$4K stipends, funded college coursework among new teaching recruitment plan by District 115

To improve teacher recruitment and retention, Yorkville School District 115 is implementing new programs, including $4,000 stipends for student teachers, district funded college coursework for employees and employee referral incentives.

The student teaching compensation program will begin the fall semester of 2025. The estimated cost for the program to the district is about $100,000.

Superintendent Matt Zediker said the initiatives are all about finding innovative ways to demonstrate the value the district has for the teachers and staff that come to call Yorkville “home.”

“We hope as we network with local universities and colleges that we create strong relationships built on trust so individuals who wouldn’t normally think of student teaching in Yorkville will be encouraged because they will know we have a great story to tell and a great district to offer to anybody who comes,” Zediker said. “This is our way to say if you come here, we will pay you while you student teach. And our hope is you will want to stay.”

The recruitment and retention plan emphasizes building strong relationships, creating a positive culture, and providing meaningful professional learning and growth opportunities, according to district documents.

Zediker said the district believes investing in their staff is one of the greatest ways to show investment in their students.

“We need to make sure that we are creating conditions in every building in the district that our staff will want to come to every day, that working with the students is something they can enjoy, and that they can enjoy the people they work with,” Zediker said. “As we think about new employees and our current employees, we want to design professional learning opportunities paid for by the district that furthers their skills to become a better teacher or to assume a different position within our organization.”

District officials are currently calculating the total number of clinical students and student teachers they will be accommodating into the district each semester. Zediker said the district has begun reaching out to several colleges within a few hours of Yorkville.

“They can trust that Yorkville is going to provide them the experiences, knowledge, and skills they need to become effective teachers,” Zediker said. “Once they come for their clinical experiences and student teaching experiences, we will frequently consult with them, building relationship opportunities so they know we care about them and they’re important to us.”