30 college credit hours)
Additional Certifications/Endorsements

Certification: Teaching English Learners

The cost of the program is $7,650 for 18 credits

Certification: Teaching Students with Disabilities (LBS1 endorsement)

The cost of the program is $5,100 for 12 credits

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3 Types of Employees

Types of Needs:	Associate’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Teaching Certification	NEXT STEPS
Employee A	NEEDS			Enroll in an Associate’s Program (SVCC)
Employee B	Already Completed	NEEDS		Enroll in SPS University to obtain their Bachelor’s (Bloomboard or another university)
Employee C	Already Completed	Already Completed	NEEDS	Enroll in a teacher certification Bachelor’s or Master’s Program (Teacher Ready, Golden Apple, Bloomboard)

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C

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OPTION #1: Teacher Ready

Approximate Cost: $6,400

Total Timeframe to PEL: 12-15 Months

Employee C: Has a BA in another Field, Needs Teaching Certification (PEL)

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Golden Apple Scholar

For our students:

Up to $23,000 in assistance
Mentoring support (2-years)
Job support

For our district:

Access to the scholars
Provides placement supports
Hosts Golden Apple events at SPS
Only a cost if you hire a scholar ($10,000 paid over a 2-year period the scholar is committed to your district).

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OPTION #2: Bloomboard “Teaching and Learning: elementary” Master’s Program with Teaching Certification

Approximate Cost: $15,300

Total Timeframe to PEL: 18-24 months

Employee C: Has a BA in another Field, Needs Teaching Certification (PEL)

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Master’s

& Principal Licensure

Professional Educator License (PEL)

*initial teaching certification

Bloomboard Certification Program*

Bachelor’s Degree & PEL Obtained

Sauk Valley Community College Partnership*

Associate’s Degree Obtained

SPS University Umbrella

Requires a Bachelor’s

Requires a HS Diploma/GED

Requires an Associate’s

Requires a PEL

Teacher Ready Program*

Golden Apple Accelerators

WIU MAT Program

PEL Obtained

Bloomboard Master’s Program

Master’s Degree Obtained

Associate’s

Degree

Bloomboard Teaching & Learning Master’s & PEL Program *

Master’s Degree & PEL Obtained

* Indicates cost-sharing options

Alternative Principal Endorsement

Principal Licensure Obtained

Requires a PEL & Masters

Bloomboard 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program*

Bachelor’s Degree & PEL Obtained

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Candidate Tracking

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SPS University (“SPS U”)

Results after Year #2

Pre-Hired 9 paraprofessionals to start in a teaching position in August, 2025!

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Bloomboard - Local Workforce Boards

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Where to find yours?

Link to website found here.

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SPS University (“SPS U”)

Sterling High School Students

SPS Paraprofessional

SPS Student

SPS Teacher

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SHS Future Educator Club

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SPS University: Students

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Thank you!

Dr. Sara Dail

815-626-5050 ext. 1615

sdail@sps5.org