Teacher aides (also known as para-educators) and para-professionals who work in positions not requiring a license are not in teaching positions and not under Teachers' Retirement System (TRS).
The positions listed below are under IMRF if they meet the 600 hour standard. A teacher aide working 3-1/2 hours or more each school day in an 180 day school term would meet the 600 hour standard.
If a teacher aide works some days as a substitute teacher, these earnings are not covered by IMRF. For TRS coverage see 3.40 F. Substitute Teachers.
If a teacher aide is receiving short term substitute training provided by the school district, these earnings are not covered by IMRF.
Retired teachers hired as teacher aides are not in teaching positions and are covered by IMRF if they meet the 600-hour standard.
A person with a teacher’s license who is hired as a teacher aide is under IMRF (provided the 600-hour standard is met) if the teacher aide position does not require a teacher's license.
If the person spends part of the school day as a teacher and the remainder of the school day as a teacher aide, the teaching position is under TRS. The teacher aide portion should be judged separately. If this position alone meets the 600-hour standard, the person is under IMRF for the teacher aide earnings. It is possible for a person to be a member of TRS for teaching earnings and under IMRF for teacher aide earnings.
PA 94-0834 changed the Reciprocal Act to allow a former IMRF member who participated as a teacher aide within a school district, and transferred to a position that is covered by TRS to retire under the Reciprocal Act even though the former teacher aide has less than 12 months of IMRF service credit. See Paragraph 5.50 Reciprocity.
Also, if a former teacher aide took a refund of his or her IMRF contributions, he or she can repay the refund, reinstate the service credit, and apply the service toward a Reciprocal pension. See Paragraph 6.40 3. Past Service Credits/Member Account Corrections, Reinstatement.