West Backs Effort to Increase Minimum Salary for Teachers

ROCKFORD, Ill. – As Teacher Appreciation Week is recognized, state Rep. Maurice West II, D-Rockford, is highlighting a recent effort to increase the base minimum salary for teachers in Illinois to $40,000 per year.

“Teachers have a tremendous impact on the direction for our youth, and it’s critically important that we are doing all that we can to attract talent to our state and to the Rockford area,” West said. “Many teachers go above and beyond what is asked of them, including spending their own money on classroom materials. It’s important that they earn a salary that reflects their valuable contributions.”

West supported House Bill 2078, which will raise the minimum wage for teachers to an eventual rate of $40,000 per year by the start of the 2023-2024 school year. After reaching the $40,000 mark, minimum salaries would increase reflective of the Consumer Price Index. House Bill 2078 received bipartisan support during passage in the House, and is now under consideration in the Senate.

“It’s been almost 40 years since Illinois increased the minimum salary threshold specifically for teachers,” West said. “If we want to prioritize investing in education and our children, we must effectively invest in our educators.”