SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Willie Preston’s measure aimed at fostering a more collaborative, safer school environment passed the Senate on Wednesday.

“When parents and teachers come together on advisory committees, it should actually mean something. It should be about working together to make our schools safer and stronger – not just checking a box for the administration,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “When you’ve got real voices at the table and people being open about what’s going on, you get better decisions. That’s how we build schools where our kids, families and educators actually feel safe, heard and supported.”

Preston’s measure would clarify the composition of existing parent-teacher advisory committees and how educators are selected to serve on said committees, establishing a diverse, non-biased framework for collaboration between parents, educators and school administration.

Additionally, the proposal would require an annual review of schools’ student discipline policies, as well as the impact of student behavior on school personnel, and would instruct districts to create a policy on how to respond to instances of educator battery. By ensuring discipline policies can be put into practice, the bill would ease rising concerns over teacher safety and retention.

“Parent-teacher advisory committees already play an important role in our schools, but we’ve got to make sure they’re also supporting the people doing the work every day: our teachers and staff,” said Preston. “If we’re serious about addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois, that starts with making sure our schools are safe, both physically and emotionally, for the people showing up for our kids.”

Senate Bill 2918 passed the Senate Wednesday and awaits further action.