102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0497

 

Introduced 2/23/2021, by Sen. Jason A. Barickman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-20

    Amends the School Code. Provides that a career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of 30 (rather than 60) semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Effective immediately.


LRB102 15851 CMG 21220 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB0497LRB102 15851 CMG 21220 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
521B-20 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
7    Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of
8Education shall implement a system of educator licensure,
9whereby individuals employed in school districts who are
10required to be licensed must have one of the following
11licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an
12educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute
13teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term
14substitute teaching license. References in law regarding
15individuals certified or certificated or required to be
16certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall
17also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed
18under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June
1930 following one full year of the license being issued.
20    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
21State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
22rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for
23licenses and endorsements under this Section.

 

 

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1        (1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)
2    have successfully completed an approved educator
3    preparation program and are recommended for licensure by
4    the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation
5    program, (ii) have successfully completed the required
6    testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have
7    successfully completed coursework on the psychology of,
8    the identification of, and the methods of instruction for
9    the exceptional child, including without limitation
10    children with learning disabilities, (iv) have
11    successfully completed coursework in methods of reading
12    and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other
13    criteria established by rule of the State Board of
14    Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License.
15    All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30
16    immediately following 5 years of the license being issued.
17    The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with
18    specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is
19    eligible to practice. For an early childhood education
20    endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student
21    teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher
22    preparation program through placement in a setting with
23    children from birth through grade 2, and the individual
24    may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The
25    student teaching experience must meet the requirements of
26    and be approved by the individual's early childhood

 

 

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1    teacher preparation program.
2        Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the
3    Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements
4    shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework
5    in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable
6    content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.
7        (2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator
8    License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement
9    that limits the license holder to one particular position
10    or does not require completion of an approved educator
11    program or both.
12        An individual with an Educator License with
13    Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or
14    any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher
15    who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.
16        An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued
17    with the following endorsements:
18            (A) (Blank).
19            (B) Alternative provisional educator. An
20        alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
21        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
22        applicant who, at the time of applying for the
23        endorsement, has done all of the following:
24                (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
25            college or university with a minimum of a
26            bachelor's degree.

 

 

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1                (ii) Successfully completed the first phase of
2            the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
3            Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this
4            Code.
5                (iii) Passed a content area test, as required
6            under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
7        The alternative provisional educator endorsement is
8    valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a
9    third year by an individual meeting the requirements set
10    forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.
11            (C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An
12        alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on
13        an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the
14        holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant
15        superintendent in a school district's central office.
16        This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant
17        who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has
18        done all of the following:
19                (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
20            college or university with a minimum of a master's
21            degree in a management field other than education.
22                (ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5
23            years in a management level position in a field
24            other than education.
25                (iii) Successfully completed the first phase
26            of an alternative route to superintendent

 

 

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1            endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55
2            of this Code.
3                (iv) Passed a content area test required under
4            Section 21B-30 of this Code.
5            The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in
6        order to complete one full year of serving as a
7        superintendent or assistant superintendent.
8            (D) (Blank).
9            (E) Career and technical educator. A career and
10        technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
11        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
12        has a minimum of 30 60 semester hours of coursework
13        from a regionally accredited institution of higher
14        education or an accredited trade and technical
15        institution and has a minimum of 2,000 hours of
16        experience outside of education in each area to be
17        taught.
18            The career and technical educator endorsement on
19        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
20        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
21        endorsement being issued and may be renewed.
22            An individual who holds a valid career and
23        technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
24        with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's
25        degree may substitute teach in career and technical
26        education classrooms.

 

 

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1            (F) Part-time provisional career and technical
2        educator or provisional career and technical educator.
3        A part-time provisional career and technical educator
4        endorsement or a provisional career and technical
5        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
6        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a
7        minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill
8        for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It
9        is the responsibility of each employing school board
10        and regional office of education to provide
11        verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent
12        of Education at the time the application is submitted
13        that no qualified teacher holding a Professional
14        Educator License or an Educator License with
15        Stipulations with a career and technical educator
16        endorsement is available and that actual circumstances
17        require such issuance.
18            The provisional career and technical educator
19        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
20        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years
21        of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for
22        5 years.
23            A part-time provisional career and technical
24        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
25        Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2
26        courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The

 

 

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1        part-time provisional career and technical educator
2        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
3        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years
4        of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for
5        5 years if the individual makes application for
6        renewal.
7            An individual who holds a provisional or part-time
8        provisional career and technical educator endorsement
9        on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not
10        hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in
11        career and technical education classrooms.
12            (G) Transitional bilingual educator. A
13        transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an
14        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for
15        the purpose of providing instruction in accordance
16        with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who
17        provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets
18        all of the following requirements:
19                (i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and
20            writing ability in the language other than English
21            in which transitional bilingual education is
22            offered.
23                (ii) Has the ability to successfully
24            communicate in English.
25                (iii) Either possessed, within 5 years
26            previous to his or her applying for a transitional

 

 

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1            bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and
2            comparable teaching certificate or comparable
3            authorization issued by a foreign country or holds
4            a degree from an institution of higher learning in
5            a foreign country that the State Educator
6            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
7            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
8            regionally accredited institution of higher
9            learning in the United States.
10            A transitional bilingual educator endorsement
11        shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12,
12        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years
13        of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be
14        renewed.
15            Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator
16        endorsement shall not be employed to replace any
17        presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be
18        replaced for any reason.
19            (H) Language endorsement. In an effort to
20        alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language
21        other than English in the public schools, an
22        individual who holds an Educator License with
23        Stipulations may also apply for a language
24        endorsement, provided that the applicant provides
25        satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the
26        following requirements:

 

 

