Attention Illinois Families, Educators and Montessori Advocates

The Association of Illinois Montessori Schools has been working closely with Celebrate Public Montessori at CPS, a Chicago-based family-led collaborative along with school leaders and staff, teacher educators and legislators to create a pathway to state teacher licensure in Illinois. Please reach out to your state legislators and ask them to support the inclusion of the Montessori teacher licensure pathway proposed in Senate Bill 2689 and House Bill 4572.

Type your address into the search bar to find your Illinois legislators and their contact information. Scroll down toward the bottom to find your state senator and representative, and click “Contact” to see their phone and email information.

Below you will find a call script template and an email template to use in contacting your senator/representative. Calling is more impactful than email, so please call if possible. You can adapt the script to talk about why having a pathway to teacher licensure for Montessori credentialled educators is important to you and your community. Be sure when you call and introduce yourself that you say your name, where you live, and that you are a constituent of the senator/representative. Only call your own legislators!

Phone Call Script 

My name is ________ and I am a constituent of Senator/Representative X from (town/city) . I am a (parent/educator/teacher, etc.) calling to ask you to support Montessori teacher licensure in SB2689 and HB4572. These bills establish a pathway for Illinois teachers with a bachelor’s degree and a Montessori teaching credential, who have passed required state exams, to be licensed to teach in public Montessori classrooms in our state. 

Many Illinois parents seek the benefits of a Montessori education for their children. This no-cost provision will ensure the quality of Illinois’ public Montessori schools, while at the same time helping to relieve the current teacher shortage.

Additional Suggestions to Include:

Provide more background on who you are (parent, teacher, principal, teacher educator), list any other relevant experience, and why this bill is important to you.

  • My child is a student at xyz public Montessori school. It’s the perfect learning environment for her and it’s critical that she have a highly qualified teacher, which is one with a Montessori credential.
  • I’m a Montessori teacher and can attest to how vital it is to have a Montessori credentialed teacher in a Montessori classroom.

Explain how this bill specifically impacts you/your community.

Thank you,

Email Template 

Subject: (SB 2689 or HB 4572)

Greetings XXXXX, 

My name is ________ and I am a constituent of Senator/Representative X (from town/city). I  am a (family/educator/teacher, etc.) writing to ask you to support a pathway to Montessori teacher licensure in SB2689 and HB4572).  It establishes a pathway for Illinois teachers with a bachelor’s degree and a Montessori  teaching credential, who have passed required state exams, to be licensed to teach in public Montessori classrooms in our state. 

Many Illinois parents seek the benefits of a Montessori education for their children. This no-cost provision will ensure the quality of Illinois’ public Montessori schools, while at the same time helping to relieve the current teacher shortage.

Additional Suggestions to Include:

Provide more background on who you are (parent, teacher, principal, teacher educator), list any other relevant experience, and why this bill is important to you.

Examples:

  • My child is a student at xyz public Montessori school. It’s the perfect learning environment for her and it’s critical that she have a highly qualified teacher, which is one with a Montessori credential.
  • I’m a Montessori teacher and can attest to how vital it is to have a Montessori credentialed teacher in a Montessori classroom.

Explain how this bill specifically impacts you/your community.