Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0135

HR0135 LRB104 12294 MST 22417 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The ongoing teacher shortage and declining student performance in Illinois could be mitigated by increasing preparation time for educators; and

WHEREAS, Adequate preparation time allows teachers to enhance their effectiveness in the classroom, which contributes to improved student performance and academic success; currently, on average, teachers receive approximately half an hour of prep time within their contract hours; and

WHEREAS, Teachers consistently report that increased planning and collaboration time is a key factor in improving both retention and job satisfaction as well as effective instruction; research suggests that the ideal preparation-to-teaching time ratio should be 1:1 to 2:1, meaning that for each hour of classroom instruction, a teacher should have one to two hours for preparation; and

WHEREAS, With an ongoing shortage of substitute teachers, educators across the state are often asked and even coerced to forgo their own planning time in order to cover the education of students of other teachers, often with short notice, forcing them to spend uncompensated hours to prepare for their own student's instruction, adding to burn out and increasing the rate of individuals leaving the profession; and

WHEREAS, If teachers had adequate paid preparation time within the contracted school day, Illinois would benefit with improved student outcomes and the mitigation of a cause of early departure of teachers from classrooms; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that meaningful reform of education in Illinois requires structural changes at all levels, including increases to paid teacher preparation and collaboration time, staffing models, and systems for recognition and incentives for educators; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge school districts across the state to provide adequate paid planning time for teachers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the appropriate education stakeholders as an expression of our support for meaningful educational reforms.