Quinn Signs Education Reform Bill

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 13, 2011 9:00PM

Gov. Quinn signed some landmark legislation into law today. No, not the bill that would turn Illinois into the "Las Vegas of the Midwest." Quinn signed the massive education reform bill into law that, among other things, makes it harder for teachers unions to strike.

Quinn said during the bill-signing ceremony this morning at a Maywood elementary school:

"We want everyone in the country to know that when we have a big issue in our state, we don't push people aside. We bring everyone together."

Illinois SB7 will mean schoolkids will spend longer days in the classroom, base tenue on performance rather than seniority, allow for teacher performance to be a consideration for pay raises, make it easier for school districts to fire underperforming teachers and harder for teachers unions to call a strike.

Because the language in SB7 requires that teachers unions need 75 percent of all union members to vote in favor of a strike before they can declare one (as well as have unions and school boards negotiate longer and disclose their positions before they can strike), the Chicago Teachers Union is working to have language inserted into the bill that specifies that 75 percent of working teachers must vote for a strike, as opposed to three-quarters of the entire membership.

CTU was also hesitant to agree to a longer workday without a pay increase. CPS board members meet Wednesday to vote on whether it can fund a 4 percent pay raise already promised into their contract with the union next year.