ILLINOIS, February 4 - CARBONDALE—Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton will visit Southern Illinois University-Carbondale on Monday, February 7th to meet with students, staff, and administrators in education to uplift the teachers of tomorrow and better understand how the State can help prepare them for this important work.    Her visit is inspired, in part, by national reports highlighting a teacher shortage that has reached crisis level. In a recent study, Illinois school districts revealed that 88% of schools say they have a teacher shortage problem.   "We know schools are not okay right now. Educators are doing an incredibly tough job managing shortages while creating a safe, uplifting classroom environment for their students to learn," said Lt. Governor Stratton. "I am committed to showing our teachers and future educators that we are there for them because they are invaluable to the future of Illinois."   Beyond family, educators are the most impactful, loving supporters that children have as they grow and develop. Teachers, administrators, and staff do critical work made even more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic. Time and time again, these essential workers find new and innovative ways to meet the needs of students during these unprecedented times. The Pritzker/Stratton Administration is focused on supporting schools across the state, as evidenced in the State's proposed FY23 budget that: increases MAP grant funding to $600 million; maximizes awards to cover 50% of tuition at public universities; and increases funding for minority teacher scholarships.   "Our administration knows that educators need support now more than ever," said Lt. Governor Stratton. "My team and I recognize that teachers know what they need, and we must tap into their wisdom. We are listening and learning from our educational institutions across the state to better understand the barriers educators face today and how we can move forward."   In addition to education, Lt. Governor Stratton will also continue her focus on agricultural equity and food insecurity while in the area. Stratton launched the #AgConnectsUsAll campaign with a video announcement that can be found here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ilLv189DAuREFE9EEFnAx-cBomyF7ZC-/view?usp=sharing

To learn more about the #AgConnectsUsAll launch, go to the Lieutenant Governor's social media platforms (@LTGOVSTRATTON, LTGOVSTRATTON) for updates.