100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5754

 

Introduced , by Rep. Natalie Phelps Finnie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-25

    Amends the School Code. Provides that a principal endorsement shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of any holder who, in addition to other requirements in the Code, has at least 4 total years of teaching or 4 total years of working in the capacity of school support personnel in a school under the supervision of the Illinois Department of Corrections (or in combination with other permitted schools).


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A BILL FOR

 

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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-25 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-25)
7    Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued
8under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be
9specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each
10content area, school support area, and administrative area for
11which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized
12institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs
13shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to
14applicants who meet all of the requirements for the endorsement
15or endorsements, including passing any required tests. The
16State Superintendent of Education shall randomly audit
17institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are being
18followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being
19recommended.
20        (1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with
21    the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall
22    establish, by rule, the grade level and subject area
23    endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator

 

 

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1    License. These rules shall outline the requirements for
2    obtaining each endorsement.
3        (2) In addition to any and all grade level and content
4    area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of
5    Education, in consultation with the State Educator
6    Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the
7    requirements for the following endorsements:
8            (A) General administrative endorsement. A general
9        administrative endorsement shall be added to a
10        Professional Educator License, provided that an
11        approved program has been completed. An individual
12        holding a general administrative endorsement may work
13        only as a principal or assistant principal or in a
14        related or similar position, as determined by the State
15        Superintendent of Education, in consultation with the
16        State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
17            Beginning on September 1, 2014, the general
18        administrative endorsement shall no longer be issued
19        except to individuals who completed all coursework
20        requirements for the receipt of the general
21        administrative endorsement by September 1, 2014, who
22        have completed all testing requirements by June 30,
23        2016, and who apply for the endorsement on or before
24        June 30, 2016. Individuals who hold a valid and
25        registered administrative certificate with a general
26        administrative endorsement issued under Section 21-7.1

 

 

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1        of this Code or a Professional Educator License with a
2        general administrative endorsement issued prior to
3        September 1, 2014 and who have served for at least one
4        full year during the 5 years prior in a position
5        requiring a general administrative endorsement shall,
6        upon request to the State Board of Education and
7        through July 1, 2015, have their respective general
8        administrative endorsement converted to a principal
9        endorsement on the Professional Educator License.
10        Candidates shall not be admitted to an approved general
11        administrative preparation program after September 1,
12        2012.
13            All other individuals holding a valid and
14        registered administrative certificate with a general
15        administrative endorsement issued pursuant to Section
16        21-7.1 of this Code or a general administrative
17        endorsement on a Professional Educator License issued
18        prior to September 1, 2014 shall have the general
19        administrative endorsement converted to a principal
20        endorsement on a Professional Educator License upon
21        request to the State Board of Education and by
22        completing one of the following pathways:
23                (i) Passage of the State principal assessment
24            developed by the State Board of Education.
25                (ii) Through July 1, 2019, completion of an
26            Illinois Educators' Academy course designated by

 

 

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1            the State Superintendent of Education.
2                (iii) Completion of a principal preparation
3            program established and approved pursuant to
4            Section 21B-60 of this Code and applicable rules.
5            Individuals who do not choose to convert the
6        general administrative endorsement on the
7        administrative certificate issued pursuant to Section
8        21-7.1 of this Code or on the Professional Educator
9        License shall continue to be able to serve in any
10        position previously allowed under paragraph (2) of
11        subsection (e) of Section 21-7.1 of this Code.
12            The general administrative endorsement on the
13        Professional Educator License is available only to
14        individuals who, prior to September 1, 2014, had such
15        an endorsement on the administrative certificate
16        issued pursuant to Section 21-7.1 of this Code or who
17        already have a Professional Educator License and have
18        completed a general administrative program and who do
19        not choose to convert the general administrative
20        endorsement to a principal endorsement pursuant to the
21        options in this Section.
22            (B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement
23        shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of
24        any holder who qualifies by having all of the
25        following:
26                (i) Successful completion of a principal

 

 

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1            preparation program approved in accordance with
2            Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable
3            rules.
4                (ii) At least 4 total years of teaching or 4
5            total years of working in the capacity of school
6            support personnel in an Illinois public school or
7            nonpublic school recognized by the State Board of
8            Education, in a school under the supervision of the
9            Department of Corrections, or in an out-of-state
10            public school or out-of-state nonpublic school
11            meeting out-of-state recognition standards
12            comparable to those approved by the State
13            Superintendent of Education; however, the State
14            Board of Education, in consultation with the State
15            Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall
16            allow, by rules, for fewer than 4 years of
17            experience based on meeting standards set forth in
18            such rules, including without limitation a review
19            of performance evaluations or other evidence of
20            demonstrated qualifications.
21                (iii) A master's degree or higher from a
22            regionally accredited college or university.
23            (C) Chief school business official endorsement. A
24        chief school business official endorsement shall be
25        affixed to the Professional Educator License of any
26        holder who qualifies by having a master's degree or

