Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB6400
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Full Text of HB6400  96th General Assembly

HB6400 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


 


 
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB6400

 

Introduced 2/18/2010, by Rep. Michael J. Madigan - Barbara Flynn Currie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-14   from Ch. 122, par. 21-14

    Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code. Makes a technical change in a provision concerning the registration and renewal of teaching certificates.


LRB096 21024 NHT 36874 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB6400 LRB096 21024 NHT 36874 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 Section
5 21-14 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/21-14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)
7     Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.
8     (a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate issued
9 after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its expiration or
10 within 60 days thereafter by the the county superintendent of
11 schools having supervision and control over the school where
12 the teacher is teaching upon certified evidence of meeting the
13 requirements for renewal as required by this Act and prescribed
14 by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
15 Teacher Certification Board. An elementary supervisory
16 certificate shall not be renewed at the end of the first
17 four-year period covered by the certificate unless the holder
18 thereof has filed certified evidence with the State Teacher
19 Certification Board that he has a master's degree or that he
20 has earned 8 semester hours of credit in the field of
21 educational administration and supervision in a recognized
22 institution of higher learning. The holder shall continue to
23 earn 8 semester hours of credit each four-year period until

 

 

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1 such time as he has earned a master's degree.
2     All certificates not renewed or registered as herein
3 provided shall lapse after a period of 5 years from the
4 expiration of the last year of registration. Such certificates
5 may be reinstated for a one year period upon payment of all
6 accumulated registration fees. Such reinstated certificates
7 shall only be renewed: (1) by earning 5 semester hours of
8 credit in a recognized institution of higher learning in the
9 field of professional education or in courses related to the
10 holder's contractual teaching duties; or (2) by presenting
11 evidence of holding a valid regular certificate of some other
12 type. Any certificate may be voluntarily surrendered by the
13 certificate holder. A voluntarily surrendered certificate
14 shall be treated as a revoked certificate.
15     (b) When those teaching certificates issued before
16 February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after February
17 15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be exchanged for
18 Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in subsection (c) of
19 Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard Teaching Certificates,
20 including those issued to persons who previously held teaching
21 certificates issued before February 15, 2000, shall be
22 renewable under the conditions set forth in this subsection
23 (b).
24     Initial Teaching Certificates are valid for 4 years of
25 teaching, as provided in subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this
26 Code, and are renewable every 4 years until the person

 

 

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1 completes 4 years of teaching. If the holder of an Initial
2 Certificate has completed 4 years of teaching but has not
3 completed the requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of
4 subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, then the Initial
5 Certificate may be reinstated for one year, during which the
6 requirements must be met. A holder of an Initial Certificate
7 who has not completed 4 years of teaching may continuously
8 register the certificate for additional 4-year periods without
9 penalty. Initial Certificates that are not registered shall
10 lapse consistent with subsection (a) of this Section and may be
11 reinstated only in accordance with subsection (a). Standard
12 Teaching Certificates are renewable every 5 years as provided
13 in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this
14 Section. For purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as
15 employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or
16 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
17 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
18 of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter
19 school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
20     (c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
21 this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching Certificate
22 may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification Board based
23 upon proof of continuing professional development, the State
24 Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board
25 shall jointly:
26         (1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard

 

 

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1     Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
2     limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and the
3     components set forth in subsections (d) through (k) of this
4     Section;
5         (2) establish the standards for certificate renewal;
6         (3) approve or disapprove the providers of continuing
7     professional development activities;
8         (4) determine the maximum credit for each category of
9     continuing professional development activities, based upon
10     recommendations submitted by a continuing professional
11     development activity task force, which shall consist of 6
12     staff members from the State Board of Education, appointed
13     by the State Superintendent of Education, and 6 teacher
14     representatives, 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois
15     Education Association and 3 of whom are selected by the
16     Illinois Federation of Teachers;
17         (5) designate the type and amount of documentation
18     required to show that continuing professional development
19     activities have been completed; and
20         (6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
21     teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents of
22     schools, school districts, and others with an interest in
23     continuing professional development, information about the
24     standards and requirements established pursuant to this
25     subsection (c).
26     (d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an individual

 

 