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1                (i) Holds a transitional bilingual
2            endorsement.
3                (ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the
4            language for which the endorsement is to be issued
5            by passing the applicable language content test
6            required by the State Board of Education.
7                (iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from
8            a regionally accredited institution of higher
9            education or, for individuals educated in a
10            country other than the United States, holds a
11            degree from an institution of higher learning in a
12            foreign country that the State Educator
13            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
14            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
15            regionally accredited institution of higher
16            learning in the United States.
17                (iv) (Blank).
18            A language endorsement on an Educator License with
19        Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through
20        grade 12 for the same validity period as the
21        individual's transitional bilingual educator
22        endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations
23        and shall not be renewed.
24            (I) Visiting international educator. A visiting
25        international educator endorsement on an Educator
26        License with Stipulations may be issued to an

 

 

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1        individual who is being recruited by a particular
2        school district that conducts formal recruitment
3        programs outside of the United States to secure the
4        services of qualified teachers and who meets all of
5        the following requirements:
6                (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a
7            bachelor's degree issued in the United States.
8                (ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the
9            grade level for which he or she will be employed.
10                (iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the
11            subject to be taught.
12                (iv) Has an adequate command of the English
13            language.
14            A holder of a visiting international educator
15        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
16        shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education
17        programs in the language that was the medium of
18        instruction in his or her teacher preparation program,
19        provided that he or she passes the English Language
20        Proficiency Examination or another test of writing
21        skills in English identified by the State Board of
22        Education, in consultation with the State Educator
23        Preparation and Licensure Board.
24            A visiting international educator endorsement on
25        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5
26        years and shall not be renewed.

 

 

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1            (J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional
2        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
3        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a
4        high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and
5        either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60
6        semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited
7        institution of higher education or has passed a
8        paraprofessional competency test under subsection
9        (c-5) of Section 21B-30. The paraprofessional educator
10        endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately
11        following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and
12        may be renewed through application and payment of the
13        appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of
14        this Code. An individual who holds only a
15        paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject
16        to additional requirements in order to renew the
17        endorsement.
18            (K) Chief school business official. A chief school
19        business official endorsement on an Educator License
20        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
21        qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2
22        years of full-time administrative experience in school
23        business management or 2 years of university-approved
24        practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester
25        hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the
26        State Board of Education for the preparation of school

 

 

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1        business administrators and by passage of the
2        applicable State tests, including an applicable
3        content area test.
4            The chief school business official endorsement may
5        also be affixed to the Educator License with
6        Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a
7        master's degree in business administration, finance,
8        accounting, or public administration and who completes
9        an additional 6 semester hours of internship in school
10        business management from a regionally accredited
11        institution of higher education and passes the
12        applicable State tests, including an applicable
13        content area test. This endorsement shall be required
14        for any individual employed as a chief school business
15        official.
16            The chief school business official endorsement on
17        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
18        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
19        endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the
20        license holder completes renewal requirements as
21        required for individuals who hold a Professional
22        Educator License endorsed for chief school business
23        official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such
24        rules as may be adopted by the State Board of
25        Education.
26            The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules

 

 

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1        necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.
2            (L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional
3        in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License
4        with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has
5        completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation
6        program at an Illinois institution of higher education
7        and who has not successfully completed an
8        evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but
9        who meets all of the following requirements:
10                (i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
11                (ii) Has completed an approved educator
12            preparation program at an Illinois institution.
13                (iii) Has passed an applicable content area
14            test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
15                (iv) Has attempted an evidence-based
16            assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a
17            minimum score on that assessment, as established
18            by the State Board of Education in consultation
19            with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
20            Board.
21            A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an
22        Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one
23        full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not
24        be renewed.
25            (M) (Blank).
26            (N) Specialized services. A specialized services

 

 

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1        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
2        may be issued as defined and specified by rule.
3        (3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching
4    License may be issued to qualified applicants for
5    substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools,
6    prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching
7    Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for
8    a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's
9    degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution
10    of higher education.
11        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.
12        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute
13    teaching in every county of this State. If an individual
14    has had his or her Professional Educator License or
15    Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked,
16    then that individual is not eligible to obtain a
17    Substitute Teaching License.
18        A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a
19    licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing
20    board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under
21    contract because of an emergency situation, then a
22    district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer
23    than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the
24    district if the district notifies the appropriate regional
25    office of education within 5 business days after the
26    employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency

 

 

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1    situation. An emergency situation is one in which an
2    unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is
3    unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii)
4    teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous
5    indications, and the district is actively engaged in
6    advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the
7    vacant position.
8        There is no limit on the number of days that a
9    substitute teacher may teach in a single school district,
10    provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer
11    than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under
12    contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who
13    holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License
14    with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school
15    days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the
16    same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on
17    the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do
18    not apply to any school district operating under Article
19    34 of this Code.
20        A school district may not require an individual who
21    holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator
22    License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute
23    Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher.
24        (4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning
25    on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of
26    Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching

 

 

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1    License. A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be
2    issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in
3    all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through
4    grade 12. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not
5    eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term
6    Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's
7    degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a
8    regionally accredited institution of higher education.
9        Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for
10    substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an
11    individual has had his or her Professional Educator
12    License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or
13    revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a
14    Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.
15        The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this
16    Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.
17        An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
18    License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per
19    licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher
20    absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who
21    is under contract, a school district may not hire an
22    individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
23    License. An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute
24    Teaching License must complete the training program under
25    Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible
26    to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is

 

 

SB0497- 17 -LRB102 15851 CMG 21220 b

1    inoperative on and after July 1, 2023.
2(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17;
3100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff.
49-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220,
5eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.