SPRINGFIELD – The $40,000 minimum teacher salary bill, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), passed the Illinois Senate late this morning on a vote of 45-11. SB 10, sponsored by Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), modifies the current school code and sets the minimum salary for teachers at $40,000 a year. Currently, the minimum salary for teachers in Illinois is $10,000 a year for those with a bachelor’s degree and $11,000 a year for those with a master’s degree. The increase would be phased in over the course of five years, giving districts time to plan financially for the change. IEA President Kathi Griffin made this statement in response to SB 10’s passage:
“The students in the state of Illinois are suffering – especially in rural, central and southern Illinois – because there aren’t enough teachers to fill the classrooms of our buildings. This means larger class sizes, fewer academic offerings and fewer extra-curricular activities. There are many causes for this shortage. But we know, from conducting focus groups, that one of the biggest reasons the number of future educators enrolled in our universities has dropped by more than a third in the past 10 years is because the profession doesn’t pay enough. So, this measure will be helpful in attracting the best and brightest back to our esteemed profession.”
On Tuesday, the Illinois House of Representatives passed a similar bill, House Bill 2078, sponsored by Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Collinsville). For more information on the $40,000 minimum salary bill watch this video.
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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest education employee’s organization. IEA represents preK-12 teachers outside of the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
