Solutions for Illinois Teacher Recruitment and Retention

BloomBoard is a talent development provider that enables K-12 school districts to grow, advance, and retain educators. Our platform is connecting Illinois school districts to learning providers that offer certification and degree programs using a unique on-the-job instructional model. We are now offering an Apprenticeship-based Bachelor’s Degree in Education to help districts address their shortage with existing talent.

On this page you will find additional information about BloomBoard and how we can support your district.

Learn how Valley View School District is attracting and developing talent through on-the-job teaching degree and certification programs.


Watch  “Effective Ways to Leverage Your Illinois Teacher Vacancy Grant” to learn more about out how we can support you.


Hear BloomBoard founder, Jason Lange, discuss how districts are reinventing teacher preparation.


Talk directly with a BloomBoard representative to learn more about our solutions.

A Few of Our Illinois Partners…

Sterling Public Schools

Sterling Public Schools

D65 Logo

Evanston/Skokie School District 65

Bellwood School District 88

Bellwood School District #88

Wauconda D118

Lake Zurich CUSD #95

Hinckley-Big Rock CUSD #429

Hinckley-Big Rock CUSD #429

Lake County ROE

Waukegan CUSD #60

DuPage Regional Office of Education

Valley View School District

Wheeling CCSD 21

West40 Service Center

Fremont School District 79

East Moline

East Moline School District 37

BloomBoard’s Talent Development Solutions

Build your talent pipeline, while advancing and retaining your educators.

No matter where your educators are on their journey, we have a solution for their economic and professional advancement. In Illinois, we currently offer:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education (60 or 120 Credits)
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Intervention Specialist: Mild to Moderate Needs (60 or 120 Credits)
  • English Language Learners Certification (18 Credits)
  • Learning Behavior Specialist 1 Certification (12 Credits)
  • Master’s Degree in Technology and Computer Science (30 Credits)
  • Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (30 Credits)

About BloomBoard

Watch this brief video to learn more about BloomBoard and how we support school districts with educator pipeline, advancement, and retention solutions.

→ To learn more, contact Kerry Frank, Illinois Account Representative at kerry.frank@bloomboard.com.

Partners In the News

Evanston Now

D65 offers path for aides to become teachers

Cynthia Battle always wanted to become a teacher. But between the need to earn a living, and the high cost of college, Battle earned only a two-year associate’s degree, and then went to work as a paraprofessional (teacher’s aide) in Evanston/Skokie District 65…

Evanston Now

Sterling Public Schools explores ‘game-changer’ teacher development process

Sterling Public Schools previewed an initiative to develop homegrown talent for teaching openings during its board of education meeting Wednesday that its superintendent called “a game-changer”…

Southland Journal

Bellwood School District offering salary bonuses for taking free courses

The Bellwood School District in Chicago has found a unique way for students and teachers to recover from the effects of COVID. The district is offering a graduate-level PD program for everyone in its district, including teachers, secretaries, and bus drivers.

Evanston Now

D65 expands teacher residency program and introduces teacher apprenticeship program to strengthen community impact

Evanston/Skokie School District 65 launched a new teacher apprenticeship program to improve an existing teacher residency program this September, addressing an anticipated teacher shortage and hiring a more diverse teaching staff…

Contact us to learn more about how we can support your district.

Informational Resources on Apprenticeship

Content Brief: Solving Your Teacher Shortage

Read this brief about how three innovative leaders are implementing new approaches with on-the-job teacher apprenticeship and degree-based programs.
BloomBoard Teacher Shortage Webinar

Webinar: On-the-Job Approaches to Tackling the Educator Shortage

Join us for a conversation with district leaders who are bringing on-the-job advancement programs into their districts to build skills, knock down traditional barriers to advancement and retention, and become employers of choice.
Teacher Apprenticeship

Brief: Rethinking Your Teacher Pipeline Strategy

Find out why school districts are shifting towards apprenticeship based programs for teacher certification and advancement and how these programs can help your district solve pipeline and retention challenges.

Reinventing Teacher Prep to Solve the Shortage, Diversify the Profession & Improve Instruction

District leaders are moving away from traditional campus-centric models and embracing teaching degree programs that are integrated directly into their classrooms through apprenticeship. They realize that investing in their own paraprofessionals and community members may be the most powerful way to build a sustainable talent pipeline and to help their students. Watch the video to learn more.

What Educators Are Saying

Let’s Work Together!

If you are interested in discussing how we can work together and assist in completing your Teacher Vacancy Grant application, complete the form below and we’ll be in touch quickly! You may also email our Grant Writing Specialist diretly at keshia.pleasant@bloomboard.com.