Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Filed: 4/24/2013

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1762

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1762 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
52-3.25g, 24-11, 24-12, and 24-16.5 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g)
7    Sec. 2-3.25g. Waiver or modification of mandates within the
8School Code and administrative rules and regulations.
9    (a) In this Section:
10        "Board" means a school board or the governing board or
11    administrative district, as the case may be, for a joint
12    agreement.
13        "Eligible applicant" means a school district, joint
14    agreement made up of school districts, or regional
15    superintendent of schools on behalf of schools and programs
16    operated by the regional office of education.

 

 

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1        "Implementation date" has the meaning set forth in
2    Section 24A-2.5 of this Code.
3        "State Board" means the State Board of Education.
4    (b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this School
5Code or any other law of this State to the contrary, eligible
6applicants may petition the State Board of Education for the
7waiver or modification of the mandates of this School Code or
8of the administrative rules and regulations promulgated by the
9State Board of Education. Waivers or modifications of
10administrative rules and regulations and modifications of
11mandates of this School Code may be requested when an eligible
12applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the
13rule or mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical
14manner or when necessary to stimulate innovation or improve
15student performance. Waivers of mandates of the School Code may
16be requested when the waivers are necessary to stimulate
17innovation or improve student performance. Waivers may not be
18requested from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to
19special education, teacher certification, teacher tenure and
20seniority, or Section 5-2.1 of this Code or from compliance
21with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110).
22Eligible On and after the applicable implementation date,
23eligible applicants may not seek a waiver or seek a
24modification of a mandate regarding the requirements for (i)
25student performance data to be a significant factor in teacher
26or principal evaluations or (ii) for teachers and principals to

 

 

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1be rated using the 4 categories of "excellent", "proficient",
2"needs improvement", or "unsatisfactory". On September 1, 2013
3the applicable implementation date, any previously authorized
4waiver or modification from such requirements shall terminate.
5    (c) Eligible applicants, as a matter of inherent managerial
6policy, and any Independent Authority established under
7Section 2-3.25f may submit an application for a waiver or
8modification authorized under this Section. Each application
9must include a written request by the eligible applicant or
10Independent Authority and must demonstrate that the intent of
11the mandate can be addressed in a more effective, efficient, or
12economical manner or be based upon a specific plan for improved
13student performance and school improvement. Any eligible
14applicant requesting a waiver or modification for the reason
15that intent of the mandate can be addressed in a more
16economical manner shall include in the application a fiscal
17analysis showing current expenditures on the mandate and
18projected savings resulting from the waiver or modification.
19Applications and plans developed by eligible applicants must be
20approved by the board or regional superintendent of schools
21applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
22regional office of education following a public hearing on the
23application and plan and the opportunity for the board or
24regional superintendent to hear testimony from staff directly
25involved in its implementation, parents, and students. The time
26period for such testimony shall be separate from the time

 

 

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1period established by the eligible applicant for public comment
2on other matters. If the applicant is a school district or
3joint agreement requesting a waiver or modification of Section
427-6 of this Code, the public hearing shall be held on a day
5other than the day on which a regular meeting of the board is
6held.
7    (c-5) If the applicant is a school district, then the
8district shall post information that sets forth the time, date,
9place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its
10Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the
11district is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver
12education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code,
13the website information shall include the proposed amount of
14the fee the district will request. All school districts must
15publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to
16the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the
17school district that sets forth the time, date, place, and
18general subject matter of the hearing. Districts requesting to
19increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in
20the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the
21district will request. If the applicant is a joint agreement or
22regional superintendent, then the joint agreement or regional
23superintendent shall post information that sets forth the time,
24date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing
25on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing.
26If the joint agreement or regional superintendent is requesting

 

 

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1to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized
2pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website
3information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the
4applicant will request. All joint agreements and regional
5superintendents must publish a notice of the public hearing at
6least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general
7circulation in each school district that is a member of the
8joint agreement or that is served by the educational service
9region that sets forth the time, date, place, and general
10subject matter of the hearing, provided that a notice appearing
11in a newspaper generally circulated in more than one school
12district shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement with
13respect to all of the affected districts. Joint agreements or
14regional superintendents requesting to increase the fee
15charged for driver education shall include in the published
16notice the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will
17request. The eligible applicant must notify in writing the
18affected exclusive collective bargaining agent and those State
19legislators representing the eligible applicant's territory of
20its intent to seek approval of a waiver or modification and of
21the hearing to be held to take testimony from staff. The
22affected exclusive collective bargaining agents shall be
23notified of such public hearing at least 7 days prior to the
24date of the hearing and shall be allowed to attend such public
25hearing. The eligible applicant shall attest to compliance with
26all of the notification and procedural requirements set forth

 

 

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1in this Section.
2    (d) A request for a waiver or modification of
3administrative rules and regulations or for a modification of
4mandates contained in this School Code shall be submitted to
5the State Board of Education within 15 days after approval by
6the board or regional superintendent of schools. The
7application as submitted to the State Board of Education shall
8include a description of the public hearing. Except with
9respect to contracting for adaptive driver education, an
10eligible applicant wishing to request a modification or waiver
11of administrative rules of the State Board of Education
12regarding contracting with a commercial driver training school
13to provide the course of study authorized under Section 27-24.2
14of this Code must provide evidence with its application that
15the commercial driver training school with which it will
16contract holds a license issued by the Secretary of State under
17Article IV of Chapter 6 of the Illinois Vehicle Code and that
18each instructor employed by the commercial driver training
19school to provide instruction to students served by the school
20district holds a valid teaching certificate or teaching
21license, as applicable, issued under the requirements of this
22Code and rules of the State Board of Education. Such evidence
23must include, but need not be limited to, a list of each
24instructor assigned to teach students served by the school
25district, which list shall include the instructor's name,
26personal identification number as required by the State Board

 

 

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1of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If the
2modification or waiver is granted, then the eligible applicant
3shall notify the State Board of Education of any changes in the
4personnel providing instruction within 15 calendar days after
5an instructor leaves the program or a new instructor is hired.
6Such notification shall include the instructor's name,
7personal identification number as required by the State Board
8of Education, birth date, and driver's license number. If a
9school district maintains an Internet website, then the
10district shall post a copy of the final contract between the
11district and the commercial driver training school on the
12district's Internet website. If no Internet website exists,
13then the district shall make available the contract upon
14request. A record of all materials in relation to the
15application for contracting must be maintained by the school
16district and made available to parents and guardians upon
17request. The instructor's date of birth and driver's license
18number and any other personally identifying information as
19deemed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994
20must be redacted from any public materials. Following receipt
21of the waiver or modification request, the State Board shall
22have 45 days to review the application and request. If the
23State Board fails to disapprove the application within that 45
24day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted.
25The State Board may disapprove any request if it is not based
26upon sound educational practices, endangers the health or

 

 

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1safety of students or staff, compromises equal opportunities
2for learning, or fails to demonstrate that the intent of the
3rule or mandate can be addressed in a more effective,
4efficient, or economical manner or have improved student
5performance as a primary goal. Any request disapproved by the
6State Board may be appealed to the General Assembly by the
7eligible applicant as outlined in this Section.
8    A request for a waiver from mandates contained in this
9School Code shall be submitted to the State Board within 15
10days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of
11schools. The application as submitted to the State Board of
12Education shall include a description of the public hearing.
13The description shall include, but need not be limited to, the
14means of notice, the number of people in attendance, the number
15of people who spoke as proponents or opponents of the waiver, a
16brief description of their comments, and whether there were any
17written statements submitted. The State Board shall review the
18applications and requests for completeness and shall compile
19the requests in reports to be filed with the General Assembly.
20The State Board shall file reports outlining the waivers
21requested by eligible applicants and appeals by eligible
22applicants of requests disapproved by the State Board with the
23Senate and the House of Representatives before each March 1 and
24October 1. The General Assembly may disapprove the report of
25the State Board in whole or in part within 60 calendar days
26after each house of the General Assembly next convenes after

 

 

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1the report is filed by adoption of a resolution by a record
2vote of the majority of members elected in each house. If the
3General Assembly fails to disapprove any waiver request or
4appealed request within such 60 day period, the waiver or
5modification shall be deemed granted. Any resolution adopted by
6the General Assembly disapproving a report of the State Board
7in whole or in part shall be binding on the State Board.
8    (e) An approved waiver or modification (except a waiver
9from or modification to a physical education mandate) may
10remain in effect for a period not to exceed 5 school years and
11may be renewed upon application by the eligible applicant.
12However, such waiver or modification may be changed within that
135-year period by a board or regional superintendent of schools
14applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the
15regional office of education following the procedure as set
16forth in this Section for the initial waiver or modification
17request. If neither the State Board of Education nor the
18General Assembly disapproves, the change is deemed granted.
19    An approved waiver from or modification to a physical
20education mandate may remain in effect for a period not to
21exceed 2 school years and may be renewed no more than 2 times
22upon application by the eligible applicant. An approved waiver
23from or modification to a physical education mandate may be
24changed within the 2-year period by the board or regional
25superintendent of schools, whichever is applicable, following
26the procedure set forth in this Section for the initial waiver

 

 

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1or modification request. If neither the State Board of
2Education nor the General Assembly disapproves, the change is
3deemed granted.
4    (f) (Blank).
5(Source: P.A. 96-861, eff. 1-15-10; 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10;
697-1025, eff. 1-1-13.)
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/24-11)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24-11)
8    Sec. 24-11. Boards of Education - Boards of School
9Inspectors - Contractual continued service.
10    (a) As used in this and the succeeding Sections of this
11Article:
12    "Teacher" means any or all school district employees
13regularly required to be certified under laws relating to the
14certification of teachers.
15    "Board" means board of directors, board of education, or
16board of school inspectors, as the case may be.
17    "School term" means that portion of the school year, July 1
18to the following June 30, when school is in actual session.
19    "Program" means a program of a special education joint
20agreement.
21    "Program of a special education joint agreement" means
22instructional, consultative, supervisory, administrative,
23diagnostic, and related services that are managed by a special
24educational joint agreement designed to service 2 or more
25school districts that are members of the joint agreement.

