Illinois has been facing a teaching shortage of roughly 1800 educators throughout the state, a number only projected to grow in the coming years.

On Today's 21st: Many disposable plastic products can take hundreds of years to decompose, filling up lakes and landfills in Illinois. We talked about proposed state bills that limit plastic waste.

If you’re not sure who paraprofessionals are, you might know them better as instructional assistants or aides.

This year, lawmakers approved a slew of new legislation intended to address Illinois’ teacher shortage. But Mark Klaisner, the new president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, said school districts across the state are still struggling to fill open teaching positions.

The minimum salary a teacher can be paid in Illinois will soon increase. Governor J.B. Pritzker joined educators and activists to sign a wage increase plan into law Thursday.