Lawmakers have concerns about union-backed bill to pay IL student
teachers
[May 20, 2025]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A bill in the Illinois General Assembly would
spend tens of millions or possibly hundreds of millions of taxpayer
dollars to address what lawmakers call a teacher shortage crisis.
House Bill 1375 would have taxpayers provide five-figure stipends to
student teachers.
State Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, affirmed that the stipends would be
for students from public universities. Koehler said full funding of the
program would require $600 million.
“This is part of the budget discussion. I don’t expect that we’re going
to get the full amount, but we’d like to get something so we can get
this started,” Koehler said.
ShiAnne Shively of the Illinois Education Association, the state’s
largest teachers union, joined Koehler in support of HB 1375. Shively
said people are not allowed to have outside work while they are student
teaching.
“That gives us $10,000 per semester for the student teacher and also is
a $2,000 stipend for the cooperating teacher, subject to
appropriations,” Shively said.
Shively said the funds would flow through the Illinois Board of Higher
Education.
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State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, expressed concerns about
HB 1375 during debate on the House floor last month. Crespo said
lawmakers need to start prioritizing instead of asking for
everything.
“At the end of the day, taxpayers are going to pay for this, and at
this rate, we’re just going to run out of taxpayers’ dollars to
spend. Again, be careful when you pass these bills that are subject
to appropriations, because you’re in fact creating a line item
that’s going to put pressure on us and the taxpayers to fund it,”
Crespo warned.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, dismissed
Crespo from the Democratic Caucus last week.
In addition to providing taxpayer-funding stipends for student
teaching, HB 1375 would create emergency rule-making procedures for
the program.
State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said during floor debate that
not having the money does not constitute an emergency under the
Illinois Administrative Procedures Act.
“I’m not crazy about the idea of giving this kind of emergency
rule-making authority on the off chance that we don’t have the
money,” Reick said.
The measure is currently in the Illinois Senate Appropriations
Education Committee. The third reading deadline is May 23. The
spring legislative session is scheduled to conclude May 31. |
