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During a House Appropriations-Elementary and Secondary Education
Committee hearing this week, officials administering the program
asked for $10 million in taxpayer funds for bonuses. Jennifer
Ross, a lobbyist for the National Board of Professional Teaching
Standards, said the bonuses are an attempt to get teachers in
hard-to-staff schools.
“Hard-to-staff schools are defined by a school that is at least
30% below income,” Ross said. “We’re providing retention bonuses
of $4,000 a year for two years.”
To qualify for the bonus, teachers would have to become
certified with the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards.
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said a teacher could
take two years of bonuses and then just move on.
“Now that they have two more years of experience, do they move
on to a school that pays better overall,” said Halbrook. “I
guess I’m just trying to figure out if this is a good value for
taxpayers or not.”
Halbrook also wondered how the teachers union is going to react
with some educators receiving bonuses and others not.
State Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, said $10 million is a big
ask.
“Does that money have to be used to pay for the additional
education, or is it just money they get to just put in their
pockets,” said Davis. “Is this a number thrown out that sounds
good, if we give them $8,000 they will want to continue to go to
these schools.”
State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, was behind the
legislation and said it is aimed at addressing the teacher
shortage in underserved areas.
There is also a law in Illinois that increased the annual pay
cap for teachers who mentor or provide professional development
for classroom teachers or counselors. The annual pay cap
increased from $1,500 to $2,250 for teachers with National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards designations.
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