 

 

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1    "PERA implementation date" means the implementation date
2of an evaluation system for teachers as specified by Section
324A-2.5 of this Code for all schools within a school district
4or all programs of a special education joint agreement.
5    (b) This Section and Sections 24-12 through 24-16 of this
6Article apply only to school districts having less than 500,000
7inhabitants.
8    (c) Any teacher who is first employed as a full-time
9teacher in a school district or program prior to the PERA
10implementation date and who is employed in that district or
11program for a probationary period of 4 consecutive school terms
12shall enter upon contractual continued service in the district
13or in all of the programs that the teacher is legally qualified
14to hold, unless the teacher is given written notice of
15dismissal by certified mail, return receipt requested, by the
16employing board at least 45 days before the end of any school
17term within such period.
18    (d) For any teacher who is first employed as a full-time
19teacher in a school district or program on or after the PERA
20implementation date, the probationary period shall be one of
21the following periods, based upon the teacher's school terms of
22service and performance, before the teacher shall enter upon
23contractual continued service in the district or in all of the
24programs that the teacher is legally qualified to hold, unless
25the teacher is given written notice of dismissal by certified
26mail, return receipt requested, by the employing board at least

 

 

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145 days before the end of any school term within such period:
2        (1) 4 consecutive school terms of service in which the
3    teacher receives overall annual evaluation ratings of at
4    least "Proficient" in the last school term and at least
5    "Proficient" in either the second or third school term;
6        (2) 3 consecutive school terms of service in which the
7    teacher receives 3 overall annual evaluations of
8    "Excellent"; or
9        (3) 2 consecutive school terms of service in which the
10    teacher receives 2 overall annual evaluations of
11    "Excellent" service, but only if the teacher (i) previously
12    attained contractual continued service in a different
13    school district or program in this State, (ii) voluntarily
14    departed or was honorably dismissed from that school
15    district or program in the school term immediately prior to
16    the teacher's first school term of service applicable to
17    the attainment of contractual continued service under this
18    subdivision (3), and (iii) received, in his or her 2 most
19    recent overall annual or biennial biannual evaluations
20    from the prior school district or program, ratings of at
21    least "Proficient", with both such ratings occurring after
22    the school district's or program's PERA implementation
23    date. For a teacher to attain contractual continued service
24    under this subdivision (3), the teacher shall provide
25    official copies of his or her 2 most recent overall annual
26    or biennial evaluations from the prior school district or

 

 

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1    program to the new school district or program within 60
2    days from the teacher's first day of service with the new
3    school district or program. The prior school district or
4    program must provide the teacher with official copies of
5    his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial
6    evaluations within 14 days after the teacher's request. If
7    a teacher has requested such official copies prior to 45
8    days after the teacher's first day of service with the new
9    school district or program and the teacher's prior school
10    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
11    official copies required under this subdivision (3), then
12    the time period for the teacher to submit the official
13    copies to his or her new school district or program must be
14    extended until 14 days after receipt of such copies from
15    the prior school district or program. If the prior school
16    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
17    official copies required under this subdivision (3) within
18    90 days from the teacher's first day of service with the
19    new school district or program, then the new school
20    district or program shall rely upon the teacher's own
21    copies of his or her evaluations for purposes of this
22    subdivision (3).
23    If the teacher does not receive overall annual evaluations
24of "Excellent" in the school terms necessary for eligibility to
25achieve accelerated contractual continued service in
26subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection (d), the teacher

 

 

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1shall be eligible for contractual continued service pursuant to
2subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). If, at the conclusion
3of 4 consecutive school terms of service that count toward
4attainment of contractual continued service, the teacher's
5performance does not qualify the teacher for contractual
6continued service under subdivision (1) of this subsection (d),
7then the teacher shall not enter upon contractual continued
8service and shall be dismissed. If a performance evaluation is
9not conducted for any school term when such evaluation is
10required to be conducted under Section 24A-5 of this Code, then
11the teacher's performance evaluation rating for such school
12term for purposes of determining the attainment of contractual
13continued service shall be deemed "Proficient".
14    (e) For the purposes of determining contractual continued
15service, a school term shall be counted only toward attainment
16of contractual continued service if the teacher actually
17teaches or is otherwise present and participating in the
18district's or program's educational program for 120 days or
19more, provided that the days of leave under the federal Family
20Medical Leave Act that the teacher is required to take until
21the end of the school term shall be considered days of teaching
22or participation in the district's or program's educational
23program. A school term that is not counted toward attainment of
24contractual continued service shall not be considered a break
25in service for purposes of determining whether a teacher has
26been employed for 4 consecutive school terms, provided that the

 

 

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1teacher actually teaches or is otherwise present and
2participating in the district's or program's educational
3program in the following school term.
4    (f) If the employing board determines to dismiss the
5teacher in the last year of the probationary period as provided
6in subsection (c) of this Section or subdivision (1) or (2) of
7subsection (d) of this Section, but not subdivision (3) of
8subsection (d) of this Section, the written notice of dismissal
9provided by the employing board must contain specific reasons
10for dismissal. Any full-time teacher who does not receive
11written notice from the employing board at least 45 days before
12the end of any school term as provided in this Section and
13whose performance does not require dismissal after the fourth
14probationary year pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section
15shall be re-employed for the following school term.
16    (g) Contractual continued service shall continue in effect
17the terms and provisions of the contract with the teacher
18during the last school term of the probationary period, subject
19to this Act and the lawful regulations of the employing board.
20This Section and succeeding Sections do not modify any existing
21power of the board except with respect to the procedure of the
22discharge of a teacher and reductions in salary as hereinafter
23provided. Contractual continued service status shall not
24restrict the power of the board to transfer a teacher to a
25position which the teacher is qualified to fill or to make such
26salary adjustments as it deems desirable, but unless reductions

 

 

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1in salary are uniform or based upon some reasonable
2classification, any teacher whose salary is reduced shall be
3entitled to a notice and a hearing as hereinafter provided in
4the case of certain dismissals or removals.
5    (h) If, by reason of any change in the boundaries of school
6districts or by reason of the creation of a new school
7district, the position held by any teacher having a contractual
8continued service status is transferred from one board to the
9control of a new or different board, then the contractual
10continued service status of the teacher is not thereby lost,
11and such new or different board is subject to this Code with
12respect to the teacher in the same manner as if the teacher
13were its employee and had been its employee during the time the
14teacher was actually employed by the board from whose control
15the position was transferred.
16    (i) The employment of any teacher in a program of a special
17education joint agreement established under Section 3-15.14,
1810-22.31 or 10-22.31a shall be governed by this and succeeding
19Sections of this Article. For purposes of attaining and
20maintaining contractual continued service and computing length
21of continuing service as referred to in this Section and
22Section 24-12, employment in a special educational joint
23program shall be deemed a continuation of all previous
24certificated employment of such teacher for such joint
25agreement whether the employer of the teacher was the joint
26agreement, the regional superintendent, or one of the

 

 

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1participating districts in the joint agreement.
2    (j) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a
3full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint
4agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint
5agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint
6agreement, in the event of a reduction in the number of
7programs or positions in the joint agreement in which the
8notice of dismissal is provided on or before the end of the
92010-2011 school term, the teacher in contractual continued
10service is eligible for employment in the joint agreement
11programs for which the teacher is legally qualified in order of
12greater length of continuing service in the joint agreement,
13unless an alternative method of determining the sequence of
14dismissal is established in a collective bargaining agreement.
15For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a full-time
16teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement,
17whether the program is operated by the joint agreement or a
18member district on behalf of the joint agreement, in the event
19of a reduction in the number of programs or positions in the
20joint agreement in which the notice of dismissal is provided
21during the 2011-2012 school term or a subsequent school term,
22the teacher shall be included on the honorable dismissal lists
23of all joint agreement programs for positions for which the
24teacher is qualified and is eligible for employment in such
25programs in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of Section
2624-12 of this Code and the applicable honorable dismissal

 

 

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1policies of the joint agreement.
2    (k) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a
3full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint
4agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint
5agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint
6agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a joint
7agreement, in which the notice to teachers of the dissolution
8is provided during the 2010-2011 school term, the teacher in
9contractual continued service who is legally qualified shall be
10assigned to any comparable position in a member district
11currently held by a teacher who has not entered upon
12contractual continued service or held by a teacher who has
13entered upon contractual continued service with a shorter
14length of contractual continued service. Any teacher employed
15after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a
16special education joint agreement, whether the program is
17operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf
18of the joint agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a
19joint agreement in which the notice to teachers of the
20dissolution is provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a
21subsequent school term, the teacher who is qualified shall be
22included on the order of honorable dismissal lists of each
23member district and shall be assigned to any comparable
24position in any such district in accordance with subsections
25(b) and (c) of Section 24-12 of this Code and the applicable
26honorable dismissal policies of each member district.

