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The legislation was filed by state Sen. Napoleon Harris III, D-Dolton,
and would allow retired teachers to return to the classroom for 150 days
or 750 paid hours. They would be paid for working and still be able to
collect a pension.
"This allows retired teachers to return to the classroom for 150 days,
which is currently 120 days per school year," Harris said. If passed
into law, "this goes into effect immediately and lasts until June 30th,
2023."
According to a survey by the Illinois Association of Regional
Superintendents of Schools, 90% of Illinois schools are currently
experiencing staffing shortages.
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, commended Harris on his work to address
one of the state's most prevalent issues.
"I appreciate the bill because we hear from teachers about this shortage
and this is a big issue," Rezin said. "I appreciate you working with
Illinois Education Association to get this figured out."
The shortage is starting to have an effect on students in the classroom,
according to several lawmakers.
“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.
State Sen. Kimberly Lightford D-Hillside, agreed with Harris about that
issue.
"We are beginning to hear from school districts that say we need
additional teachers to be able to accommodate the in-person school
learning," Lightford said.
Senate Bill 3201 advanced out of the Senate Education Committee and will
now head to the Senate floor for further debate.
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