SPRINGFIELD – To help eliminate the teacher shortage in Illinois, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) advanced a plan out of the Senate Education Committee to increase the number of days substitute teachers may cover for licensed teachers in the classroom.

 “We need to provide our superintendents with every tool to assist with the ongoing teacher shortage,” Joyce said. “This legislation allows substitutes to stay in the same classroom for longer, giving students more consistency.”

 Currently, Illinois law allows substitute teachers to cover for a licensed teachers for up to 90 days. Joyce’s initiative would increase the amount of days substitute teachers can stay in the classroom to 120. This measure helps keep substitute teachers in the same classroom, instead of having to teach lessons they are less familiar with after 90 days.

 There are currently 4,120 unfilled positions in Illinois schools. This number includes administrative, school support personnel and teaching positions. Find out more information on the teacher shortage from the Illinois State Board of Education’s website.

 Senate Bill 3893 passed the Senate Education Committee and awaits further consideration.