 

 

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1    (l) The governing board of the joint agreement, or the
2administrative district, if so authorized by the articles of
3agreement of the joint agreement, rather than the board of
4education of a school district, may carry out employment and
5termination actions including dismissals under this Section
6and Section 24-12.
7    (m) The employment of any teacher in a special education
8program authorized by Section 14-1.01 through 14-14.01, or a
9joint educational program established under Section 10-22.31a,
10shall be under this and the succeeding Sections of this
11Article, and such employment shall be deemed a continuation of
12the previous employment of such teacher in any of the
13participating districts, regardless of the participation of
14other districts in the program.
15    (n) Any teacher employed as a full-time teacher in a
16special education program prior to September 23, 1987 in which
172 or more school districts participate for a probationary
18period of 2 consecutive years shall enter upon contractual
19continued service in each of the participating districts,
20subject to this and the succeeding Sections of this Article,
21and, notwithstanding Section 24-1.5 of this Code, in the event
22of the termination of the program shall be eligible for any
23vacant position in any of such districts for which such teacher
24is qualified.
25(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/24-12)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24-12)
2    Sec. 24-12. Removal or dismissal of teachers in contractual
3continued service.
4    (a) This subsection (a) applies only to honorable
5dismissals and recalls in which the notice of dismissal is
6provided on or before the end of the 2010-2011 school term. If
7a teacher in contractual continued service is removed or
8dismissed as a result of a decision of the board to decrease
9the number of teachers employed by the board or to discontinue
10some particular type of teaching service, written notice shall
11be mailed to the teacher and also given the teacher either by
12certified mail, return receipt requested or personal delivery
13with receipt at least 60 days before the end of the school
14term, together with a statement of honorable dismissal and the
15reason therefor, and in all such cases the board shall first
16remove or dismiss all teachers who have not entered upon
17contractual continued service before removing or dismissing
18any teacher who has entered upon contractual continued service
19and who is legally qualified to hold a position currently held
20by a teacher who has not entered upon contractual continued
21service.
22    As between teachers who have entered upon contractual
23continued service, the teacher or teachers with the shorter
24length of continuing service with the district shall be
25dismissed first unless an alternative method of determining the
26sequence of dismissal is established in a collective bargaining

 

 

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1agreement or contract between the board and a professional
2faculty members' organization and except that this provision
3shall not impair the operation of any affirmative action
4program in the district, regardless of whether it exists by
5operation of law or is conducted on a voluntary basis by the
6board. Any teacher dismissed as a result of such decrease or
7discontinuance shall be paid all earned compensation on or
8before the third business day following the last day of pupil
9attendance in the regular school term.
10    If the board has any vacancies for the following school
11term or within one calendar year from the beginning of the
12following school term, the positions thereby becoming
13available shall be tendered to the teachers so removed or
14dismissed so far as they are legally qualified to hold such
15positions; provided, however, that if the number of honorable
16dismissal notices based on economic necessity exceeds 15% of
17the number of full time equivalent positions filled by
18certified employees (excluding principals and administrative
19personnel) during the preceding school year, then if the board
20has any vacancies for the following school term or within 2
21calendar years from the beginning of the following school term,
22the positions so becoming available shall be tendered to the
23teachers who were so notified and removed or dismissed whenever
24they are legally qualified to hold such positions. Each board
25shall, in consultation with any exclusive employee
26representatives, each year establish a list, categorized by

 

 

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1positions, showing the length of continuing service of each
2teacher who is qualified to hold any such positions, unless an
3alternative method of determining a sequence of dismissal is
4established as provided for in this Section, in which case a
5list shall be made in accordance with the alternative method.
6Copies of the list shall be distributed to the exclusive
7employee representative on or before February 1 of each year.
8Whenever the number of honorable dismissal notices based upon
9economic necessity exceeds 5, or 150% of the average number of
10teachers honorably dismissed in the preceding 3 years,
11whichever is more, then the board also shall hold a public
12hearing on the question of the dismissals. Following the
13hearing and board review the action to approve any such
14reduction shall require a majority vote of the board members.
15    (b) This subsection (b) applies only to honorable
16dismissals and recalls in which the notice of dismissal is
17provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a subsequent
18school term. If any teacher, whether or not in contractual
19continued service, is removed or dismissed as a result of a
20decision of a school board to decrease the number of teachers
21employed by the board, a decision of a school board to
22discontinue some particular type of teaching service, or a
23reduction in the number of programs or positions in a special
24education joint agreement, then written notice must be mailed
25to the teacher and also given to the teacher either by
26certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal delivery

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 23 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1with receipt at least 45 days before the end of the school
2term, together with a statement of honorable dismissal and the
3reason therefor, and in all such cases the sequence of
4dismissal shall occur in accordance with this subsection (b);
5except that this subsection (b) shall not impair the operation
6of any affirmative action program in the school district,
7regardless of whether it exists by operation of law or is
8conducted on a voluntary basis by the board.
9    Each teacher must be categorized into one or more positions
10for which the teacher is qualified to hold, based upon legal
11qualifications and any other qualifications established in a
12district or joint agreement job description, on or before the
13May 10 prior to the school year during which the sequence of
14dismissal is determined. Within each position and subject to
15agreements made by the joint committee on honorable dismissals
16that are authorized by subsection (c) of this Section, the
17school district or joint agreement must establish 4 groupings
18of teachers qualified to hold the position as follows:
19        (1) Grouping one shall consist of each teacher who is
20    not in contractual continued service and who (i) has not
21    received a performance evaluation rating, (ii) is employed
22    for one school term or less to replace a teacher on leave,
23    or (iii) is employed on a part-time basis. "Part-time
24    basis" for the purposes of this subsection (b) means a
25    teacher who is employed to teach less than a full-day,
26    teacher workload or less than 5 days of the normal student

 

 

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1    attendance week, unless otherwise provided for in a
2    collective bargaining agreement between the district and
3    the exclusive representative of the district's teachers.
4    For the purposes of this Section, a teacher (A) who is
5    employed as a full-time teacher but who actually teaches or
6    is otherwise present and participating in the district's
7    educational program for less than a school term or (B) who,
8    in the immediately previous school term, was employed on a
9    full-time basis and actually taught or was otherwise
10    present and participated in the district's educational
11    program for 120 days or more is not considered employed on
12    a part-time basis. Grouping one shall consist of each
13    teacher not in contractual continued service who has not
14    received a performance evaluation rating.
15        (2) Grouping 2 shall consist of each teacher with a
16    Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory performance evaluation
17    rating on either of the teacher's last 2 performance
18    evaluation ratings.
19        (3) Grouping 3 shall consist of each teacher with a
20    performance evaluation rating of at least Satisfactory or
21    Proficient on both of the teacher's last 2 performance
22    evaluation ratings, if 2 ratings are available, or on the
23    teacher's last performance evaluation rating, if only one
24    rating is available, unless the teacher qualifies for
25    placement into grouping 4.
26        (4) Grouping 4 shall consist of each teacher whose last

 

 

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1    2 performance evaluation ratings are Excellent and each
2    teacher with 2 Excellent performance evaluation ratings
3    out of the teacher's last 3 performance evaluation ratings
4    with a third rating of Satisfactory or Proficient.
5    Among teachers qualified to hold a position, teachers must
6be dismissed in the order of their groupings, with teachers in
7grouping one dismissed first and teachers in grouping 4
8dismissed last.
9    Within grouping one, the sequence of dismissal must be at
10the discretion of the school district or joint agreement.
11Within grouping 2, the sequence of dismissal must be based upon
12average performance evaluation ratings, with the teacher or
13teachers with the lowest average performance evaluation rating
14dismissed first. A teacher's average performance evaluation
15rating must be calculated using the average of the teacher's
16last 2 performance evaluation ratings, if 2 ratings are
17available, or the teacher's last performance evaluation
18rating, if only one rating is available, using the following
19numerical values: 4 for Excellent; 3 for Proficient or
20Satisfactory; 2 for Needs Improvement; and 1 for
21Unsatisfactory. As between or among teachers in grouping 2 with
22the same average performance evaluation rating and within each
23of groupings 3 and 4, the teacher or teachers with the shorter
24length of continuing service with the school district or joint
25agreement must be dismissed first unless an alternative method
26of determining the sequence of dismissal is established in a

 

 

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1collective bargaining agreement or contract between the board
2and a professional faculty members' organization.
3    Each board, including the governing board of a joint
4agreement, shall, in consultation with any exclusive employee
5representatives, each year establish a sequence of honorable
6dismissal list categorized by positions and the groupings
7defined in this subsection (b). Copies of the list must be
8distributed to the exclusive bargaining representative at
9least 75 days before the end of the school term, provided that
10the school district or joint agreement may, with notice to any
11exclusive employee representatives, move teachers from
12grouping one into another grouping during the period of time
13from 75 days until 45 days before the end of the school term.
14Each year, each board shall also establish, in consultation
15with any exclusive employee representatives, a list showing the
16length of continuing service of each teacher who is qualified
17to hold any such positions, unless an alternative method of
18determining a sequence of dismissal is established as provided
19for in this Section, in which case a list must be made in
20accordance with the alternative method. Copies of the list must
21be distributed to the exclusive employee representative at
22least 75 days before the end of the school term.
23    Any teacher dismissed as a result of such decrease or
24discontinuance must be paid all earned compensation on or
25before the third business day following the last day of pupil
26attendance in the regular school term.

 

 

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1    If the board or joint agreement has any vacancies for the
2following school term or within one calendar year from the
3beginning of the following school term, the positions thereby
4becoming available must be tendered to the teachers so removed
5or dismissed who were in groupings 3 or 4 of the sequence of
6dismissal and are qualified to hold the positions, based upon
7legal qualifications and any other qualifications established
8in a district or joint agreement job description, on or before
9the May 10 prior to the date of the positions becoming
10available, provided that if the number of honorable dismissal
11notices based on economic necessity exceeds 15% of the number
12of full-time equivalent positions filled by certified
13employees (excluding principals and administrative personnel)
14during the preceding school year, then the recall period is for
15the following school term or within 2 calendar years from the
16beginning of the following school term. Among teachers eligible
17for recall pursuant to the preceding sentence, the order of
18recall must be in inverse order of dismissal, unless an
19alternative order of recall is established in a collective
20bargaining agreement or contract between the board and a
21professional faculty members' organization. Whenever the
22number of honorable dismissal notices based upon economic
23necessity exceeds 5 notices or 150% of the average number of
24teachers honorably dismissed in the preceding 3 years,
25whichever is more, then the school board or governing board of
26a joint agreement, as applicable, shall also hold a public

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 28 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1hearing on the question of the dismissals. Following the
2hearing and board review, the action to approve any such
3reduction shall require a majority vote of the board members.
4    For purposes of this subsection (b), subject to agreement
5on an alternative definition reached by the joint committee
6described in subsection (c) of this Section, a teacher's
7performance evaluation rating means the overall performance
8evaluation rating resulting from an annual or biennial biannual
9performance evaluation conducted pursuant to Article 24A of
10this Code by the school district or joint agreement determining
11the sequence of dismissal, not including any performance
12evaluation conducted during or at the end of a remediation
13period. For performance evaluation ratings determined prior to
14September 1, 2012, any school district or joint agreement with
15a performance evaluation rating system that does not use either
16of the rating category systems specified in subsection (d) of
17Section 24A-5 of this Code for all teachers must establish a
18basis for assigning each teacher a rating that complies with
19subsection (d) of Section 24A-5 of this Code for all of the
20performance evaluation ratings that are to be used to determine
21the sequence of dismissal. A teacher's grouping and ranking on
22a sequence of honorable dismissal shall be deemed a part of the
23teacher's performance evaluation, and that information may be
24disclosed to the exclusive bargaining representative as part of
25a sequence of honorable dismissal list, notwithstanding any
26laws prohibiting disclosure of such information. A performance

