School Partners and Agencies

On behalf of our Teacher Education Programs at Illinois State University, thank you! We recognize our programs could not continue to prepare the next generation of educators without the cooperation of our dedicated school partners and agencies.

The experiences you provide our teacher candidates in their pre-student teaching clinical experiences, and our student teachers in their culminating experience, give them opportunities to observe, interact with PreK-12 students and professionals, plan and implement lessons, and complete assessments.

Process for placing an Illinois State University student teacher in your district

1. Contact the regional placement coordinator who supports your school district (see ISU Placement Coordinator Map, below). 
   • Gary Higham - Northern Chicagoland 
   • Jena Hobbs  - Western Illinois, Bloomington-Normal Area
   • Terry Jackson - Bloomington-Normal Area
   • Jill Janes - Eastern Illinois, Chicago, Bloomington-Normal Area
   • Kim Mast - Western Chicagoland
   • Carolyn Rutherford - Southwestern Chicagoland

     • ISU Placement Coordinator Map

2. Once you receive a placement email from a placement coordinator, review the teacher candidate credentials provided to you.
3. Arrange an interview with the teacher candidate if you would like to meet (optional) before you make your placement decision.
4. Complete and return the Student Teacher Placement form (included in the placement email) to your placement coordinator.

5. Provide required pre-student teaching prerequisites including health testing and criminal background checks to the accepted student teacher candidate.

Why an Illinois State teacher candidate is right for your district

1. Our teacher education majors complete extensive pre-student teaching clinical hours prior to beginning their student teaching experience, including a minimum of 50 diverse school setting clinical hours.
2. Many of our teacher candidates are completing ELL endorsements in conjunction with their content education majors.
3. Teacher candidates are prepared to effectively teach diverse and special needs students.
4. Semester-long placements begin on the first day of your teaching staff's attendance for the fall and spring semesters through the last day of the University's semester.
5. We offer a broad range of teacher education content programs.