CPS on Tuesday announced it is now accepting applications for its Teach Chicago Tomorrowprogram, a district initiative offering post-graduate learning opportunities to help boost diversity among district teachers.

Teach Chicago Tomorrow is a partnership between CPS, the City Colleges of Chicago and Illinois State University that offers two pathway programs for aspiring CPS teachers.

In one track, scholars first work to earn an associate degree at a city college, followed by a bachelor’s degree through Illinois State University. After a year-long student teaching experience within CPS schools and earning their Illinois teaching license, these students will be given priority placement for jobs inside CPS schools.

This sounds terrific and I hope it’s as good as it sounds.

One of my first jobs as a social Justice lobbyist in Springfield, IL, was to garner support for a teaching program that was very similar. We aimed to find Illinoisans to return to school for an education in teaching with their commitment to teach back in the area that needed them.

Students applying for Teach Chicago Tomorrow this year must be a 2021 or 2022 graduate with at least a 2.5 GPA and minimum scores of 21 on the ACT or of 540 in English and 530 in math on the SAT.

We should 100% support efforts like that.