Senate Bill 1991 creates the Agriculture Education Shortage Task Force. The task force consists of 16 members and is required to perform the following tasks:
1. Review and discuss the following:
- The number of agriculture education teachers in Illinois and the type of license held;
- The number of graduates who have graduated from an approved agriculture education program of a public university in Illinois in each of the past four years;
- The number of agriculture education position openings at secondary education programs in Illinois in each of the past four years; and
- Licensure standards, including national licensure standards, for the agricultural education endorsement on a professional educator license or an educator license with stipulations.
2. Approve a report, by a majority vote of appointed members, that includes recommendations regarding:
- Recruitment and retention of agriculture education teachers, including recommendations on funding for existing incentive programs;
- Participation in federal programs that may assist in the recruitment and retention of agriculture teachers; and
- Other subjects determined by the members of the task force.
The task force shall meet at the request of the chair and shall meet a minimum of three times. The task force shall present its legislative and administrative recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly prior to January 1, 2019. Upon filing its report, the task force is dissolved.
Meetings will be held in ISBE's Springfield and Chicago Office Video Teleconference Rooms.
