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.

On today's 21st: Southern Illinois University received more than $345,000 from the state last year to train a cohort of special ed teachers. We checked in to see how the program is working, and what still needs to be done to address the teacher shortage. 

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.