Horace Mann donates $2,500 to fund UIS dual credit teacher education course for high school seniors

Horace Mann, a Springfield-based insurance and financial services company for educators, has donated $2,500 to the University of Illinois Springfield Teacher Education Department to help cover the cost of a dual credit course for high school seniors in Menard and Sangamon counties.

The goal of the dual credit course titled “Foundations of American Education” is to encourage more students to become teachers.

“We are always looking to provide solutions for our educator customers and find ways to attract students to this noble profession,” said Marita Zuraitis, Horace Mann president and CEO. “School officials and administrators tell us that finding teachers is becoming more difficult. We hope this program will encourage more high school students to explore the educator profession and give them a jump start on their college degree.”

According to a recent Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools survey, 89 percent of central Illinois school districts and 92 percent of southern Illinois districts are having issues with staffing teaching positions with qualified candidates.

“This unique program provides a local long-term solution to the teacher shortage crisis that Illinois and the nation is facing today, and creates an exciting partnership with UIS, Horace Mann and our local school districts to help our own students become future high-quality teachers,” said Jeff Vose, regional superintendent of schools for Sangamon and Menard counties. “I want to thank Horace Mann for their generous gift of $2,500 to help support tuition costs for these approximately 15-20 high school students from our region to attend these teaching courses at UIS.”

The dual credit course started in Fall Semester 2018 when 18 students from eight area high schools enrolled. The course is only the second dual credit option to be offered by the University of Illinois Springfield in its nearly 50 year history. Seniors earn both college and high school credit for completing the dual credit course.

“This course allows students to get a head start on their teaching degree and to provide the foundation of education at all levels”, said Scott Doerr, a UIS adjunct instructor who teaches the course and superintendent of the Nokomis School District.

The “Foundations of American Education” course counts toward general education credits for students who attend UIS to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The credits can also transfer to other institutions in the state if a student should choose to complete his or her education degree elsewhere.

Thanks to the support from Horace Mann, the cost of the course to high school students will be minimal. Students will be responsible for the cost of textbooks (rental, used and online options are available) when the course starts in August. Local students who are interested in the course should talk to their high school guidance counselor to register by the May 4 deadline.

UIS to offer a new dual credit course in an effort to encourage high school students to become teachers

UIS Teacher Education major Gabby Zeigler student teaches a class in 2015.

The University of Illinois Springfield’s Teacher Education Department will offer a new dual credit course for high school seniors in Menard and Sangamon Counties in an effort to encourage them to become teachers.

This is only the second year that UIS has offered dual credit courses, taught by University faculty members, to local high school students. The seniors will earn both college and high school credit for completing the course.

The dual credit course being offered is titled “Foundations of American Education.” The series of classes will provide students with an introduction to U.S. public and private K-12 schools through an exploration of the history and philosophy of education. The course counts toward general education credits for those students who attend UIS to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

“This is a win-win situation for everyone involved. The students get a head start on their college credits and a chance to see what teaching is about from the other side of the desk,” said Cindy Wilson, chair of the UIS Teacher Education Department. “Given the current teacher shortage, any efforts toward encouraging future teachers to enter the profession, to see the joy that is possible when someone they are teaching experiences a light bulb moment, well, that’s a good thing.”

The course will be offered on the UIS campus on Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. starting on August 29, 2018. The course will be taught by Scott Doerr, a UIS adjunct teacher education instructor and superintendent of the Nokomis School District. The course is open to any senior who attends a high school in Menard or Sangamon Counties.

The dual credit Teacher Education course will cost high school students $50, plus the cost of a textbook (rental, used and online options are available). Students can sign up for the course by talking to their high school guidance counselor before August 22.

“The cost is almost negligible, so this course will give parents a bit of a tuition break,” said Wilson. “The course also gives UIS an opportunity to recruit students and let them experience a college course before they graduate.”

While the course fulfills the introductory requirement for the UIS Teacher Education Program, the credits could also transfer to other institutions in the state if a student should choose to complete his or her education degree elsewhere.

“This is the latest dual credit program where high school students can earn college credit at UIS,” said Fernando Planas, UIS director of admissions. “We believe that many of the high school students participating in the dual credit programs will find UIS to be an outstanding academic institution with exceptional opportunities and a great place to pursue their college degrees.”

In August 2017, UIS Associate Professor of Biochemistry Stephen R. Johnson offered the first dual credit course for high school students at UIS. A group of 18 students from Springfield’s Sacred Heart-Griffin High School (SHG) took part in the pilot program. The dual credit chemistry course will again be offered to SHG students during the 2018-2019 academic year.

For more information on the course, contact Cindy Wilson, chair of the UIS Teacher Education Department, at 217/206-6386 or cwils1@uis.edu.