Education

This bill proposes the appointment of Franciene Sabens as a new member of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Recognizes the work of organizations such as the Illinois Judges Association in educating our youth, parents, and schools about remaining safe and vigilant in the rapidly changing online environment of today and seeks to expand this essential online safety education to all students, parents, and schools in our State. Recognizes the value of collaboration between elementary and secondary schools in Illinois and the Illinois Judges Association, community organizations, and similar entities to provide comprehensive online safety education to all students, parents, and educators. Supports school districts and organizations in efforts to provide online safety to students, parents, and educators of elementary and secondary schools in Illinois.

Creates the Mental Health Professional Career Scholarship Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to create the Mental Health Professional Career Scholarship Program to award scholarships to Illinois students pursuing a mental health professional career in order to increase diversity rates by recruiting individuals to work in mental health fields in the public sector or mental health jobs that have a high demand for new employees and retain those individuals. Sets forth provisions concerning the selection of recipients, the amount of assistance, applications for assistance, the payment of assistance, administering the scholarship program, and rulemaking.

Declares March 2025 as Illinois Whole Child Month to recognize the value of assuring that each student is challenged, supported, healthy, safe, and engaged. Urges parents, educators, and community members to support a whole child approach to education for each student. Urges every school in Illinois to celebrate Whole Child Month by adopting at least one of the whole child tenets to promote and encourage throughout the month.

Amends the School Code. Expands the definitions of "isolated time out" or "time out", "physical restraint" or "restraint", and "time out". Removes exceptions to the prohibition of prone restraint. Removes language providing that the parents or guardian of a student and the State Superintendent of Education shall be informed whenever isolated time out, time out, or physical restraint is used. Establishes complaint procedures to replace the complaint procedures set forth in the State Board of Education's rules. Provides that staff members responsible for implementing isolated time out, time out, or physical restraint must be trained in accordance with the system of non-violent intervention adopted by the school district and must be trained at least once every 2 years in a session that is not less than 6 hours. Requires the State Board to convene a group of stakeholders to annually review: (1) data associated with the use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out, and efforts made by public entities to reduce these practices; (2) strategies to reduce physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; (3) decisions made by the State Board related to physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; (4) student behavior and behavioral interventions that can be use as an alternative to physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out; and (5) professional development needed for public entities in behavioral interventions to ensure the proper use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out. Makes other changes.