Board of Education v. Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board

This cause comes before us in a direct appeal from an opinion and order of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) which held that the decision previously issued by the administrative law judge (ALJ) was final and binding on the parties.

The stipulated record established that on March 12, 1990, Cecilia Bitner was hired as a teacher by the Board of Education of the City of Chicago (Board of Education). On that date, Bitner commenced the mandatory three-year probationary term prior to attaining tenure. Bitner received a performance rating of "excellent” for the 1990-91 and 1991-92…