Greenwood Files Trio of Bills Supporting Teachers & Paraprofessionals, Military Spouses

SPRINGFIELD, IL – In an effort to help career-focused men and women to find work in the Metro East, state Rep. Latoya Greenwood, D- East St. Louis, filed 3 bills that would make it easier for teachers, paraprofessionals, and military spouses to work in Illinois.

“I’ve had a lot of teachers and families from Scott Air Force Base comment on how hard it is to go through the Illinois certification and the recertification process just to work,” Greenwood said. “While we need to make sure the people looking to teach our children and work in our communities are certainly qualified, the certification system we have in place in this state is not as flexible as it could be.”

Last week Greenwood filed House Bills 5063, 5196, and 5520.

• House Bill 5063 will let new teachers from other states who wish to teach in Illinois be fully refunded their application fee after 12 months of teaching in Illinois.
• HB 5196 will allow Paraprofessionals to renew their license at no cost.
• HB 5520 is a bill that grants U.S. service members and/or their spouse’s temporary licenses for up to 3 years while they wait to hear from the Department of Professional Regulation.

“Our area is facing a teacher shortage and I want to ensure that the process is not cumbersome for those individuals who are qualified,” Greenwood said. “These bills will address current obstacles that have prevented individuals from maintaining and obtaining employment in our state.”