| Topic: | Reciprocal Act |
| Subtopic: | Definition of Teacher Aide |
| Date: | 9/22/2006 |
| Status: | Active |
WHEREAS, section 7-198 of the Illinois Pension Code authorizes the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) to establish rules necessary or desirable for the efficient administration of the Fund; and
WHEREAS, section 20-109 of the Pension Code provides that persons who move from participation with a school district as a teacher aide under Article 7 to participation under Article 16 are not subject to the one year limitation on eligibility for reciprocity; and
WHEREAS, section 20-109 does not define “teacher aide,” nor is there a definition of teacher aide elsewhere in the Pension Code, nor is there a definition of teacher aide in the Illinois School Code, or any other section of the Illinois Compiled Statutes; and
WHEREAS, for the efficient administration of the Fund, the Board of Trustees must define teacher aide for purposes of section 20-109; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that the Board of Trustees follow the description of duties of a teacher aide found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as the positions included in the paraeducator bargaining group recognized by the Illinois Education Association; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate that IMRF use a duties based method of defining teacher aide.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund does hereby define “teacher aide” for purposes of section 20-109 of the Pension Code as follows:
Positions, irrespective of title, requiring any of the following duties will be considered a teacher aide, providing the individual spends at least 50% of their work time performing such work:
- Providing the teacher with instructional support in the classroom
- Tutoring
- Working with students in and out of the classroom to provide language assistance, physical help, and other individualized support for the educational program.
- Supervising children in pre-K settings
- Supervising students in the cafeteria, playground, hallways, other areas of the school, on buses, and field trips
- Performing clerical tasks required by teachers such as recording grades, preparing instructional materials, keeping attendance records
- Working in computer laboratories, libraries, music and art rooms, gymnasiums, and other facilities in the school in support of the educational program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these duties are not exclusive but represent the type of duties assigned to a teacher aide in the Occupational Outlook Handbook and assigned to school employees included in the paraeducator bargaining group.