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1 employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
2 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
3 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
4 of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
5 school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law must be
6 maintained Valid and Active through certificate renewal
7 activities specified in the certificate renewal procedure
8 established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section,
9 provided that a holder of a Valid and Active certificate who is
10 only employed on either a part-time basis or day-to-day basis
11 as a substitute teacher shall pay only the required
12 registration fee to renew his or her certificate and maintain
13 it as Valid and Active. All other Standard Teaching
14 Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and Exempt through
15 the registration process provided for in the certificate
16 renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of
17 this Section. A Valid and Exempt certificate must be
18 immediately activated, through procedures developed jointly by
19 the State Board of Education and the State Teacher
20 Certification Board, upon the certificate holder becoming
21 employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
22 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
23 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
24 of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
25 school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law. A
26 holder of a Valid and Exempt certificate may activate his or

 

 

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1 her certificate through procedures provided for in the
2 certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to
3 subsection (c) of this Section.
4     (e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been
5 maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the
6 certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active
7 upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced degree
8 from an approved institution in an education-related field;
9 (ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of coursework as
10 described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3) of this
11 subsection (e); (iii) (blank); (iv) completing the National
12 Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as described
13 in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); or
14 (v) earning 120 continuing professional development units
15 ("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of
16 this subsection (e). The maximum continuing professional
17 development units for each continuing professional development
18 activity identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
19 paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall be jointly
20 determined by the State Board of Education and the State
21 Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the certificate
22 holder has maintained the certificate as Valid and Exempt for a
23 portion of the 5-year period of validity, the number of
24 continuing professional development units needed to renew the
25 certificate as Valid and Active shall be proportionately
26 reduced by the amount of time the certificate was Valid and

 

 

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1 Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is employed and
2 performs teaching services on a part-time basis for all or a
3 portion of the certificate's 5-year period of validity, the
4 number of continuing professional development units needed to
5 renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be reduced by
6 50% for the amount of time the certificate holder has been
7 employed and performed teaching services on a part-time basis.
8 Part-time shall be defined as less than 50% of the school day
9 or school term.
10     Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary, if
11 a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as Valid
12 and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity and
13 the certificate holder has completed his or her certificate
14 renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate shall be
15 renewed as Valid and Active.
16     (2) Beginning July 1, 2004, in order to satisfy the
17 requirements for continuing professional development provided
18 for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, each Valid
19 and Active Standard Teaching Certificate holder shall complete
20 professional development activities that address the
21 certificate or those certificates that are required of his or
22 her certificated teaching position, if the certificate holder
23 is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
24 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
25 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
26 of control, or that certificate or those certificates most

 

 

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1 closely related to his or her teaching position, if the
2 certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except as
3 otherwise provided in this subsection (e), the certificate
4 holder's activities must address purposes (A), (B), (C), or (D)
5 and must reflect purpose (E) of the following continuing
6 professional development purposes:
7         (A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
8     and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
9     Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content
10     Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
11     certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
12     order to keep the certificate holder current in those
13     areas.
14         (B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
15     skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois
16     teachers, as defined by the State Board of Education, known
17     as "State priorities".
18         (C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
19     certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if the
20     teacher is employed in an Illinois public or State-operated
21     elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or
22     joint agreement with a governing body or board of control.
23         (D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
24     skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
25     acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
26     or relevant education degree.

 

 

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1         (E) Address the needs of serving students with
2     disabilities, including adapting and modifying the general
3     curriculum related to the Illinois Learning Standards to
4     meet the needs of students with disabilities and serving
5     such students in the least restrictive environment.
6     Teachers who hold certificates endorsed for special
7     education must devote at least 50% of their continuing
8     professional development activities to this purpose.
9     Teachers holding other certificates must devote at least
10     20% of their activities to this purpose.
11     A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
12 licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
13 Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing education
14 requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated under that
15 Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing
16 professional development requirements established by the State
17 Board of Education and the Teacher Certification Board to renew
18 a Standard Certificate.
19     (3) Continuing professional development activities may
20 include, but are not limited to, the following activities:
21         (A) completion of an advanced degree from an approved
22     institution in an education-related field;
23         (B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
24     approved education-related program, of which at least 2
25     semester hours relate to the continuing professional
26     development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph

 

 

