•January 19, 2022•
By Taylor Vidmar
Lee Enterprises
For Capitol News Illinois

Editor’s Note: Taylor Vidmar is a student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield. She is a reporting intern at the Capitol for Lee Enterprises.

There was once a time when Kristen Holly might see more than 200 applicants for a single elementary teaching position.
It was overwhelming just to figure out how to screen applicants, the assistant superintendent for student services in the Charleston School District, said.
That time is long gone.
Just a decade later, that same elementary position might now yield only six to 10 applications, on a good day. Job openings for more specialized positions — like counseling, special education, or secondary foreign language — Holly said, sometimes draw no applicants at all.
“Now, we’re going to see your application no matter what,” she said.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.