The Illinois Senate has passed a bill to help combat the state’s teacher shortage. Legislation filed by State Senator Steve McClure was approved yesterday to make it easier for schools to recruit teachers, by helping ease the transition for teachers making the jump from private to public schools. Senate Bill 3027 amends the teacher pension system to allow teachers to have the option of paying into the system to cover both the employee and employer pension contributions for up to two years of private school teaching. It also requires that their previous private school was certified by the Illinois State Board of Education. Teachers would have until June 30th of 2021 to take advantage of the program.
McClure said it keeps private school teachers from fearing they will lose out on any kind of retirement by switching between private and public schools. By easing that fear, McClure believes it will help with the recruitment of teachers to public schools. McClure also said in a press release yesterday that passage of the bill would have little to no cost on taxpayers.
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate on Wednesday and has already picked up a chief sponsor in the Illinois House – 59th District Democrat Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove. The bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee for passage in that chamber.