Section 1.737  Minimum Requirements for the Assignment of Teachers in Grades 9 through 12 Beginning July 1, 2004

a)         No teacher may be assigned to teach a particular content area in any of grades 9-12 unless that teacher holds a professional educator license in a teaching field and:

1)         holds the applicable endorsement for the assignment (and, in the case of the educator license with stipulations endorsed for career and technical educator, an endorsement specific field to be taught, by completing the work experience required pursuant to subsection (c));

2)         met the requirements of Section 1.730 at a time when that Section was applicable to that assignment, as confirmed by the employing district's verification of the individual's qualifications in ELIS; or

3)         meets the requirements of Section 1.745 or 1.755, if applicable; or

4)         is assigned pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.430 (Short-Term Approval for Teachers at All Grade Levels).

b)         Beginning July 1, 2025, any teacher who is teaching by virtue of meeting the qualifications set forth in subsection (a)(2) shall have a designation for the specific content area and grade range added to their ELIS accounts, prior to being assigned to the position, by their regional office of education.

c)         Previous qualifications can continue to be added after July 1, 2025 if educators are assigned to new positions by virtue of being previously qualified.

d)         Additional Requirements for Career and Technical Education

1)         Assignments to courses in career and technical education vary at the program level and are detailed in Appendix I.  A district may, however, employ an individual who holds a professional educator license endorsed for the secondary grades with the appropriate career and technical education endorsement but who has not completed requirements to demonstrate occupational/work experience in the occupational area to be taught.  The employing entity shall maintain records to substantiate this experience, which may include written statements from former supervisors who can be reached for verification or, in cases in which supervisors are no longer available to verify the individual's employment, affidavits by the applicant's instructors describing the work experience.

2)         A teacher who is eligible under this Section to provide skill-level instruction in a particular area shall also be eligible to serve as a coordinator of a specific workplace education program, provided that the teacher has also met professional learning requirements set forth by the State Board applicable to workplace learning.

3)         A teacher serving as a coordinator of workplace education for special education students shall be required to meet the requirements for assignment as a special education teacher rather than those for assignment as a teacher of career and technical education and shall have met professional learning requirements set forth by the State Board of Education applicable to workplace learning.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 5744, effective April 21, 2021)