A group of future educators from Naperville Central and Naperville North high schools publicly demonstrated their commitment to the education industry Thursday morning.
Future Educators Signing Day
In what’s become an annual tradition for the last four years, 30 seniors participated in Future Educators Signing Day at the Naperville Municipal Center.
“We always recognize our athletes that are going off to college by signing and committing. So why would we not do that with our educators?” said Jane Williard, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Naperville School District 203.
Getting a head start on life after high school
All the students completed a college and career pathway program in education, which included:
- Two years of career-specific coursework
- Six hours of early college credit
- Multiple team challenges working to solve real-world problems related to the field
- 60+ hours of work-based learning experiences
These accomplishments have earned the students a special seal to be put on their diplomas that signifies an endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education.
“It’s a dream of mine. I want to be an elementary school teacher,” said Lexie Nelson, a senior at Naperville North High School. “Just getting the chance to spend time with these students and seeing what it’s like to be in the classroom is all I want to do when I’m older now.”
“To work with students that are so dedicated, and so excited about their own future, I feel grateful for having been a part of their lives,” said Lynn Andrees, Career and Technical Education Chair at Naperville Central High School.
National teacher shortage
The event comes during a nationwide teacher shortage. According to the Learning Policy Institute, the United States faced a deficit of roughly 110,000 teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. It is now estimating that gap could grow to nearly 200,000 by 2026.
“We need great educators,” Superintendent Dan Bridges told the students. “It’s an amazing profession.”
Future educators following in the footsteps of present-day teachers
With their high school graduation in just a couple of weeks, the high seniors are looking forward to the next step in life’s journey, motivated by their own educational experiences growing up in the Naperville schools.
“Growing up, a lot of the teachers had a really big impact on my life,” said Makenzie Pagman, a senior at Naperville Central High School. “So being able to kind of do what they did for me, I want to be able to do for other students.”
Every career started with a teacher who inspired [the students] or supported them along the way,” said Melissa Oskroba, Career and Technical Education Chair, Naperville North High School. “The fact that we can celebrate our students [who] are going to be making an impact where their product is people, and that is a really cool thing to have an impact on because you leave a legacy with the work that you do and the lives that you touch.”
District staff said they hope the students return to 203 once they become future educators.
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