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 29 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1evaluation rating may be used to determine the sequence of
2dismissal, notwithstanding the pendency of any grievance
3resolution or arbitration procedures relating to the
4performance evaluation. If a teacher has received at least one
5performance evaluation rating conducted by the school district
6or joint agreement determining the sequence of dismissal and a
7subsequent performance evaluation is not conducted in any
8school year in which such evaluation is required to be
9conducted under Section 24A-5 of this Code, the teacher's
10performance evaluation rating for that school year for purposes
11of determining the sequence of dismissal is deemed Proficient.
12If a performance evaluation rating is nullified as the result
13of an arbitration, administrative agency, or court
14determination, then the school district or joint agreement is
15deemed to have conducted a performance evaluation for that
16school year, but the performance evaluation rating may not be
17used in determining the sequence of dismissal.
18    Nothing in this subsection (b) shall be construed as
19limiting the right of a school board or governing board of a
20joint agreement to dismiss a teacher not in contractual
21continued service in accordance with Section 24-11 of this
22Code.
23    Any provisions regarding the sequence of honorable
24dismissals and recall of honorably dismissed teachers in a
25collective bargaining agreement entered into on or before
26January 1, 2011 and in effect on the effective date of this

 

 

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1amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly that may conflict
2with this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly shall
3remain in effect through the expiration of such agreement or
4June 30, 2013, whichever is earlier.
5    (c) Each school district and special education joint
6agreement must use a joint committee composed of equal
7representation selected by the school board and its teachers
8or, if applicable, the exclusive bargaining representative of
9its teachers, to address the matters described in paragraphs
10(1) through (5) of this subsection (c) pertaining to honorable
11dismissals under subsection (b) of this Section.
12        (1) The joint committee must consider and may agree to
13    criteria for excluding from grouping 2 and placing into
14    grouping 3 a teacher whose last 2 performance evaluations
15    include a Needs Improvement and either a Proficient or
16    Excellent.
17        (2) The joint committee must consider and may agree to
18    an alternative definition for grouping 4, which definition
19    must take into account prior performance evaluation
20    ratings and may take into account other factors that relate
21    to the school district's or program's educational
22    objectives. An alternative definition for grouping 4 may
23    not permit the inclusion of a teacher in the grouping with
24    a Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory performance
25    evaluation rating on either of the teacher's last 2
26    performance evaluation ratings.

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 31 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1        (3) The joint committee may agree to including within
2    the definition of a performance evaluation rating a
3    performance evaluation rating administered by a school
4    district or joint agreement other than the school district
5    or joint agreement determining the sequence of dismissal.
6        (4) For each school district or joint agreement that
7    administers performance evaluation ratings that are
8    inconsistent with either of the rating category systems
9    specified in subsection (d) of Section 24A-5 of this Code,
10    the school district or joint agreement must consult with
11    the joint committee on the basis for assigning a rating
12    that complies with subsection (d) of Section 24A-5 of this
13    Code to each performance evaluation rating that will be
14    used in a sequence of dismissal.
15        (5) Upon request by a joint committee member submitted
16    to the employing board by no later than 10 days after the
17    distribution of the sequence of honorable dismissal list, a
18    representative of the employing board shall, within 5 days
19    after the request, provide to members of the joint
20    committee a list showing the most recent and prior
21    performance evaluation ratings of each teacher identified
22    only by length of continuing service in the district or
23    joint agreement and not by name. If, after review of this
24    list, a member of the joint committee has a good faith
25    belief that a disproportionate number of teachers with
26    greater length of continuing service with the district or

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 32 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    joint agreement have received a recent performance
2    evaluation rating lower than the prior rating, the member
3    may request that the joint committee review the list to
4    assess whether such a trend may exist. Following the joint
5    committee's review, but by no later than the end of the
6    applicable school term, the joint committee or any member
7    or members of the joint committee may submit a report of
8    the review to the employing board and exclusive bargaining
9    representative, if any. Nothing in this paragraph (5) shall
10    impact the order of honorable dismissal or a school
11    district's or joint agreement's authority to carry out a
12    dismissal in accordance with subsection (b) of this
13    Section.
14    Agreement by the joint committee as to a matter requires
15the majority vote of all committee members, and if the joint
16committee does not reach agreement on a matter, then the
17otherwise applicable requirements of subsection (b) of this
18Section shall apply. Except as explicitly set forth in this
19subsection (c), a joint committee has no authority to agree to
20any further modifications to the requirements for honorable
21dismissals set forth in subsection (b) (a) of this Section. The
22joint committee must be established, and the first meeting of
23the joint committee each school year must occur on or before
24December 1, 2011 or 30 days after the effective date of this
25amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, whichever is
26later.

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 33 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    The joint committee must reach agreement on a matter on or
2before February 1 of a school year in order for the agreement
3of the joint committee to apply to the sequence of dismissal
4determined during that school year. Subject to the February 1
5deadline for agreements, the agreement of a joint committee on
6a matter shall apply to the sequence of dismissal until the
7agreement is amended or terminated by the joint committee.
8    (d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
9subsection (d), the requirements and dismissal procedures of
10Section 24-16.5 of this Code shall apply to any dismissal
11sought under Section 24-16.5 of this Code.
12        (1) If a dismissal of a teacher in contractual
13    continued service is sought for any reason or cause other
14    than an honorable dismissal under subsections (a) or (b) of
15    this Section or a dismissal sought under Section 24-16.5 of
16    this Code, including those under Section 10-22.4, the board
17    must first approve a motion containing specific charges by
18    a majority vote of all its members. Written notice of such
19    charges, including a bill of particulars and the teacher's
20    right to request a hearing, must be mailed to the teacher
21    and also given to the teacher either by certified mail,
22    return receipt requested, or personal delivery with
23    receipt within 5 days of the adoption of the motion. Any
24    written notice sent on or after July 1, 2012 shall inform
25    the teacher of the right to request a hearing before a
26    mutually selected hearing officer, with the cost of the

 

 

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1    hearing officer split equally between the teacher and the
2    board, or a hearing before a board-selected hearing
3    officer, with the cost of the hearing officer paid by the
4    board.
5        Before setting a hearing on charges stemming from
6    causes that are considered remediable, a board must give
7    the teacher reasonable warning in writing, stating
8    specifically the causes that, if not removed, may result in
9    charges; however, no such written warning is required if
10    the causes have been the subject of a remediation plan
11    pursuant to Article 24A of this Code.
12        If, in the opinion of the board, the interests of the
13    school require it, the board may suspend the teacher
14    without pay, pending the hearing, but if the board's
15    dismissal or removal is not sustained, the teacher shall
16    not suffer the loss of any salary or benefits by reason of
17    the suspension.
18        (2) No hearing upon the charges is required unless the
19    teacher within 17 days after receiving notice requests in
20    writing of the board that a hearing be scheduled before a
21    mutually selected hearing officer or a hearing officer
22    selected by the board. The secretary of the school board
23    shall forward a copy of the notice to the State Board of
24    Education.
25        (3) Within 5 business days after receiving a notice of
26    hearing in which either notice to the teacher was sent

 

 

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1    before July 1, 2012 or, if the notice was sent on or after
2    July 1, 2012, the teacher has requested a hearing before a
3    mutually selected hearing officer, the State Board of
4    Education shall provide a list of 5 prospective, impartial
5    hearing officers from the master list of qualified,
6    impartial hearing officers maintained by the State Board of
7    Education. Each person on the master list must (i) be
8    accredited by a national arbitration organization and have
9    had a minimum of 5 years of experience directly related to
10    labor and employment relations matters between employers
11    and employees or their exclusive bargaining
12    representatives and (ii) beginning September 1, 2012, have
13    participated in training provided or approved by the State
14    Board of Education for teacher dismissal hearing officers
15    so that he or she is familiar with issues generally
16    involved in evaluative and non-evaluative dismissals.
17        If notice to the teacher was sent before July 1, 2012
18    or, if the notice was sent on or after July 1, 2012, the
19    teacher has requested a hearing before a mutually selected
20    hearing officer, the board and the teacher or their legal
21    representatives within 3 business days shall alternately
22    strike one name from the list provided by the State Board
23    of Education until only one name remains. Unless waived by
24    the teacher, the teacher shall have the right to proceed
25    first with the striking. Within 3 business days of receipt
26    of the list provided by the State Board of Education, the

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 36 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    board and the teacher or their legal representatives shall
2    each have the right to reject all prospective hearing
3    officers named on the list and notify the State Board of
4    Education of such rejection. Within 3 business days after
5    receiving this notification, the State Board of Education
6    shall appoint a qualified person from the master list who
7    did not appear on the list sent to the parties to serve as
8    the hearing officer, unless the parties notify it that they
9    have chosen to alternatively select a hearing officer under
10    paragraph (4) of this subsection (d).
11        If the teacher has requested a hearing before a hearing
12    officer selected by the board, the board shall select one
13    name from the master list of qualified impartial hearing
14    officers maintained by the State Board of Education within
15    3 business days after receipt and shall notify the State
16    Board of Education of its selection.
17        A hearing officer mutually selected by the parties,
18    selected by the board, or selected through an alternative
19    selection process under paragraph (4) of this subsection
20    (d) (A) must not be a resident of the school district, (B)
21    must be available to commence the hearing within 75 days
22    and conclude the hearing within 120 days after being
23    selected as the hearing officer, and (C) must issue a
24    decision as to whether the teacher must be dismissed and
25    give a copy of that decision to both the teacher and the
26    board within 30 days from the conclusion of the hearing or

 

 

