Bev Johns. SB 578 agreement.

After difficult negotiation, we have reached an agreement with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and legislative
staff to further amend Senate Bill 578.

State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, and State Senator Kirk Dillard are the Illinois House and Senate Chief Sponsors of SB 578.

The amendment to the amendment adds the words “including special education teachers” and adds new categories for “parents” (which will benefit parents generally, not just special ed parents. special ed parents will benefit directly as that had to be our first priority) and for “school service personnel” which will benefit some of our members not strictly “special education”).

Evidently other groups were requesting changes as charter schools and vocational cooperatives are also being added in the same amendment.

The new amendment will be added to SB 578 on Tuesday as a Floor amendment.

THANK YOU for all your calls and e-mails.

Bev Johns, Chair
ISELA – Illinois Special Education Coalition