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1     (2) of this subsection (e), completion of which means no
2     other continuing professional development activities are
3     required;
4         (C) (blank);
5         (D) completion of the National Board for Professional
6     Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process for certification or
7     recertification, completion of which means no other
8     continuing professional development activities are
9     required;
10         (E) completion of 120 continuing professional
11     development units that satisfy the continuing professional
12     development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this
13     subsection (e) and may include without limitation the
14     activities identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
15     this paragraph (3);
16         (F) collaboration and partnership activities related
17     to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
18     teacher, including the following:
19             (i) participating on collaborative planning and
20         professional improvement teams and committees;
21             (ii) peer review and coaching;
22             (iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
23         including service as a consulting teacher
24         participating in a remediation process formulated
25         under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
26             (iv) participating in site-based management or

 

 

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1         decision making teams, relevant committees, boards, or
2         task forces directly related to school improvement
3         plans;
4             (v) coordinating community resources in schools,
5         if the project is a specific goal of the school
6         improvement plan;
7             (vi) facilitating parent education programs for a
8         school, school district, or regional office of
9         education directly related to student achievement or
10         school improvement plans;
11             (vii) participating in business, school, or
12         community partnerships directly related to student
13         achievement or school improvement plans; or
14             (viii) supervising a student teacher or teacher
15         education candidate in clinical supervision, provided
16         that the supervision may only be counted once during
17         the course of 5 years;
18         (G) college or university coursework related to
19     improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
20     as follows:
21             (i) completing undergraduate or graduate credit
22         earned from a regionally accredited institution in
23         coursework relevant to the certificate area being
24         renewed, including coursework that incorporates
25         induction activities and development of a portfolio of
26         both student and teacher work that provides experience

 

 

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1         in reflective practices, provided the coursework meets
2         Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois
3         Content Area Standards and supports the essential
4         characteristics of quality professional development;
5         or
6             (ii) teaching college or university courses in
7         areas relevant to the certificate area being renewed,
8         provided that the teaching may only be counted once
9         during the course of 5 years;
10         (H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and
11     symposiums related to improving the teacher's knowledge
12     and skills as a teacher, subject to disapproval of the
13     activity or event by the State Teacher Certification Board
14     acting jointly with the State Board of Education, including
15     the following:
16             (i) completing non-university credit directly
17         related to student achievement, school improvement
18         plans, or State priorities;
19             (ii) participating in or presenting at workshops,
20         seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums;
21             (iii) training as external reviewers for Quality
22         Assurance; or
23             (iv) training as reviewers of university teacher
24         preparation programs.
25     A teacher, however, may not receive credit for conferences,
26     workshops, institutes, seminars, or symposiums that are

 

 

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1     designed for entertainment, promotional, or commercial
2     purposes or that are solely inspirational or motivational.
3     The State Superintendent of Education and regional
4     superintendents of schools are authorized to review the
5     activities and events provided or to be provided under this
6     subdivision (H) and to investigate complaints regarding
7     those activities and events, and either the State
8     Superintendent of Education or a regional superintendent
9     of schools may recommend that the State Teacher
10     Certification Board and the State Board of Education
11     jointly disapprove those activities and events considered
12     to be inconsistent with this subdivision (H);
13         (I) other educational experiences related to improving
14     the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including
15     the following:
16             (i) participating in action research and inquiry
17         projects;
18             (ii) observing programs or teaching in schools,
19         related businesses, or industry that is systematic,
20         purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal;
21             (iii) traveling related to one's teaching
22         assignment, directly related to student achievement or
23         school improvement plans and approved by the regional
24         superintendent of schools or his or her designee at
25         least 30 days prior to the travel experience, provided
26         that the traveling shall not include time spent

 

 

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1         commuting to destinations where the learning
2         experience will occur;
3             (iv) participating in study groups related to
4         student achievement or school improvement plans;
5             (v) serving on a statewide education-related
6         committee, including but not limited to the State
7         Teacher Certification Board, State Board of Education
8         strategic agenda teams, or the State Advisory Council
9         on Education of Children with Disabilities;
10             (vi) participating in work/learn programs or
11         internships; or
12             (vii) developing a portfolio of student and
13         teacher work;
14         (J) professional leadership experiences related to
15     improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
16     including the following:
17             (i) participating in curriculum development or
18         assessment activities at the school, school district,
19         regional office of education, State, or national
20         level;
21             (ii) participating in team or department
22         leadership in a school or school district;
23             (iii) participating on external or internal school
24         or school district review teams;
25             (iv) publishing educational articles, columns, or
26         books relevant to the certificate area being renewed;

