SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House passed a proposal Tuesday to create a stipend program for student teachers across the state.
This bill would require the Illinois Board of Higher Education to distribute a stipend of up to $10,000 per semester for student teachers.Â
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Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) said there are currently 5,400 student teachers in Illinois, and advocates estimate the new program could cost between $54-$60 million.
"It's a pretty much unpaid internship. They put a lot of hours into this program to receive nothing," Hernandez said. "This is just going to be able to help them."
House Bill 4652 passed out of the House on a 85-23 vote Tuesday and now heads to the Senate.Â
House Bill 4652 would also allow the Illinois State Board of Education to provide $2,000 per semester to eligible coordinating teachers.
The measure passed out of the House on a 85-23 vote and now heads to the Senate. Hernandez and advocates from the Illinois Education Association and Advance Illinois stressed that this plan is subject to appropriation, but they expect it will take at least a year before the state is ready to implement it with proper funding.
Sponsors and advocates believe this change would be a great way to recruit and retain future teachers in Illinois.
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