ISBE launches year-long paid sabbatical for Illinois Teacher of the Year to elevate educators

Contributed photo

By Illinois State Board of Education

Jul 15, 2021

issued the following announcement on July 8

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today launched a new year-long paid sabbatical for the Illinois Teacher of the Year as part of its commitment to elevating educators. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Illinois’ top teacher will elevate the prestige of the title and allow the Teacher of the Year to maximize their impact as Illinois’ ambassador for the teaching profession. The Teacher of the Year has not received a paid sabbatical since 2009. The restart of this significant program signals the respect and dedication Governor JB Pritzker’s Administration has for the state’s educators.

Justin Johnson, the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year and band instructor with Niles Township High Schools District 219 in Skokie, will focus his sabbatical next school year on inspiring and partnering with current and future teachers through speaking engagements, equity-focused professional development, and career guidance. Johnson hopes to share his passion for equity with a specific focus on increasing the recruitment and retention of diverse teachers. His efforts in Niles have helped the district increase its hiring of people of color by 200 percent over the last three years. Johnson also will use the sabbatical to mentor teachers, building upon his experience mentoring new teachers in District 219 for the past five years.

“The Illinois Teacher of the Year demonstrates how profoundly our educators impact our children and our communities. Offering a paid sabbatical is one way to honor our educators and promote the teaching profession,” said Governor Pritzker. “Our Teacher of the Year helps inspire our students and our future generation of leaders—and those incredible efforts deserve recognition. I applaud Justin Johnson for sharing his commitment to equity by advocating for the importance of a diverse teacher workforce across Illinois. We can take great pride in the fact that we have such dedicated, creative, passionate educators, like Justin, in every corner of our state.”

“Offering the Teacher of the Year a paid sabbatical illustrates our deep appreciation of and respect for Illinois’ teachers, especially recognizing our teachers’ incredible efforts over the past 15 months,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “The sabbatical also makes the Teacher of the Year program more equitable by ensuring the Teacher of the Year can serve to their fullest potential, no matter their own or their district's financial resources. I am proud to empower the next chapter of Justin Johnson’s commitment to equity and diversity in the teaching profession and look forward to seeing everything he accomplishes on this journey.”

“Being named the Illinois Teacher of the Year was the honor of a lifetime, and now I’m excited to embark on this experience of a lifetime,” said Johnson. “I thank ISBE and Governor Pritzker for this incredible opportunity and look forward to serving as an ambassador for this profession that I love so much. The sabbatical will allow me to dedicate myself more fully to making an impact. I will use this experience to not only become a better teacher myself, but also to advance the teaching profession across the state during a pivotal time for our students and families.”

The sabbatical also presents a unique opportunity for one newly licensed educator who will serve in Johnson’s classroom as a one-year teaching fellow. The fellow will receive special one-on-one mentorship and expert instructional guidance from master teacher Johnson. Interested candidates endorsed in music education may apply online to District 219.

Organizations wishing to schedule Johnson for an event, program, or speaking engagement can contact him at jusjoh@d219.org.

ISBE will announce the next Illinois Teacher of the Year in the first quarter of 2022.

Learn more about the Illinois Teacher of the Year Program.