The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced 22 leaders from across the state selected to provide recommendations on increasing teacher diversity and promoting culturally responsive teaching. The Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher (DLRT) Network includes students and representatives from higher education, K-12 classrooms and administration, and policy and advocacy groups. Having teachers of different races and ethnicities benefits all students as they prepare to enter a global society. CCSSO selected Illinois as one of ten states to lead the national Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher initiative. The initiative supports the results of ISBE’s Teach Illinois: Strong Teachers, Strong Classrooms project, which proposed solutions to ensure Illinois has a highly qualified and diverse teaching corps across its K-12 classrooms. A few of the Illinois DLRT Network members are:

Amy Butler – Adjunct Literacy Professor, Northeastern Illinois University

Jennifer Cassell – Board Member, District 200 Board of Education

Jennifer Hernandez -Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro – Manager of Education Policy and Research, Latino Policy Forum

Violeta Cerna-Prado -Multicultural Studies Reading Teacher, UIC College Prep