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1    closure of the record, whichever is later.
2        (4) In the alternative to selecting a hearing officer
3    from the list received from the State Board of Education or
4    accepting the appointment of a hearing officer by the State
5    Board of Education or if the State Board of Education
6    cannot provide a list or appoint a hearing officer that
7    meets the foregoing requirements, the board and the teacher
8    or their legal representatives may mutually agree to select
9    an impartial hearing officer who is not on the master list
10    either by direct appointment by the parties or by using
11    procedures for the appointment of an arbitrator
12    established by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation
13    Service or the American Arbitration Association. The
14    parties shall notify the State Board of Education of their
15    intent to select a hearing officer using an alternative
16    procedure within 3 business days of receipt of a list of
17    prospective hearing officers provided by the State Board of
18    Education, notice of appointment of a hearing officer by
19    the State Board of Education, or receipt of notice from the
20    State Board of Education that it cannot provide a list that
21    meets the foregoing requirements, whichever is later.
22        (5) If the notice of dismissal was sent to the teacher
23    before July 1, 2012, the fees and costs for the hearing
24    officer must be paid by the State Board of Education. If
25    the notice of dismissal was sent to the teacher on or after
26    July 1, 2012, the hearing officer's fees and costs must be

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 38 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    paid as follows in this paragraph (5). The fees and
2    permissible costs for the hearing officer must be
3    determined by the State Board of Education. If the board
4    and the teacher or their legal representatives mutually
5    agree to select an impartial hearing officer who is not on
6    a list received from the State Board of Education, they may
7    agree to supplement the fees determined by the State Board
8    to the hearing officer, at a rate consistent with the
9    hearing officer's published professional fees. If the
10    hearing officer is mutually selected by the parties, then
11    the board and the teacher or their legal representatives
12    shall each pay 50% of the fees and costs and any
13    supplemental allowance to which they agree. If the hearing
14    officer is selected by the board, then the board shall pay
15    100% of the hearing officer's fees and costs. The fees and
16    costs must be paid to the hearing officer within 14 days
17    after the board and the teacher or their legal
18    representatives receive the hearing officer's decision set
19    forth in paragraph (7) of this subsection (d).
20        (6) The teacher is required to answer the bill of
21    particulars and aver affirmative matters in his or her
22    defense, and the time for initially doing so and the time
23    for updating such answer and defenses after pre-hearing
24    discovery must be set by the hearing officer. The State
25    Board of Education shall promulgate rules so that each
26    party has a fair opportunity to present its case and to

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 39 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    ensure that the dismissal process proceeds in a fair and
2    expeditious manner. These rules shall address, without
3    limitation, discovery and hearing scheduling conferences;
4    the teacher's initial answer and affirmative defenses to
5    the bill of particulars and the updating of that
6    information after pre-hearing discovery; provision for
7    written interrogatories and requests for production of
8    documents; the requirement that each party initially
9    disclose to the other party and then update the disclosure
10    no later than 10 calendar days prior to the commencement of
11    the hearing, the names and addresses of persons who may be
12    called as witnesses at the hearing, a summary of the facts
13    or opinions each witness will testify to, and all other
14    documents and materials, including information maintained
15    electronically, relevant to its own as well as the other
16    party's case (the hearing officer may exclude witnesses and
17    exhibits not identified and shared, except those offered in
18    rebuttal for which the party could not reasonably have
19    anticipated prior to the hearing); pre-hearing discovery
20    and preparation, including provision for written
21    interrogatories and requests for production of documents,
22    provided that discovery depositions are prohibited; the
23    conduct of the hearing; the right of each party to be
24    represented by counsel, the offer of evidence and witnesses
25    and the cross-examination of witnesses; the authority of
26    the hearing officer to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces

 

 

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1    tecum, provided that the hearing officer may limit the
2    number of witnesses to be subpoenaed on behalf of each
3    party to no more than 7; the length of post-hearing briefs;
4    and the form, length, and content of hearing officers'
5    decisions. The hearing officer shall hold a hearing and
6    render a final decision for dismissal pursuant to Article
7    24A of this Code or shall report to the school board
8    findings of fact and a recommendation as to whether or not
9    the teacher must be dismissed for conduct. The hearing
10    officer shall commence the hearing within 75 days and
11    conclude the hearing within 120 days after being selected
12    as the hearing officer, provided that the hearing officer
13    may modify these timelines upon the showing of good cause
14    or mutual agreement of the parties. Good cause for the
15    purpose of this subsection (d) shall mean the illness or
16    otherwise unavoidable emergency of the teacher, district
17    representative, their legal representatives, the hearing
18    officer, or an essential witness as indicated in each
19    party's pre-hearing submission. In a dismissal hearing
20    pursuant to Article 24A of this Code, the hearing officer
21    shall consider and give weight to all of the teacher's
22    evaluations written pursuant to Article 24A that are
23    relevant to the issues in the hearing.
24        Each party shall have no more than 3 days to present
25    its case, unless extended by the hearing officer to enable
26    a party to present adequate evidence and testimony,

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 41 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    including due to the other party's cross-examination of the
2    party's witnesses, for good cause or by mutual agreement of
3    the parties. The State Board of Education shall define in
4    rules the meaning of "day" for such purposes. All testimony
5    at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered by
6    the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall cause a
7    record of the proceedings to be kept and shall employ a
8    competent reporter to take stenographic or stenotype notes
9    of all the testimony. The costs of the reporter's
10    attendance and services at the hearing shall be paid by the
11    party or parties who are responsible for paying the fees
12    and costs of the hearing officer. Either party desiring a
13    transcript of the hearing shall pay for the cost thereof.
14    Any post-hearing briefs must be submitted by the parties by
15    no later than 21 days after a party's receipt of the
16    transcript of the hearing, unless extended by the hearing
17    officer for good cause or by mutual agreement of the
18    parties.
19        (7) The hearing officer shall, within 30 days from the
20    conclusion of the hearing or closure of the record,
21    whichever is later, make a decision as to whether or not
22    the teacher shall be dismissed pursuant to Article 24A of
23    this Code or report to the school board findings of fact
24    and a recommendation as to whether or not the teacher shall
25    be dismissed for cause and shall give a copy of the
26    decision or findings of fact and recommendation to both the

 

 

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1    teacher and the school board. If a hearing officer fails
2    without good cause, specifically provided in writing to
3    both parties and the State Board of Education, to render a
4    decision or findings of fact and recommendation within 30
5    days after the hearing is concluded or the record is
6    closed, whichever is later, the parties may mutually agree
7    to select a hearing officer pursuant to the alternative
8    procedure, as provided in this Section, to rehear the
9    charges heard by the hearing officer who failed to render a
10    decision or findings of fact and recommendation or to
11    review the record and render a decision. If any hearing
12    officer fails without good cause, specifically provided in
13    writing to both parties and the State Board of Education,
14    to render a decision or findings of fact and recommendation
15    within 30 days after the hearing is concluded or the record
16    is closed, whichever is later, the hearing officer shall be
17    removed from the master list of hearing officers maintained
18    by the State Board of Education for not more than 24
19    months. The parties and the State Board of Education may
20    also take such other actions as it deems appropriate,
21    including recovering, reducing, or withholding any fees
22    paid or to be paid to the hearing officer. If any hearing
23    officer repeats such failure, he or she must be permanently
24    removed from the master list maintained by the State Board
25    of Education and may not be selected by parties through the
26    alternative selection process under this paragraph (7) or

 

 

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1    paragraph (4) of this subsection (d). The board shall not
2    lose jurisdiction to discharge a teacher if the hearing
3    officer fails to render a decision or findings of fact and
4    recommendation within the time specified in this Section.
5    If the decision of the hearing officer for dismissal
6    pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or of the school board
7    for dismissal for cause is in favor of the teacher, then
8    the hearing officer or school board shall order
9    reinstatement to the same or substantially equivalent
10    position and shall determine the amount for which the
11    school board is liable, including, but not limited to, loss
12    of income and benefits.
13        (8) The school board, within 45 days after receipt of
14    the hearing officer's findings of fact and recommendation
15    as to whether (i) the conduct at issue occurred, (ii) the
16    conduct that did occur was remediable, and (iii) the
17    proposed dismissal should be sustained, shall issue a
18    written order as to whether the teacher must be retained or
19    dismissed for cause from its employ. The school board's
20    written order shall incorporate the hearing officer's
21    findings of fact, except that the school board may modify
22    or supplement the findings of fact if, in its opinion, the
23    findings of fact are against the manifest weight of the
24    evidence.
25        If the school board dismisses the teacher
26    notwithstanding the hearing officer's findings of fact and

 

 

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1    recommendation, the school board shall make a conclusion in
2    its written order, giving its reasons therefor, and such
3    conclusion and reasons must be included in its written
4    order. The failure of the school board to strictly adhere
5    to the timelines contained in this Section shall not render
6    it without jurisdiction to dismiss the teacher. The school
7    board shall not lose jurisdiction to discharge the teacher
8    for cause if the hearing officer fails to render a
9    recommendation within the time specified in this Section.
10    The decision of the school board is final, unless reviewed
11    as provided in paragraph (9) of this subsection (d).
12        If the school board retains the teacher, the school
13    board shall enter a written order stating the amount of
14    back pay and lost benefits, less mitigation, to be paid to
15    the teacher, within 45 days after its retention order.
16    Should the teacher object to the amount of the back pay and
17    lost benefits or amount mitigated, the teacher shall give
18    written objections to the amount within 21 days. If the
19    parties fail to reach resolution within 7 days, the dispute
20    shall be referred to the hearing officer, who shall
21    consider the school board's written order and teacher's
22    written objection and determine the amount to which the
23    school board is liable. The costs of the hearing officer's
24    review and determination must be paid by the board.
25        (9) The decision of the hearing officer pursuant to
26    Article 24A of this Code or of the school board's decision

 

 

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1    to dismiss for cause is final unless reviewed as provided
2    in Section 24-16 of this Act. If the school board's
3    decision to dismiss for cause is contrary to the hearing
4    officer's recommendation, the court on review shall give
5    consideration to the school board's decision and its
6    supplemental findings of fact, if applicable, and the
7    hearing officer's findings of fact and recommendation in
8    making its decision. In the event such review is
9    instituted, the school board shall be responsible for
10    preparing and filing the record of proceedings, and such
11    costs associated therewith must be divided equally between
12    the parties.
13        (10) If a decision of the hearing officer for dismissal
14    pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or of the school board
15    for dismissal for cause is adjudicated upon review or
16    appeal in favor of the teacher, then the trial court shall
17    order reinstatement and shall remand the matter to the
18    school board with direction for entry of an order setting
19    the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and costs, less
20    mitigation. The teacher may challenge the school board's
21    order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and
22    costs, less mitigation, through an expedited arbitration
23    procedure, with the costs of the arbitrator borne by the
24    school board.
25        Any teacher who is reinstated by any hearing or
26    adjudication brought under this Section shall be assigned

