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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||||
| 5 | 21B-107 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-107 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 21B-107. Educator preparation program; appeal. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) An institution of higher education that is denied a | ||||||
| 9 | recommendation for recognition by the State Educator | ||||||
| 10 | Preparation and Licensure Board to offer an educator | ||||||
| 11 | preparation program at the institution may appeal the decision | ||||||
| 12 | to the State Board of Education. The appeal must state the | ||||||
| 13 | reasons why the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
| 14 | Board's decision should be reversed and must include any other | ||||||
| 15 | information required by the State Board of Education. The | ||||||
| 16 | appeal must be submitted in writing, by certified mail with | ||||||
| 17 | return receipt requested, and postmarked no later than 14 days | ||||||
| 18 | after receipt of the notice of denial of recommendation from | ||||||
| 19 | the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. As soon as | ||||||
| 20 | practicable after receipt of the appeal, the State Board of | ||||||
| 21 | Education must provide a copy of the appeal to the State | ||||||
| 22 | Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. Except as provided | ||||||
| 23 | under subsection (b) of this Section, the State Board of | ||||||
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| 1 | Education must approve or deny the appeal no later than 30 days | ||||||
| 2 | after receipt of the appeal. | ||||||
| 3 | (b) If a majority of the members of the State Board of | ||||||
| 4 | Education determines that the appeal is untimely or that the | ||||||
| 5 | proposed educator preparation program does not comply with 23 | ||||||
| 6 | Ill. Adm. Code 25.Subpart C, the State Board of Education must | ||||||
| 7 | hold a public hearing, which must comply with all of the | ||||||
| 8 | following: | ||||||
| 9 | (1) Notice of the meeting must be posted in accordance | ||||||
| 10 | with the Open Meetings Act. | ||||||
| 11 | (2) The hearing must include testimony from members of | ||||||
| 12 | the State Board of Education and State Educator Preparation | ||||||
| 13 | and Licensure Board and other public participants. | ||||||
| 14 | (3) The hearing must include testimony from the | ||||||
| 15 | institution of higher education appealing the denial of | ||||||
| 16 | recommendation. The testimony must include evidence of any | ||||||
| 17 | nationally recognized accreditations, qualifications of | ||||||
| 18 | the educators at the institution, and the relevance of | ||||||
| 19 | education preparation programs in Illinois communities. | ||||||
| 20 | The testimony must also include a response to any concerns | ||||||
| 21 | raised by the State Board of Education or State Educator | ||||||
| 22 | Preparation and Licensure Board. | ||||||
| 23 | The State Board of Education must take action to approve or | ||||||
| 24 | deny the appeal immediately after the hearing.
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