Hoffman Sponsors Bill to Raise Baseline Teacher Salaries

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, is co-sponsoring legislation to address the ongoing teacher shortage by incrementally raising the minimum salary for educators across the state.

“Teachers in every corner of our state inspire knowledge and aspiration in our children’s futures every day,” Hoffman said. “It is unacceptable that so many devoted teachers tasked with educating our youth are struggling to make ends meet. That is why I’m sponsoring legislation to gradually increase teacher pay over the next several years.”

Hoffman’s House Bill 2078 would raise the wages of teachers in Illinois to $40,000 by the 2023 – 2024 school year. The bill meets this goal by incrementally increasing teacher salaries beginning next year, during the 2020 – 2021 school year, and it is designed to help retain qualified educators across the state.

“It is crucial that we take corrective action to pay our teachers a livable wage while also making Illinois more attractive to quality teachers,” Hoffman said. “To maintain the integrity and long-term quality of our education system, we need to pay our teachers an amount that accurately reflects the value of their work.”