Legislation sponsored by State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) aimed at helping school districts who face a teacher shortage was recently signed into law.
“The teacher shortage is a serious and well-known crisis throughout the state,” said Sen. Fowler. “While it affects all of Illinois, it is especially common to see unfilled teaching positions in downstate and rural districts.”
House Bill 2569 helps address the teacher shortage by extending the sunset on the pension code that allows retired teachers to return to teaching in subject shortage areas without impairing their retirement status or retirement annuity from June 30, 2021 to no later than June 30, 2024.
“We have to do everything we can to make sure that the state’s ongoing teacher shortage doesn’t negatively impact our children’s ability to learn,” Sen. Fowler said. “This legislation helps districts that have a subject shortage by giving them the option to fill those positions with a retired teacher. It also ensures that retired teachers who want to come back and help aren’t punished for that decision.”
HB 2569 was signed into law on Aug. 20.