With 70 fresh faces leading classes across the district, there are fewer new-hire teachers in Indian Prairie School District 204 this year than in the recent past.
Last year, the district hired 139 new educators for its roughly 26,000 students in parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
The budget this year resulted in cuts of 10.5 full-time-equivalent positions across all staff types. But some of the reasons for a smaller cohort of new educators are good ones, administrators told the school board during its meeting this week.
“The smaller hire is due in part to lower turnover and a smaller retirement class this year,” said Carey Beth Harry, chief human resources officer. “We do anticipate being close to our average hiring over the next few years.”
High retention rate leads to fewer new hires
One main reason the district needed fewer new teachers is because so many choose to stay in their jobs.
“We wouldn’t be as successful as we are without the retention that we have,” Harry said.
The district’s overall retention rate stands at 94.7%, and teacher retention is on the rise — improving from 95.1% to 96.1% this year, Harry said. The statewide teacher retention rate is 89.6%.
“It’s exemplary that we continue to see our teachers, as well as our overall staff, feel that we are a wonderful work environment and continue to want to come back,” school board member Susan Demming said.
Grow Your Own Teacher program going strong
Despite needing fewer new teachers this year, District 204 continues to build the pipeline of educators among local students, even as young as tweens. Harry said the Grow Your Own Teacher program is entering its fifth year and now has 140 participants — up from 60 during its inaugural year in 2021-22 and 120 last year.
Students at the middle school and high school levels can participate in the homegrown educator prep program. It starts as the Teachers of Tomorrow after-school club in the middle grades and advances to include observation opportunities, professional learning, and a career exploration experience for high schoolers.
New teachers include 10 IPSD graduates
The group of new teachers hired this year includes 10 who are District 204 graduates, a point officials like to celebrate as they aim to match educator demographics with student populations.
Harry said seven of the new hires are educators of color, and 60% were hired before July, giving plenty of time to prepare for the start of school.
Administrators also reflected a “commitment to fiscal responsibility” when hiring new educators, as 66% of them are rookies or relatively new, with zero to three years of teaching experience, Harry said.
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