 

 

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1    by the board to a position substantially similar to the one
2    which that teacher held prior to that teacher's suspension
3    or dismissal.
4        (11) Subject to any later effective date referenced in
5    this Section for a specific aspect of the dismissal
6    process, the The changes made by this amendatory Act of the
7    97th General Assembly shall apply to dismissals instituted
8    on or after September 1, 2011 or the effective date of this
9    amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, whichever is
10    later. Any dismissal instituted prior to September 1, 2011
11    the effective date of these changes must be carried out in
12    accordance with the requirements of this Section prior to
13    amendment by this amendatory Act of 97th General Assembly.
14(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)
 
15    (105 ILCS 5/24-16.5)
16    Sec. 24-16.5. Optional alternative evaluative dismissal
17process for PERA evaluations.
18    (a) As used in this Section:
19    "Applicable hearing requirements" means (i) , for any
20school district having less than 500,000 inhabitants or a
21program of a special education joint agreement, those
22procedures and requirements relating to a teacher's request for
23a hearing, selection of a hearing officer, pre-hearing and
24hearing procedures, and post-hearing briefs set forth in
25paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (d) of Section 24-12

 

 

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1of this Code or (ii) for a school district having 500,000
2inhabitants or more, those procedures and requirements
3relating to a teacher's request for a hearing, selection of a
4hearing officer, pre-hearing and hearing procedures, and
5post-hearing briefs set forth in paragraphs (1) through (5) of
6subsection (a) of Section 34-85 of this Code.
7    "Board" means, for a school district having less than
8500,000 inhabitants or a program of a special education joint
9agreement, the board of directors, board of education, or board
10of school inspectors, as the case may be. For a school district
11having 500,000 inhabitants or more, "board" means the Chicago
12Board of Education.
13    "Evaluator" means an evaluator, as defined in Section
1424A-2.5 of this Code, who has successfully completed the
15pre-qualification program described in subsection (b) of
16Section 24A-3 of this Code.
17    "Hearing procedures" means, for a school district having
18500,000 inhabitants or more, those procedures and requirements
19relating to a teacher's request for a hearing, selection of a
20hearing officer, pre-hearing and hearing procedures, and
21post-hearing briefs set forth in paragraphs (1) through (5) of
22subsection (a) of Section 34-85 of this Code.
23    "PERA-trained board member" means a member of a board that
24has completed a training program on PERA evaluations either
25administered or approved by the State Board of Education.
26    "PERA evaluation" means a performance evaluation of a

 

 

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1teacher after the implementation date of an evaluation system
2for teachers, as specified by Section 24A-2.5 of this Code,
3using a performance evaluation instrument and process that
4meets the minimum requirements for teacher evaluation
5instruments and processes set forth in rules adopted by the
6State Board of Education to implement Public Act 96-861.
7    "Remediation" means the remediation plan, mid-point and
8final evaluations, and related processes and requirements set
9forth in subdivisions (i), (j), and (k) of Section 24A-5 of
10this Code.
11    "School district" means a school district or a program of a
12special education joint agreement.
13    "Second evaluator" means an evaluator who either conducts
14the mid-point and final remediation evaluation or conducts an
15independent assessment of whether the teacher completed the
16remediation plan with a rating equal to or better than a
17"Proficient" rating, all in accordance with subdivision (c) of
18this Section.
19    "Student growth components" means the components of a
20performance evaluation plan described in subdivision (c) of
21Section 24A-5 of this Code, as may be supplemented by
22administrative rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
23    "Teacher practice components" means the components of a
24performance evaluation plan described in subdivisions (a) and
25(b) of Section 24A-5 of this Code, as may be supplemented by
26administrative rules adopted by the State Board of Education.

 

 

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1    "Teacher representatives" means the exclusive bargaining
2representative of a school district's teachers or, if no
3exclusive bargaining representatives exists, a representative
4committee selected by teachers.
5    (b) This Section applies to all school districts, including
6those having 500,000 or more inhabitants. The optional
7dismissal process set forth in this Section is an alternative
8to those set forth in Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of this Code.
9Nothing in this Section is intended to change the existing
10practices or precedents under Section 24-12 or 34-85 of this
11Code, nor shall this Section be interpreted as implying
12standards and procedures that should or must be used as part of
13a remediation that precedes a dismissal sought under Section
1424-12 or 34-85 of this Code.
15    A board may dismiss a teacher who has entered upon
16contractual continued service under this Section if the
17following are met:
18        (1) the cause of dismissal is that the teacher has
19    failed to complete a remediation plan with a rating equal
20    to or better than a "Proficient" rating;
21        (2) the "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation rating
22    that preceded remediation resulted from a PERA evaluation;
23    and
24        (3) the school district has complied with subsection
25    (c) of this Section.
26    A school district may not, through agreement with a teacher

 

 

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1or its teacher representatives, waive its right to dismiss a
2teacher under this Section.
3    (c) Each school district electing to use the dismissal
4process set forth in this Section must comply with the
5pre-remediation and remediation activities and requirements
6set forth in this subsection (c).
7        (1) Before a school district's first remediation
8    relating to a dismissal under this Section, the school
9    district must create and establish a list of at least 2
10    evaluators who will be available to serve as second
11    evaluators under this Section. The school district shall
12    provide its teacher representatives with an opportunity to
13    submit additional names of teacher evaluators who will be
14    available to serve as second evaluators and who will be
15    added to the list created and established by the school
16    district, provided that, unless otherwise agreed to by the
17    school district, the teacher representatives may not
18    submit more teacher evaluators for inclusion on the list
19    than the number of evaluators submitted by the school
20    district. Each teacher evaluator must either have (i)
21    National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
22    certification, with no "Unsatisfactory" or "Needs
23    Improvement" performance evaluating ratings in his or her 2
24    most recent performance evaluation ratings; or (ii)
25    "Excellent" performance evaluation ratings in 2 of his or
26    her 3 most recent performance evaluations, with no "Needs

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 51 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    Improvement" or "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation
2    ratings in his or her last 3 ratings. If the teacher
3    representatives do not submit a list of teacher evaluators
4    within 21 days after the school district's request, the
5    school district may proceed with a remediation using a list
6    that includes only the school district's selections.
7    Either the school district or the teacher representatives
8    may revise or add to their selections for the list at any
9    time with notice to the other party, subject to the
10    limitations set forth in this paragraph (1).
11        (2) Before a school district's first remediation
12    relating to a dismissal under this Section, the school
13    district shall, in good faith cooperation with its teacher
14    representatives, establish a process for the selection of a
15    second evaluator from the list created pursuant to
16    paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Such process may be
17    amended at any time in good faith cooperation with the
18    teacher representatives. If the teacher representatives
19    are given an opportunity to cooperate with the school
20    district and elect not to do so, the school district may,
21    at its discretion, establish or amend the process for
22    selection. Before the hearing officer and as part of any
23    judicial review of a dismissal under this Section, a
24    teacher may not challenge a remediation or dismissal on the
25    grounds that the process used by the school district to
26    select a second evaluator was not established in good faith

 

 

09800SB1762sam001- 52 -LRB098 10303 NHT 44968 a

1    cooperation with its teacher representatives.
2        (3) For each remediation preceding a dismissal under
3    this Section, the school district shall select a second
4    evaluator from the list of second evaluators created
5    pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), using the
6    selection process established pursuant to paragraph (2) of
7    this subsection (c). The selected second evaluator may not
8    be the same individual who determined the teacher's
9    "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation rating preceding
10    remediation, and, if the second evaluator is an
11    administrator, may not be a direct report to the individual
12    who determined the teacher's "Unsatisfactory" performance
13    evaluation rating preceding remediation. The school
14    district's authority to select a second evaluator from the
15    list of second evaluators must not be delegated or limited
16    through any agreement with the teacher representatives,
17    provided that nothing shall prohibit a school district and
18    its teacher representatives from agreeing to a formal peer
19    evaluation process as permitted under Article 24A of this
20    Code that could be used to meet the requirements for the
21    selection of second evaluators under this subsection (c).
22        (4) The second evaluator selected pursuant to
23    paragraph (3) of this subsection (c) must either (i)
24    conduct the mid-point and final evaluation during
25    remediation or (ii) conduct an independent assessment of
26    whether the teacher completed the remediation plan with a

 

 

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1    rating equal to or better than a "Proficient" rating, which
2    independent assessment shall include, but is not limited
3    to, personal or video-recorded observations of the teacher
4    that relate to the teacher practice components of the
5    remediation plan. Nothing in this subsection (c) shall be
6    construed to limit or preclude the participation of the
7    evaluator who rated a teacher as "Unsatisfactory" in
8    remediation.
9    (d) To institute a dismissal proceeding under this Section,
10the board must first provide written notice to the teacher
11within 30 days after the completion of the final remediation
12evaluation. The notice shall comply with the applicable hearing
13requirements and, in addition, must specify that dismissal is
14sought under this Section and include a copy of each
15performance evaluation relating to the scope of the hearing as
16described in this subsection (d).
17    The applicable hearing requirements shall apply to the
18teacher's request for a hearing, the selection and
19qualifications of the hearing officer, and pre-hearing and
20hearing procedures, except that all of the following must be
21met:
22        (1) The hearing officer must, in addition to meeting
23    the qualifications set forth in the applicable hearing
24    requirements, have successfully completed the
25    pre-qualification program described in subsection (b) of
26    Section 24A-3 of this Code, unless the State Board of

 

 

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1    Education waives this requirement to provide an adequate
2    pool of hearing officers for consideration.
3        (2) The scope of the hearing must be limited as
4    follows:
5            (A) The school district must demonstrate the
6        following:
7                (i) that the "Unsatisfactory" performance
8            evaluation rating that preceded remediation
9            applied the teacher practice components and
10            student growth components and determined an
11            overall evaluation rating of "Unsatisfactory" in
12            accordance with the standards and requirements of
13            the school district's evaluation plan;
14                (ii) that the remediation plan complied with
15            the requirements of Section 24A-5 of this Code;
16                (iii) that the teacher failed to complete the
17            remediation plan with a performance evaluation
18            rating equal to or better than a "Proficient"
19            rating, based upon a final remediation evaluation
20            meeting the applicable standards and requirements
21            of the school district's evaluation plan; and
22                (iv) that if the second evaluator selected
23            pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of this
24            Section does not conduct the mid-point and final
25            evaluation and makes an independent assessment
26            that the teacher completed the remediation plan

