Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Makes changes to the probationary periods pertaining to attaining contractual continued service. For the first probationary period, requires the teacher to be employed for 3 (rather than 4) consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives overall annual evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the second and third school terms (rather than overall annual evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the last school term and at least "Proficient" in either the second or third school term). For the second probationary period, requires the teacher to serve for 2 (rather than 3) consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives 2 (rather than 3) overall annual evaluations of "Excellent". Effective July 1, 2023.
Senate Floor Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the introduced bill, but makes the following changes. Provides for a teacher to enter upon contractual continued service unless the teacher is given a written notice of dismissal on or before April 15 (instead of at least 45 days before the end of any school term within the probationary period); makes a related change in provisions concerning the removal or dismissal of teachers in contractual continued service. Provides that the specified probationary periods are for teachers who hold a Professional Educator License. Changes certain references from "4 consecutive school terms of service" to "3 consecutive school terms of service", "4 consecutive school terms" to "3 consecutive school terms", and "fourth probationary year" to "third probationary year". In provisions concerning the appointment and promotion of teachers in the Chicago School District Article of the School Code, provides that the probationary period shall be 3 (instead of 4) years for full-time teachers employed on or after January 1, 2024. Provides that for a probationary-appointed teacher in full-time service who has not entered into contractual continued service after 2 or 3 school terms of full-time service, the probationary period shall be 3 (instead of 4) school terms of full-time service if the teacher holds a Professional Educator License (instead of not specifying that the teacher hold a Professional Educator License). Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2023.
Senate Floor Amendment No. 2: Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Provides that the amendatory changes regarding probationary periods only apply to any teacher who is first employed as a full-time teacher in a school district or program on or after July 1, 2023. In provisions concerning the appointment and promotion of teachers in the Chicago School District Article of the School Code, provides that the probationary period shall be 3 years for full-time teachers employed on or after July 1, 2023 (instead of January 1, 2024). Corrects a typographical error.
House Committee Amendment No. 1: Provides that any full-time teacher who does not receive written notice from the employing board on or before April 15 (instead of at least 45 days before the end of any school term) and whose performance does not require dismissal after the third or fourth probationary year pursuant to specified provisions shall be re-employed for the following school term.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 105 ILCS 5/24
Engrossed: 105 ILCS 5/24, 105 ILCS 5/34
Enrolled: 105 ILCS 5/24, 105 ILCS 5/34
Public Act: 105 ILCS 5/24, 105 ILCS 5/34