South Cook News

With many school districts across the Illinois finding it difficult to find teachers, a state legislator is hoping to make it a little easier to get educators in the classroom. 

According to his website, Sen. Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) has introduced Senate Bill 3201, which would enable retired educators to return to the classroom for 150 days or 750 paid hours without having an adverse impact on their retirement status. According to the Illinois Legislature website, teachers currently can return for 120 days and 600 paid hours, and the new law would begin retroactively to July 1, 2021, though June 30, 2023. 

“The ongoing teacher shortage is affecting our children, but allowing retired teachers to bring their expertise back to the classroom for longer would help students thrive,” Harris said in the statement on his website.  

A report from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of School (IARSS) completed in a partnership with Goshen Educational Reporting found 2,040 open teaching positions and 77 administrative positions in Illinois.

“Superintendents in 88% of the districts surveyed believed they have a problem with teacher shortages,” the IARSS said in the report. “Superintendents in 77% of the districts surveyed believed the teacher shortage is getting worse.”

An effort in the lower chamber is taking a different approach, with State Rep. Susan Scherer (D-Decatur) backing several proposals, including House Bill 4139, which according to the Macon Reporter would reimburse educators' tuition to obtain their professional educator’s license. 

"We must work to remedy the teacher shortage crisis our state continues to face," Scherer wrote in a Facebook post cited by the publication. "I introduced multiple bills this week to address the issue.”

Another proposal by Scherer, the publication cited, would reduce the cost to allow educators to have an expired professional educator license reinstated for $50, down from the $500 they must currently pay. 

According to the Macon Reporter, Scherer’s proposals were passed by the Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools Committee in January and currently are slated for a second reading. 

According to the legislature's website, the bill introduced by Harris on Jan. 14 was placed on the calendar for a third reading on Feb. 15.