Posted by Ray Long at 3:05 p.m.; updated at 7:52 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD --- The Illinois Senate tonight unanimously approved an education measure aimed at making it easier to get rid of bad teachers and providing Chicago Public Schools with a chance to lengthen the school days.
The 59-0 vote sends the reform legislation to the House, where its fate is less certain.
The proposed changes would upend the way teachers long have been treated when financially strapped districts cut staff. Rather than simply laying off the newest teachers first, educators would consider a teacher's specialty, performance and ability, with years of service playing the role of tie-breaker.
The legislation also would make it tougher for teachers to strike, according to details that emerged after months of closed-door negotiations. Reform advocates contend the process to dismiss poor-performing teachers would be streamlined.
The changes emerged after months of negotiation. Reform groups, teacher unions and Gov. Pat Quinn quickly supported the plan.
The proposals come as hot-button issues such as collective bargaining — including everything from how teachers can be fired to how they pay dues — have roiled nearby states like Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, sparking protests and legal challenges.
In Illinois, by contrast, negotiations unfolded quietly behind closed doors, bringing to the table groups sometimes at odds.