 

 

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1            with a rating equal to or better than a
2            "Proficient" rating, the school district must
3            demonstrate that the final remediation evaluation
4            is a more valid assessment of the teacher's
5            performance than the assessment made by the second
6            evaluator.
7            (B) The teacher may only challenge the substantive
8        and procedural aspects of (i) the "Unsatisfactory"
9        performance evaluation rating that led to the
10        remediation, (ii) the remediation plan, and (iii) the
11        final remediation evaluation. To the extent the
12        teacher challenges procedural aspects, including any
13        in applicable collective bargaining agreement
14        provisions, of a relevant performance evaluation
15        rating or the remediation plan, the teacher must
16        demonstrate how an alleged procedural defect
17        materially affected the teacher's ability to
18        demonstrate a level of performance necessary to avoid
19        remediation or dismissal or successfully complete the
20        remediation plan. Without any such material effect, a
21        procedural defect shall not impact the assessment by
22        the hearing officer, board, or reviewing court of the
23        validity of a performance evaluation or a remediation
24        plan.
25            (C) The hearing officer shall only consider and
26        give weight to performance evaluations relevant to the

 

 

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1        scope of the hearing as described in clauses (A) and
2        (B) of this subdivision (2).
3        (3) Each party shall be given only 2 days to present
4    evidence and testimony relating to the scope of the
5    hearing, unless a longer period is mutually agreed to by
6    the parties or deemed necessary by the hearing officer to
7    enable a party to present adequate evidence and testimony
8    to address the scope of the hearing, including due to the
9    other party's cross-examination of the party's witnesses.
10    (e) The provisions of Sections 24-12 and 34-85 pertaining
11to the decision or recommendation of the hearing officer do not
12apply to dismissal proceedings under this Section. For any
13dismissal proceedings under this Section, the hearing officer
14shall not issue a decision, and shall issue only findings of
15fact and a recommendation, including the reasons therefor, to
16the board to either retain or dismiss the teacher and shall
17give a copy of the report to both the teacher and the
18superintendent of the school district. The hearing officer's
19findings of fact and recommendation must be issued within 30
20days from the close of the record of the hearing.
21    The State Board of Education shall adopt rules regarding
22the length of the hearing officer's findings of fact and
23recommendation. If a hearing officer fails without good cause,
24specifically provided in writing to both parties and the State
25Board of Education, to render a recommendation within 30 days
26after the hearing is concluded or the record is closed,

 

 

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1whichever is later, the parties may mutually agree to select a
2hearing officer pursuant to the alternative procedure, as
3provided in Section 24-12 or 34-85, to rehear the charges heard
4by the hearing officer who failed to render a recommendation or
5to review the record and render a recommendation. If any
6hearing officer fails without good cause, specifically
7provided in writing to both parties and the State Board of
8Education, to render a recommendation within 30 days after the
9hearing is concluded or the record is closed, whichever is
10later, the hearing officer shall be removed from the master
11list of hearing officers maintained by the State Board of
12Education for not more than 24 months. The parties and the
13State Board of Education may also take such other actions as it
14deems appropriate, including recovering, reducing, or
15withholding any fees paid or to be paid to the hearing officer.
16If any hearing officer repeats such failure, he or she shall be
17permanently removed from the master list of hearing officers
18maintained by the State Board of Education.
19    (f) The board, within 45 days after receipt of the hearing
20officer's findings of fact and recommendation, shall decide,
21through adoption of a written order, whether the teacher must
22be dismissed from its employ or retained, provided that only
23PERA-trained board members may participate in the vote with
24respect to the decision.
25    If the board dismisses the teacher notwithstanding the
26hearing officer's recommendation of retention, the board shall

 

 

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1make a conclusion, giving its reasons therefor, and such
2conclusion and reasons must be included in its written order.
3The failure of the board to strictly adhere to the timelines
4contained in this Section does not render it without
5jurisdiction to dismiss the teacher. The board shall not lose
6jurisdiction to discharge the teacher if the hearing officer
7fails to render a recommendation within the time specified in
8this Section. The decision of the board is final, unless
9reviewed as provided in subsection (g) of this Section.
10    If the board retains the teacher, the board shall enter a
11written order stating the amount of back pay and lost benefits,
12less mitigation, to be paid to the teacher, within 45 days of
13its retention order.
14    (g) A teacher dismissed under this Section may apply for
15and obtain judicial review of a decision of the board in
16accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Review
17Law, except as follows:
18        (1) for a teacher dismissed by a school district having
19    500,000 inhabitants or more, such judicial review must be
20    taken directly to the appellate court of the judicial
21    district in which the board maintains its primary
22    administrative office, and any direct appeal to the
23    appellate court must be filed within 35 days from the date
24    that a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed was
25    served upon the teacher;
26        (2) for a teacher dismissed by a school district having

 

 

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1    less than 500,000 inhabitants after the hearing officer
2    recommended dismissal, such judicial review must be taken
3    directly to the appellate court of the judicial district in
4    which the board maintains its primary administrative
5    office, and any direct appeal to the appellate court must
6    be filed within 35 days from the date that a copy of the
7    decision sought to be reviewed was served upon the teacher;
8    and
9        (3) for all school districts, if the hearing officer
10    recommended dismissal, the decision of the board may be
11    reversed only if it is found to be arbitrary, capricious,
12    an abuse of discretion, or not in accordance with law.
13    In the event judicial review is instituted by a teacher,
14any costs of preparing and filing the record of proceedings
15must be paid by the teacher. If a decision of the board is
16adjudicated upon judicial review in favor of the teacher, then
17the court shall remand the matter to the board with direction
18for entry of an order setting the amount of back pay, lost
19benefits, and costs, less mitigation. The teacher may challenge
20the board's order setting the amount of back pay, lost
21benefits, and costs, less mitigation, through an expedited
22arbitration procedure with the costs of the arbitrator borne by
23the board.
24(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)
 
25    Section 10. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act is

 

 

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1amended by changing Sections 12 and 13 as follows:
 
2    (115 ILCS 5/12)  (from Ch. 48, par. 1712)
3    Sec. 12. Impasse procedures.
4    (a) This subsection (a) applies only to collective
5bargaining between an educational employer that is not a public
6school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code
7and an exclusive representative of its employees. If the
8parties engaged in collective bargaining have not reached an
9agreement by 90 days before the scheduled start of the
10forthcoming school year, the parties shall notify the Illinois
11Educational Labor Relations Board concerning the status of
12negotiations. This notice shall include a statement on whether
13mediation has been used.
14    Upon demand of either party, collective bargaining between
15the employer and an exclusive bargaining representative must
16begin within 60 days of the date of certification of the
17representative by the Board, or in the case of an existing
18exclusive bargaining representative, within 60 days of the
19receipt by a party of a demand to bargain issued by the other
20party. Once commenced, collective bargaining must continue for
21at least a 60 day period, unless a contract is entered into.
22    Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this
23Section, if after a reasonable period of negotiation and within
2490 days of the scheduled start of the forth-coming school year,
25the parties engaged in collective bargaining have reached an

 

 

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1impasse, either party may petition the Board to initiate
2mediation. Alternatively, the Board on its own motion may
3initiate mediation during this period. However, mediation
4shall be initiated by the Board at any time when jointly
5requested by the parties and the services of the mediators
6shall continuously be made available to the employer and to the
7exclusive bargaining representative for purposes of
8arbitration of grievances and mediation or arbitration of
9contract disputes. If requested by the parties, the mediator
10may perform fact-finding and in so doing conduct hearings and
11make written findings and recommendations for resolution of the
12dispute. Such mediation shall be provided by the Board and
13shall be held before qualified impartial individuals. Nothing
14prohibits the use of other individuals or organizations such as
15the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service or the American
16Arbitration Association selected by both the exclusive
17bargaining representative and the employer.
18    If the parties engaged in collective bargaining fail to
19reach an agreement within 45 days of the scheduled start of the
20forthcoming school year and have not requested mediation, the
21Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board shall invoke
22mediation.
23    Whenever mediation is initiated or invoked under this
24subsection (a), the parties may stipulate to defer selection of
25a mediator in accordance with rules adopted by the Board.
26    (a-5) This subsection (a-5) applies only to collective

 

 

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1bargaining between a public school district or a combination of
2public school districts, including, but not limited to, joint
3cooperatives, that is not organized under Article 34 of the
4School Code and an exclusive representative of its employees.
5        (1) Any time 15 days after mediation has commenced,
6    either party may initiate the public posting process
7    declare an impasse. The mediator may initiate the public
8    posting process declare an impasse at any time 15 days
9    after mediation has commenced during the mediation
10    process. Initiation of the public posting process
11    Notification of an impasse must be filed in writing with
12    the Board, and copies of the notification must be submitted
13    to the parties on the same day the initiation notification
14    is filed with the Board.
15        (2) Within 7 days after the initiation of the public
16    posting process declaration of impasse, each party shall
17    submit to the mediator, the Board, and the other party in
18    writing the most recent final offer of the party, including
19    a cost summary of the offer. Seven days after receipt of
20    the parties' final offers, the Board shall make public the
21    final offers and each party's cost summary dealing with
22    those issues on which the parties have failed to reach
23    agreement by immediately posting the offers on its Internet
24    website, unless otherwise notified by the mediator or
25    jointly by the parties that agreement has been reached. On
26    the same day of publication by the Board mediator, at a

 

 

