093_HB0546eng

 
HB0546 Engrossed                     LRB093 06199 NHT 06309 b

 1        AN ACT concerning education.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Section 21-1 as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/21-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1)
 7        Sec.  21-1.   Qualification  of  teachers.  No one may be
 8    certified to teach or supervise in the public schools of this
 9    State who is not of good character, good health, a citizen of
10    the United States  or  legally  present  and  authorized  for
11    employment, and at least 19 years of age.  If the holder of a
12    certificate under this Section is not a citizen of the United
13    States 6 years after the date of the issuance of the original
14    certificate, any certificate held by such person on that date
15    shall  be  cancelled  by  the board of education and no other
16    certificate to teach shall be issued  to  such  person  until
17    such  person is a citizen of the United States.  However, the
18    State Superintendent of Education may extend this 6-year time
19    limit for a period of 2 years if the person certifies his  or
20    her intention to become a United States citizen and furnishes
21    proof  that  he  or  she  has filed an application for United
22    States citizenship.  Upon the expiration  of  this  extension
23    period,  the  State  Superintendent of Education may grant an
24    additional extension of 2 years upon proof that the  person's
25    application for citizenship is pending.  If the person is not
26    a  United  States  citizen  by  the  end  of  this additional
27    extension period, any certificate held by that person at  the
28    end  of  this  period  shall  be  cancelled  by  the board of
29    education and no other certificate may be  issued  until  the
30    person  furnishes  proof  that  he  or she is a United States
31    citizen.
 
HB0546 Engrossed            -2-      LRB093 06199 NHT 06309 b
 1        Citizenship  is  not  required  for  the  issuance  of  a
 2    temporary part-time certificate to participants  in  approved
 3    training  programs  for  exchange  students  as  described in
 4    Section 21-10.2.  A certificate issued under this plan  shall
 5    expire  on  June 30 following the date of issue.  One renewal
 6    for one year is  authorized  if  the  holder  remains  as  an
 7    official participant in an approved exchange program.
 8        In  determining  good  character  under this Section, any
 9    felony  conviction  of  the  applicant  may  be  taken   into
10    consideration,  but  such a conviction shall not operate as a
11    bar to registration.
12        No person otherwise qualified shall be denied  the  right
13    to  be  certified,  to  receive  training  for the purpose of
14    becoming a teacher or to engage in practice teaching  in  any
15    school  because  of  a  physical disability including but not
16    limited to visual and hearing  disabilities;  nor  shall  any
17    school  district  refuse to employ a teacher on such grounds,
18    provided that the person is able to carry out the  duties  of
19    the position for which he applies.
20        No  person  may be granted or continue to hold a teaching
21    certificate who has knowingly altered or  misrepresented  his
22    or  her  teaching  qualifications  in  order  to  acquire the
23    certificate.  Any other certificate held by such  person  may
24    be  suspended  or  revoked by the State Teacher Certification
25    Board, depending upon  the  severity  of  the  alteration  or
26    misrepresentation.
27        No  one  may teach or supervise in the public schools nor
28    receive for teaching or supervising any part  of  any  public
29    school fund, who does not hold a certificate of qualification
30    granted  by  the  State  Board  of  Education or by the State
31    Teacher Certification Board and a regional superintendent  of
32    schools as hereinafter provided, or by the board of education
33    of  a  city having a population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants
34    except as provided in Section 34-6 and in Section 10-22.34 or
 
HB0546 Engrossed            -3-      LRB093 06199 NHT 06309 b
 1    Section 10-22.34b. However, the provisions of this Article do
 2    not apply to a member of the armed forces who is employed  as
 3    a teacher of subjects in the Reserve Officer's Training Corps
 4    of  any  school.  Sections 21-2 through 21-24 do not apply to
 5    cities having a  population  exceeding  500,000  inhabitants,
 6    until July 1, 1988.
 7        Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  this Act, the
 8    board of education of any school  district  may  grant  to  a
 9    teacher  of the district a leave of absence with full pay for
10    a period of not more than one year to permit such teacher  to
11    teach in a foreign state under the provisions of the Exchange
12    Teacher  Program  established  under  Public  Law  584,  79th
13    Congress, and Public Law 402, 80th Congress, as amended.  The
14    school  board  granting such leave of absence may employ with
15    or without pay a national of the foreign  state  wherein  the
16    teacher  on  leave  of absence will teach, if the national is
17    qualified to  teach  in  that  foreign  state,  and  if  that
18    national will teach in a grade level similar to the one which
19    was  taught  in  such  foreign  state.  The  State  Board  of
20    Education  shall promulgate and enforce such reasonable rules
21    as may be necessary to effectuate this paragraph.
22    (Source: P.A.  88-189;  89-159,  eff.  1-1-96;  89-397,  eff.
23    8-20-95; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)

24        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
25    becoming law.