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91_HJ0061
LRB9113696NTksA
1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Improving educational results for children with
3 disabilities is an essential element of ensuring equality of
4 opportunity, full participation, independent living, and
5 economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, It is the policy of this State to ensure that
8 all children with disabilities have available to them a free,
9 appropriate public education, in the least restrictive
10 environment, that emphasizes special education and related
11 services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them
12 for employment and independent living; and
13 WHEREAS, A highly skilled and qualified special education
14 teacher workforce is critical to ensuring that children with
15 disabilities will have the skills and knowledge necessary to
16 meet their developmental goals, to meet, to the maximum
17 extend possible, those challenging expectations that have
18 been set for all children, and to be prepared to lead
19 productive, independent adult lives; and
20 WHEREAS, More than 2 years ago, the State Board of
21 Education began working with a wide variety of stakeholders
22 to identify standards that Illinois teachers need to know and
23 be able to do to earn initial certification; and
24 WHEREAS, That process was accelerated with respect to
25 special education teachers as a result of the Corey H.
26 lawsuit and settlement agreement; and
27 WHEREAS, The State Board of Education has proposed a new
28 special education certification structure that recognizes a
29 common core of instructional skills that special education
30 teachers need in working with their students; and
31 WHEREAS, The General Assembly is concerned that children
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1 with disabilities be provided with the most effective and
2 appropriately trained special education teachers; therefore,
3 be it
4 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
6 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the State Board of Education
7 is directed to refrain from implementing any new system for
8 the certification of special education teachers until January
9 1, 2001 and to consult with the legislative leadership and
10 appropriate committees before implementation; and be it
11 further
12 RESOLVED, That such consultation shall include but not be
13 limited to (i) the provision of a written rationale for any
14 decision, including alternatives considered, by the State
15 Board of Education to implement a new system for the
16 certification of special education teachers and (ii)
17 participation by the State Board of Education in a hearing or
18 hearings before the appropriate legislative committee or
19 committees; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That such committees of the House and Senate as
21 may be directed by the Speaker of the House and President of
22 the Senate, respectively, hold hearings and study the issue
23 of the certification of special education teachers and report
24 their findings and recommendations back to their respective
25 chambers by no later than December 15, 2000; and be it
26 further
27 RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education is directed
28 to provide such information as may be requested by the study
29 committees to assist them in carrying out their work; and be
30 it further
31 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent
32 to the State Board of Education, the State Superintendent of
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1 Education, and the State Teacher Certification Board.