 

 

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1         or
2             (v) participating in non-strike related
3         professional association or labor organization service
4         or activities related to professional development;
5         (K) receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or
6     endorsement pursuant to this Article;
7         (L) completion of requirements for meeting the
8     Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for
9     purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public
10     Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area;
11         (M) successful completion of 4 semester hours of
12     graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own
13     performance in relation to the Illinois Teaching
14     Standards, as described in clause (B) of paragraph (2) of
15     subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code; or
16         (N) successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester
17     hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation
18     to meet the requirements for certification by the National
19     Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as described in
20     clause (C) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section
21     21-2 of this Code.
22     (4) A person must complete the requirements of this
23 subsection (e) before the expiration of his or her Standard
24 Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance to the regional
25 superintendent of schools or, if applicable, a local
26 professional development committee authorized by the regional

 

 

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1 superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this
2 purpose. The statement of assurance shall contain a list of the
3 activities completed, the provider offering each activity, the
4 number of credits earned for each activity, and the purposes to
5 which each activity is attributed. The certificate holder shall
6 maintain the evidence of completion of each activity for at
7 least one certificate renewal cycle. The certificate holder
8 shall affirm under penalty of perjury that he or she has
9 completed the activities listed and will maintain the required
10 evidence of completion. The State Board of Education or the
11 regional superintendent of schools for each region shall
12 conduct random audits of assurance statements and supporting
13 documentation.
14     (5) (Blank).
15     (6) (Blank).
16     (f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, a
17 school district is authorized to enter into an agreement with
18 the exclusive bargaining representative, if any, to form a
19 local professional development committee (LPDC). The
20 membership and terms of members of the LPDC may be determined
21 by the agreement. Provisions regarding LPDCs contained in a
22 collective bargaining agreement in existence on the effective
23 date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly
24 between a school district and the exclusive bargaining
25 representative shall remain in full force and effect for the
26 term of the agreement, unless terminated by mutual agreement.

 

 

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1 The LPDC shall make recommendations to the regional
2 superintendent of schools on renewal of teaching certificates.
3 The regional superintendent of schools for each region shall
4 perform the following functions:
5         (1) review recommendations for certificate renewal, if
6     any, received from LPDCs;
7         (2) (blank);
8         (3) (blank);
9         (4) (blank);
10         (5) determine whether certificate holders have met the
11     requirements for certificate renewal and notify
12     certificate holders if the decision is not to renew the
13     certificate;
14         (6) provide a certificate holder with the opportunity
15     to appeal a recommendation made by a LPDC, if any, not to
16     renew the certificate to the regional professional
17     development review committee;
18         (7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal or
19     nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching
20     Certificates to the State Teacher Certification Board; and
21         (8) (blank).
22     (g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall
23 review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for
24 renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he or
25 she receives from a local professional development committee,
26 if any, or, if a certificate holder appeals the recommendation

 

 

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1 to the regional professional development review committee, the
2 recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal he or she receives
3 from a regional professional development review committee and,
4 within 14 days of receipt of the recommendation, shall provide
5 the State Teacher Certification Board with verification of the
6 following, if applicable:
7         (A) the certificate holder has satisfactorily
8     completed professional development and continuing
9     education activities set forth in paragraph (3) of
10     subsection (e) of this Section;
11         (B) the certificate holder has submitted the statement
12     of assurance required under paragraph (4) of subsection (e)
13     of this Section, and this statement has been attached to
14     the application for renewal;
15         (C) the local professional development committee, if
16     any, has recommended the renewal of the certificate
17     holder's Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
18     recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools;
19         (D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
20     local professional development committee's recommendation
21     of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional professional
22     development review committee and the result of that appeal;
23         (E) the regional superintendent of schools has
24     concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
25     development committee's or regional professional
26     development review committee's recommendation, if any, to

 

 