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1    minimum, the school district shall distribute notice of the
2    availability of the offers on the Board's Internet website
3    to all news media that have filed an annual request for
4    notices from the school district pursuant to Section 2.02
5    of the Open Meetings Act. The parties' offers shall remain
6    on the Board's Internet website until the parties have
7    reached and ratified an agreement.
8    (a-10) This subsection (a-10) applies only to collective
9bargaining between a public school district organized under
10Article 34 of the School Code and an exclusive representative
11of its employees.
12        (1) For collective bargaining agreements between an
13    educational employer to which this subsection (a-10)
14    applies and an exclusive representative of its employees,
15    if the parties fail to reach an agreement after a
16    reasonable period of mediation, the dispute shall be
17    submitted to fact-finding in accordance with this
18    subsection (a-10). Either the educational employer or the
19    exclusive representative may initiate fact-finding by
20    submitting a written demand to the other party with a copy
21    of the demand submitted simultaneously to the Board.
22        (2) Within 3 days following a party's demand for
23    fact-finding, each party shall appoint one member of the
24    fact-finding panel, unless the parties agree to proceed
25    without a tri-partite panel. Following these appointments,
26    if any, the parties shall select a qualified impartial

 

 

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1    individual to serve as the fact-finder and chairperson of
2    the fact-finding panel, if applicable. An individual shall
3    be considered qualified to serve as the fact-finder and
4    chairperson of the fact-finding panel, if applicable, if he
5    or she was not the same individual who was appointed as the
6    mediator and if he or she satisfies the following
7    requirements: membership in good standing with the
8    National Academy of Arbitrators, Federal Mediation and
9    Conciliation Service, or American Arbitration Association
10    for a minimum of 10 years; membership on the mediation
11    roster for the Illinois Labor Relations Board or Illinois
12    Educational Labor Relations Board; issuance of at least 5
13    interest arbitration awards arising under the Illinois
14    Public Labor Relations Act; and participation in impasse
15    resolution processes arising under private or public
16    sector collective bargaining statutes in other states. If
17    the parties are unable to agree on a fact-finder, the
18    parties shall request a panel of fact-finders who satisfy
19    the requirements set forth in this paragraph (2) from
20    either the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service or
21    the American Arbitration Association and shall select a
22    fact-finder from such panel in accordance with the
23    procedures established by the organization providing the
24    panel.
25        (3) The fact-finder shall have the following duties and
26    powers:

 

 

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1            (A) to require the parties to submit a statement of
2        disputed issues and their positions regarding each
3        issue either jointly or separately;
4            (B) to identify disputed issues that are economic
5        in nature;
6            (C) to meet with the parties either separately or
7        in executive sessions;
8            (D) to conduct hearings and regulate the time,
9        place, course, and manner of the hearings;
10            (E) to request the Board to issue subpoenas
11        requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses or
12        the production of evidence;
13            (F) to administer oaths and affirmations;
14            (G) to examine witnesses and documents;
15            (H) to create a full and complete written record of
16        the hearings;
17            (I) to attempt mediation or remand a disputed issue
18        to the parties for further collective bargaining;
19            (J) to require the parties to submit final offers
20        for each disputed issue either individually or as a
21        package or as a combination of both; and
22            (K) to employ any other measures deemed
23        appropriate to resolve the impasse.
24        (4) If the dispute is not settled within 75 days after
25    the appointment of the fact-finding panel, the
26    fact-finding panel shall issue a private report to the

 

 

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1    parties that contains advisory findings of fact and
2    recommended terms of settlement for all disputed issues and
3    that sets forth a rationale for each recommendation. The
4    fact-finding panel, acting by a majority of its members,
5    shall base its findings and recommendations upon the
6    following criteria as applicable:
7            (A) the lawful authority of the employer;
8            (B) the federal and State statutes or local
9        ordinances and resolutions applicable to the employer;
10            (C) prior collective bargaining agreements and the
11        bargaining history between the parties;
12            (D) stipulations of the parties;
13            (E) the interests and welfare of the public and the
14        students and families served by the employer;
15            (F) the employer's financial ability to fund the
16        proposals based on existing available resources,
17        provided that such ability is not predicated on an
18        assumption that lines of credit or reserve funds are
19        available or that the employer may or will receive or
20        develop new sources of revenue or increase existing
21        sources of revenue;
22            (G) the impact of any economic adjustments on the
23        employer's ability to pursue its educational mission;
24            (H) the present and future general economic
25        conditions in the locality and State;
26            (I) a comparison of the wages, hours, and

 

 

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1        conditions of employment of the employees involved in
2        the dispute with the wages, hours, and conditions of
3        employment of employees performing similar services in
4        public education in the 10 largest U.S. cities;
5            (J) the average consumer prices in urban areas for
6        goods and services, which is commonly known as the cost
7        of living;
8            (K) the overall compensation presently received by
9        the employees involved in the dispute, including
10        direct wage compensation; vacations, holidays, and
11        other excused time; insurance and pensions; medical
12        and hospitalization benefits; the continuity and
13        stability of employment and all other benefits
14        received; and how each party's proposed compensation
15        structure supports the educational goals of the
16        district;
17            (L) changes in any of the circumstances listed in
18        items (A) through (K) of this paragraph (4) during the
19        fact-finding proceedings;
20            (M) the effect that any term the parties are at
21        impasse on has or may have on the overall educational
22        environment, learning conditions, and working
23        conditions with the school district; and
24            (N) the effect that any term the parties are at
25        impasse on has or may have in promoting the public
26        policy of this State.

 

 

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1        (5) The fact-finding panel's recommended terms of
2    settlement shall be deemed agreed upon by the parties as
3    the final resolution of the disputed issues and
4    incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement
5    executed by the parties, unless either party tenders to the
6    other party and the chairperson of the fact-finding panel a
7    notice of rejection of the recommended terms of settlement
8    with a rationale for the rejection, within 15 days after
9    the date of issuance of the fact-finding panel's report. If
10    either party submits a notice of rejection, the chairperson
11    of the fact-finding panel shall publish the fact-finding
12    panel's report and the notice of rejection for public
13    information by delivering a copy to all newspapers of
14    general circulation in the community with simultaneous
15    written notice to the parties.
16    (b) If, after a period of bargaining of at least 60 days, a
17dispute or impasse exists between an educational employer whose
18territorial boundaries are coterminous with those of a city
19having a population in excess of 500,000 and the exclusive
20bargaining representative over a subject or matter set forth in
21Section 4.5 of this Act, the parties shall submit the dispute
22or impasse to the dispute resolution procedure agreed to
23between the parties. The procedure shall provide for mediation
24of disputes by a rotating mediation panel and may, at the
25request of either party, include the issuance of advisory
26findings of fact and recommendations.

 

 

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1    (c) The costs of fact finding and mediation shall be shared
2equally between the employer and the exclusive bargaining
3agent, provided that, for purposes of mediation under this Act,
4if either party requests the use of mediation services from the
5Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the other party
6shall either join in such request or bear the additional cost
7of mediation services from another source. All other costs and
8expenses of complying with this Section must be borne by the
9party incurring them.
10    (c-5) If an educational employer or exclusive bargaining
11representative refuses to participate in mediation or fact
12finding when required by this Section, the refusal shall be
13deemed a refusal to bargain in good faith.
14    (d) Nothing in this Act prevents an employer and an
15exclusive bargaining representative from mutually submitting
16to final and binding impartial arbitration unresolved issues
17concerning the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.
18(Source: P.A. 97-7, eff. 6-13-11; 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)
 
19    (115 ILCS 5/13)  (from Ch. 48, par. 1713)
20    Sec. 13. Strikes.
21    (a) Notwithstanding the existence of any other provision in
22this Act or other law, educational employees employed in school
23districts organized under Article 34 of the School Code shall
24not engage in a strike at any time during the 18 month period
25that commences on the effective date of this amendatory Act of

 

 

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11995. An educational employee employed in a school district
2organized under Article 34 of the School Code who participates
3in a strike in violation of this Section is subject to
4discipline by the employer. In addition, no educational
5employer organized under Article 34 of the School Code may pay
6or cause to be paid to an educational employee who participates
7in a strike in violation of this subsection any wages or other
8compensation for any period during which an educational
9employee participates in the strike, except for wages or
10compensation earned before participation in the strike.
11Notwithstanding the existence of any other provision in this
12Act or other law, during the 18-month period that strikes are
13prohibited under this subsection nothing in this subsection
14shall be construed to require an educational employer to submit
15to a binding dispute resolution process.
16    (b) Notwithstanding the existence of any other provision in
17this Act or any other law, educational employees other than
18those employed in a school district organized under Article 34
19of the School Code and, after the expiration of the 18 month
20period that commences on the effective date of this amendatory
21Act of 1995, educational employees in a school district
22organized under Article 34 of the School Code shall not engage
23in a strike except under the following conditions:
24        (1)   they are represented by an exclusive bargaining
25    representative;
26        (2)   mediation has been used without success and, for

 

 

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1    educational employers and exclusive bargaining
2    representatives to which if an impasse has been declared
3    under subsection (a-5) of Section 12 of this Act applies,
4    at least 14 days have elapsed after the Board mediator has
5    made public the parties' final offers;
6        (2.5) if fact-finding was invoked pursuant to
7    subsection (a-10) of Section 12 of this Act, at least 30
8    days have elapsed after a fact-finding report has been
9    released for public information;
10        (2.10) for educational employees employed in a school
11    district organized under Article 34 of the School Code, at
12    least three-fourths of all bargaining unit employees who
13    are members of the exclusive bargaining representative
14    have affirmatively voted to authorize the strike;
15    provided, however, that all members of the exclusive
16    bargaining representative at the time of a strike
17    authorization vote shall be eligible to vote;
18        (3)   at least 10 days have elapsed after a notice of
19    intent to strike has been given by the exclusive bargaining
20    representative to the educational employer, the regional
21    superintendent and the Illinois Educational Labor
22    Relations Board;
23        (4)   the collective bargaining agreement between the
24    educational employer and educational employees, if any,
25    has expired or been terminated; and
26        (5)   the employer and the exclusive bargaining

 

 

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1    representative have not mutually submitted the unresolved
2    issues to arbitration.
3    If, however, in the opinion of an employer the strike is or
4has become a clear and present danger to the health or safety
5of the public, the employer may initiate in the circuit court
6of the county in which such danger exists an action for relief
7which may include, but is not limited to, injunction. The court
8may grant appropriate relief upon the finding that such clear
9and present danger exists. An unfair practice or other evidence
10of lack of clean hands by the educational employer is a defense
11to such action. Except as provided for in this paragraph, the
12jurisdiction of the court under this Section is limited by the
13Labor Dispute Act.
14(Source: P.A. 97-7, eff. 6-13-11; 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)".