Despite the state's budget woes, the Illinois State Board of Education is asking for $750,000 next year to create a system to investigate allegations of teacher misconduct.
"Seven-hundred and fifty-thousand dollars obviously is a lot of money, but in the context of this budget, it's something the state can afford," said agency spokesman Matt Vanover.
"I think this will have a significant impact on teacher standards; if there is a focus of resources on investigating and prosecuting misconduct in a consistent fashion, everyone in the state will be more aware of what conduct is expected," Darren Reisberg, general counsel for the state board, said Wednesday.
Illinois is one of only seven states that do not employ investigators to look into such matters, a 2007 investigation by Small Newspaper Group found. The investigation also found that Illinois ranks 49th among states in the rate at which it suspends or revokes teaching certificates.
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