Illinois Democrats Roll Out Plan To Address Teacher Shortage

A Welcome Back sign on a bulletin board Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, greets returning students at Chicago’s William H. Brown Elementary School. In-person learning for students in pre-k and cluster programs began Thursday, since the district’s agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union was reached. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar, Pool)

Illinois Senate Democrats are rolling out a plan designed to address a teacher shortage in the state. Lawmakers introduced a number of legislative measures, including a bill that would remove the number of days for short-term substitute teachers to teach in the classroom, allowing them to spend more time in the classroom if needed. Another measure would provide retention bonuses of four-thousand-dollars per year for certain qualified teachers.