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1     renew or nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard
2     Teaching Certificate and made a recommendation to that
3     effect; and
4         (F) the established registration fee for the Standard
5     Teaching Certificate has been paid.
6     If the notice required by this subsection (g) includes a
7 recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, then, at the same
8 time the regional superintendent of schools provides the State
9 Teacher Certification Board with the notice, he or she shall
10 also notify the certificate holder in writing, by certified
11 mail, return receipt requested, that this notice has been
12 provided to the State Teacher Certification Board.
13     (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
14 his or her local professional development committee's
15 recommendation of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional
16 professional development review committee, within 14 days of
17 receipt of notice that the recommendation has been sent to the
18 regional superintendent of schools. Each regional
19 superintendent of schools shall establish a regional
20 professional development review committee or committees for
21 the purpose of advising the regional superintendent of schools,
22 upon request, and handling certificate holder appeals. This
23 committee shall consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one
24 non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2
25 administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either (i)
26 a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a

 

 

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1 community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
2 given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
3 in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure representation
4 of an interest not already represented on the committee. The
5 teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
6 employee members of the review committee shall be selected by
7 their exclusive representative, if any, and the administrators
8 and at-large member shall be selected by the regional
9 superintendent of schools. A regional superintendent of
10 schools may add additional members to the committee, provided
11 that the same proportion of teachers to administrators and
12 at-large members on the committee is maintained. Any additional
13 teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
14 employee members shall be selected by their exclusive
15 representative, if any. Vacancies in positions on a regional
16 professional development review committee shall be filled in
17 the same manner as the original selections. Committee members
18 shall serve staggered 3-year terms. All individuals selected to
19 serve on regional professional development review committees
20 must be known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or
21 their respective field of practice.
22     (h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall review
23 the regional superintendent of schools' recommendations to
24 renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching Certificates and notify
25 certificate holders in writing whether their certificates have
26 been renewed or nonrenewed within 90 days of receipt of the

 

 

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1 recommendations, unless a certificate holder has appealed a
2 regional superintendent of schools' recommendation of
3 nonrenewal, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection
4 (h). The State Teacher Certification Board shall verify that
5 the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth
6 in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.
7     (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
8 a regional superintendent of school's recommendation to
9 nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the State
10 Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt of
11 notice that the decision has been sent to the State Teacher
12 Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal hearing within
13 60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such an appeal is taken,
14 the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate shall
15 continue to be valid until the appeal is finally determined.
16 The State Teacher Certification Board shall review the regional
17 superintendent of school's recommendation, the regional
18 professional development review committee's recommendation, if
19 any, and the local professional development committee's
20 recommendation, if any, and all relevant documentation to
21 verify whether the certificate holder has met the renewal
22 criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this
23 Section. The State Teacher Certification Board may request that
24 the certificate holder appear before it. All actions taken by
25 the State Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum
26 and be by a simple majority of those present and voting. A

 

 

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1 record of all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher
2 Certification Board shall notify the certificate holder in
3 writing, within 7 days of completing the review, whether his or
4 her Standard Teaching Certificate has been renewed or
5 nonrenewed, provided that if the State Teacher Certification
6 Board determines to nonrenew a certificate, the written notice
7 provided to the certificate holder shall be by certified mail,
8 return receipt requested. All certificate renewal or
9 nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher Certification Board
10 are final and subject to administrative review, as set forth in
11 Section 21-24 of this Code.
12     (i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet the
13 same requirements and follow the same procedures as holders of
14 Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their renewal
15 cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2
16 of this Code and their renewal requirements shall be subject to
17 paragraph (8) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
18     A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
19 speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
20 Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
21 Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
22 Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal
23 cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
24     (j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
25 Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
26 services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary

 

 

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1 school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
2 with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
3 teaching position, may voluntarily activate their certificates
4 through the regional superintendent of schools of the regional
5 office of education for the geographic area where their
6 teaching is done. These certificate holders shall follow the
7 same renewal criteria and procedures as all other Standard and
8 Master Teaching Certificate holders, except that their
9 continuing professional development activities need not
10 reflect or address the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local
11 school improvement plan.
12     (k) (Blank).
13     (l) (Blank).
14     (m) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act
15 of the 93rd General Assembly that affect renewal of Standard
16 and Master Certificates shall apply to those persons who hold
17 Standard or Master Certificates on or after the effective date
18 of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall
19 be given effect upon renewal of those certificates.
20 (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-793, eff. 1-1-09.)