|
Bomke, R-Springfield, was re-elected to
the 50th District seat in a landslide victory this November. The
50th District includes Logan, Menard and Sangamon counties.
"I am honored to once again serve the
50th District in the Illinois Senate," said Bomke. "This is a new
year and a new legislature, and that promises to bring new
challenges to my job. I look forward to taking on this
responsibility and again serving the residents of my district."
Bomke’s most notable accomplishments as
state senator have been historic changes to Illinois’ public pension
systems, sex offender registration and leading the fight to save
Lincoln Developmental Center.
In the
coming weeks, Bomke’s Springfield office will relocate within the
Capitol complex and he will open an office in Lincoln. Until that
time, constituents may still reach him at (217) 782-0228 and
senator_bomke@yahoo.com
or visit him at the Capitol, Room 111.
[News
release] |
|
|
“This is
a crucial program for our state to retain teachers,” said Gov. Ryan.
“With school enrollment increasing rapidly and many teachers looking
toward retirement, it is imperative that we maintain the qualified
teachers hired so we can continue providing quality education to our
children.”
In
Illinois, public school enrollment, which began to increase in the
1990-91 school year, is expected to peak in 2006-07 with enrollment
exceeding two million students. This increase in enrollment,
combined with a growing number of teacher retirements (approximately
25 percent of the current teaching force is 50 or older, suggesting
large numbers of retirements within the next 10 years), will
necessitate the hiring of a substantial number of new teachers.
Districts’ effectiveness in retaining teachers will impact the
number of new hires needed.
Mentoring and induction is critical to keeping teachers in the
classroom. According to the Illinois Education Research Council, 30
percent of certified teachers in Illinois leave the field in the
first three years, and 40 percent leave in five years. Sound
induction programs significantly reduce teacher attrition,
positively impacting the school culture while improving teacher
effectiveness and enhancing student learning.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
“I am
excited about the participation of the various constituents in
making the mentoring and induction program a reality,” said Dr.
Hazel Loucks, deputy governor for education. “It is now up to the
Illinois State Board of Education to make sure that districts have
the right components in place to see that new teachers get the
support they need.”
“We know
from the recent research of the Illinois Education Research Council
that mentoring and induction programs work, but healthy school
climate and continual support are needed beyond the first three
years if teachers are going to stay in the classroom,” added Loucks.
The
rules for allocating the funds have been written by ISBE and are now
open for public review, which will continue until Jan. 27. After the
period of public review ends, the ISBE will begin to implement the
statewide system, based on funding of up to $1,500 per new teacher.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release]
 |
