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 IARSS serves 852 school districts throughout Illinois
and represents more than 200,000 organization and public school
districts’ employees. Under the terms of the new agreement,
certified and non-certified employees and district staff members who
enroll in one of the fully online, nonprofit university’s 60-plus
undergraduate or graduate degree programs will be eligible for
scholarships offered through WGU’s Education Partner Fund.
The scholarships are valued at up to $2,500, and are applied at a
rate of $625 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms.
Through the partnership, WGU, which is regularly ranked as having
one of the best Teachers College programs in the nation by the
National Council on Teacher Quality, will support IARSS in promoting
and providing educational opportunities for teachers and other staff
members.
“IARSS and WGU are both committed to K-12 student success by
preparing teachers for the classroom and equipping them with the
skills they need to inspire and engage students,” said Dr. Angie
Besendorfer, Regional Vice President of Western Governors
University. “This partnership will further support that mission,
while also working to increase teacher retention rates. Our
flexible, self-paced model will provide an avenue for teachers and
other employees to further their education while working full-time
and juggling their busy schedules.”
IARSS represents 35 Regional Offices of Education and
three Intermediate Services Centers in six geographic regions
throughout Illinois, serving 1.5 million children. The six areas
work together to ensure all school districts receive the same
services and all children are educated in a safe, supportive and
successful environment.
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WGU prepares teachers for licensure in all 50 states, and 98% of
WGU students pass their Teacher Performance Assessment (as required by their
state) within 90 days of completion of their demonstration, or student teaching.
WGU’s Teachers College, which has graduated nearly 26,000 students to date, is
one of the largest producers of STEM teachers in the country, conferring 11
percent of the nation’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees in STEM teaching.
For more information about the partnership between IARSS and WGU, visit wgu.edu/iarss.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to
high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more
than 123,000 students nationwide and has more than 190,000 graduates in all 50
states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university,
WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and
students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the
university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals
and families and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving
economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies,
and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times.
Learn more at www.wgu.edu.
[Jessica Denham]
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