Meth, teaching bills promote child safety
Capitol report
Senate Bill 2091 is a measure I introduced which seeks to prohibit teachers with a history of inappropriate conduct from keeping their license to teach. Senate Bill 2401 is a measure I co-sponsored which makes it easier to take away parental rights where methamphetamine was produced in presence of a child. Both of these measures aim to eliminate threats to our children's safety at home and in schools.
S.B. 2091 is legislation that Illinois has needed for years. Recent studies have ranked Illinois next to last in suspending or revoking teaching certificates for misconduct.Certainly, the vast majority of our teachers are diligently and unselfishly dedicated to educating our children; however, there are always a few bad apples that bring disgrace to their profession and threaten our students. Currently, the process to revoke or suspend a teacher's license is unclear and costly. This legislation seeks to be more proactive about identifying unfit teachers and clarify administrative responsibilities.
Currently, there are many ways for teachers with a history of misconduct to keep their certificate and continue to teach.
These individuals often resign before they are convicted of a crime, leaving the Board of Education unaware of the conviction. Additionally, some school districts have on occasion made deals with accused teachers, in which the teacher agrees to leave the school with the understanding that the district will not report the alleged misconduct to future employers. School districts resort to settlement because of the high cost and difficulty of removing a teacher.
This legislation requires the State's Attorney to notify the State Superintendent if any known individual with a teaching certificate is convicted of sex offenses, certain narcotic offenses, and violent crimes. The bill also prohibits school boards from knowingly employing these individuals. Superintendents of local school districts will now be required to notify the Board of Education if they have reasonable cause to believe an individual has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect that has resulted in resignation.
Additionally, this bill clarifies the State Superintendent's role and enables the person holding the position to initiate proceedings, issue subpoenas, and produce evidence against accused individuals. Overall, this bill will make it more difficult for individuals with a history of misconduct to evade detection and keep their teaching certificate.
We have been able to build a wide range of support for this bill. The Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Education Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Illinois State Board of Education all support this legislation.
S.B. 2401 is another measure aimed at protecting our young people.
Meth usage and production is a problem for many Illinois communities. Meth production is dangerous because of the toxic and highly flammable chemicals used. In fact, when investigators find a meth lab, they must wear protective suits to protect themselves against dangerous chemicals. To subject a child to that environment is unconscionable.
Individuals guilty of meth production already face six to thirty or more years in prison depending on the amount of meth produced. S.B. 2401 allows officials to seek termination of parental rights if a child was present during the production of meth. Currently, officials can seek termination of rights when a parent has been convicted of offenses related to murder, sexual assault and battery. This legislation is important because meth production puts our children in the same amount of danger.
We were able to pass both of these bills with an overwhelming majority in the Senate. Hopefully, the House can pass these bills in the next few weeks. It's hard to believe, but we are already in the month of May and past the midway point in our spring session. I will keep you updated on important legislation as we continue to consider House bills in the next few weeks.
State Sen. William Haine (D-Alton), represents the 56th District, which includes most of Madison County.
