While the number of vacant teaching positions in Illinois has gone down over the past few years, the severity of the persistent shortage of quality educators in rural areas remains as potent as ever. This is the mixed reality of the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) “2026 Unfilled Positions Dashboard.” As ISBE correctly notes, […]
Response: ISBE’s 2026 Teacher Vacancy Report Read More »
Career education ignites passion and purpose within students. This is the promise of career and technical education (CTE) but far too few rural students have the opportunity to explore an industry that aligns with their interests and goals. Thankfully, through a unique internship made possible by OPTERRA Energy Solutions, El Paso-Gridley CUSD #11 students Jasper
Student Interview: Powering the Future Through Career Education Read More »
AIRSS has continued to fight for the necessity of REAP funding at the federal level, and we remain committed to your students, staff, and schools by fighting further for the accuracy of this eligibility list.
2026 REAP Eligibility Sheet Available: Check For Your District Now Read More »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MACOMB, IL, FEBRUARY 2026 – The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) has completed a third statewide assessment of rural career and technical education programs (CTE) through their partnership with Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Regional Office of Education 26 called the Rural IL CTE Project. The Project
Rural and small school districts have an incredible opportunity to leverage their agriculture classes to offer invaluable career skill development for all students. The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Rural IL CTE Project team recently explored this opportunity through a workshop for Ag educators with the Illinois Learning Technology Center (LTC) at Regional
Growing Rural Computer Science Lessons through Ag Education Read More »
MACOMB, IL – The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) has completed its initial statewide assessment of rural career and technical education programs (CTE) with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Western Illinois University Seymour Center for Rural Education. This initiative, called the Rural IL CTE Project, was launched in
John Glasgow, Program Director, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools David Ardrey, Executive Director, Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Tom Withee, Director, Goshen Consulting Inc. A healthy public school system is essential for a vibrant society and a robust economy. These institutions are a cornerstone of American life. Challenges in how we conduct education,
The Chronic Rural Educator Shortage and Hopeful Actions to Address It Read More »
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has strong potential in rural schools to serve as a student empowerment and community revitalization powerhouse. Because of their embeddedness, rural schools have long been the foundation of their local economy and society, and CTE offers a direct tie that links school to community through student professional development. Despite this
As all in rural education understand, there is an ongoing and pervasive shortage of educators in rural schools. Although the most recent IARSS Educator Shortage Report: Academic Year 2024 – 2025 recently published by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools and the Illinois State Board of Education points to promising trends that the
The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools team, Executive Director David Ardrey, Director Hailey Winkleman, and Associate Director John Glasgow, hit the road this fall representing rural schools and rural Illinois at a number of high profile education conferences and gatherings. At each event, the three were able to communicate through data and narrative
