In your recent article ("EIU program to address Illinois teacher shortage," Jan. 14), I was delighted to see Eastern Illinois University and Golden Apple Foundation are partnering to help solve Illinois’ teacher shortage problem.

We’ve been facing a crisis when it comes to employing an ample number of quality K-12 teachers. Enrollment in teacher prep programs dropped more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2018 in Illinois, while open positions remain unfilled.

Initiatives like Golden Apple’s Accelerators Program are beneficial in helping attract high school and college students to the teaching profession and are very much needed. However, effectively addressing the teacher shortage requires the ability to look beyond traditional-aged college students.

There are 1,790,351 adults across Illinois who have some college but no degree. Many started out seeking a degree in education and still dream of being a teacher but need more accessible and affordable options for completing their degree.

I am a teacher education course instructor at Western Governors University (WGU), which is a leader in STEM education and a top producer of math and science teachers throughout the nation. WGU has also made great strides in increasing the number of degreed individuals locally. The university offers flat-rate, affordable tuition, along with a fully online, competency-based structure, allowing students to leverage on-the-job experience to graduate faster and for less money.