The Examiner U-46 News Feed

NIU education contract positioned for U-46 vote

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 is set to vote on a $500,000 contract with Northern Illinois University at its upcoming meeting on Monday, Dec. 13.
  The item was presented on Nov. 15. The contract, if approved, would be funded initially through the education fund with the nation’s taxpayers reimbursing it through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
  The contract is to get 35 paraeducators learning behavior specialist (LBS1) licenses, a special education endorsement, by June 30, 2023.
  “This will be the initial contract with Northern Illinois University for the Licensed Educators’ Accelerated Pathway (LEAP),” the proposal states. It’s an 18-month contract.
  The proposal adds: “The need for special educators is expected to grow nationally by 6 [percent] from 2014-2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016-2017). In Illinois, the Educator Supply and Demand 2016 annual report, indicates Special Education teaching positions are the most common positions to go unfilled. Over 476 LBS1 positions are currently unfilled in Illinois. U-46 has also experienced challenges in filling Special Education positions with approximately 10 more positions continually vacant. This cohort will support efforts to grow our own special education teachers by providing the opportunity for paraeducators to acquire the necessary endorsement.”
  Paraeducators who receive the LBS1 endorsement must commit to five years with the district in a LBS1 position, the proposal stated.
  “School District U-46 will increase the number of teachers with the LBS1 endorsement to successfully fill vacant Special Education positions and plan to fill future positions vacated due to retirement and attrition,” the proposal states.