Gov. Pat Quinn will be at Lexington Elementary School in west suburban Maywood, surrounded by leaders from across the state.
For schoolchildren, the education reform package will mean longer days in the classroom. It also gives school districts new powers to fire poorly performing teachers, and it bases tenure decisions on performance instead of seniority. The law will also make teacher strikes more difficult.
The legislation would allow unions to strike in Chicago and the suburbs, but it requires school boards and unions to negotiate longer and disclose their positions before a strike can occur.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has praised the legislation. The bill drew bipartisan support in the Illinois House and Senate when it was passed.