 

 

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1        higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience
2        in school business management or 2 years of
3        university-approved practical experience, and a
4        minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a
5        program approved by the State Board of Education for
6        the preparation of school business administrators and
7        by passage of the applicable State tests. The chief
8        school business official endorsement may also be
9        affixed to the Professional Educator License of any
10        holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in
11        business administration, finance, accounting, or
12        public administration and who completes an additional
13        6 semester hours of internship in school business
14        management from a regionally accredited institution of
15        higher education and passes the applicable State
16        tests. This endorsement shall be required for any
17        individual employed as a chief school business
18        official.
19            (D) Superintendent endorsement. A superintendent
20        endorsement shall be affixed to the Professional
21        Educator License of any holder who has completed a
22        program approved by the State Board of Education for
23        the preparation of superintendents of schools, has had
24        at least 2 years of experience employed full-time in a
25        general administrative position or as a full-time
26        principal, director of special education, or chief

 

 

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1        school business official in the public schools or in a
2        State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief
3        administrator is required to have the licensure
4        necessary to be a principal in a public school in this
5        State and where a majority of the teachers are required
6        to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a
7        public school in this State, and has passed the
8        required State tests; or of any holder who has
9        completed a program that is not an Illinois-approved
10        educator preparation program at an Illinois
11        institution of higher education and that has
12        recognition standards comparable to those approved by
13        the State Superintendent of Education and holds the
14        general administrative, principal, or chief school
15        business official endorsement and who has had 2 years
16        of experience as a principal, director of special
17        education, or chief school business official while
18        holding a valid educator license or certificate
19        comparable in validity and educational and experience
20        requirements and has passed the appropriate State
21        tests, as provided in Section 21B-30 of this Code. The
22        superintendent endorsement shall allow individuals to
23        serve only as a superintendent or assistant
24        superintendent.
25            (E) Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the
26        policy of this State to improve the quality of

 

 

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1        instructional leaders by providing a career pathway
2        for teachers interested in serving in leadership
3        roles, but not as principals. The State Board of
4        Education, in consultation with the State Educator
5        Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher
6        leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons
7        who meet and successfully complete the requirements of
8        the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader
9        endorsement on the Professional Educator License for
10        serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may
11        qualify to serve in such positions as department
12        chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction
13        leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by
14        the district. The endorsement shall be available to
15        those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator
16        License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a
17        regionally accredited institution, (iii) have
18        completed a program of study that has been approved by
19        the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
20        State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and
21        (iv) have successfully demonstrated competencies as
22        defined by rule.
23            A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in
24        this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement may
25        evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of this
26        Code, provided that the individual has completed the

 

 

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1        evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of this
2        Code and a teacher leader is allowed to evaluate
3        personnel under the respective school district's
4        collective bargaining agreement.
5            The State Board of Education, in consultation with
6        the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
7        may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish
8        and implement the teacher leader endorsement program
9        and to specify the positions for which this endorsement
10        shall be required.
11            (F) Special education endorsement. A special
12        education endorsement in one or more areas shall be
13        affixed to a Professional Educator License for any
14        individual that meets those requirements established
15        by the State Board of Education in rules. Special
16        education endorsement areas shall include without
17        limitation the following:
18                (i) Learning Behavior Specialist I;
19                (ii) Learning Behavior Specialist II;
20                (iii) Speech Language Pathologist;
21                (iv) Blind or Visually Impaired;
22                (v) Deaf-Hard of Hearing;
23                (vi) Early Childhood Special Education; and
24                (vii) Director of Special Education.
25        Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary,
26        the State Board of Education, in consultation with the

 

 

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1        State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may
2        add additional areas of special education by rule.
3            (G) School support personnel endorsement. School
4        support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but
5        are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and
6        family therapist, school psychologist, school speech
7        and language pathologist, school nurse, and school
8        social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who
9        are not teachers or administrators, but still require
10        licensure to work in an instructional support position
11        in a public or State-operated elementary school,
12        secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
13        with a governing body or board of control or a charter
14        school operating in compliance with the Charter
15        Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement
16        shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License
17        and shall meet all of the requirements established in
18        any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G).
19        The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of
20        the rights and privileges granted holders of any other
21        Professional Educator License, including teacher
22        benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
23            Beginning on January 1, 2014 and ending on April
24        30, 2014, a person holding a Professional Educator
25        License with a school speech and language pathologist
26        (teaching) endorsement may exchange his or her school

 

 

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1        speech and language pathologist (teaching) endorsement
2        for a school speech and language pathologist
3        (non-teaching) endorsement through application to the
4        State Board of Education. There shall be no cost for
5        this exchange.
6(Source: P.A. 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-623, eff. 7-22-16;
799-920, eff. 1-6-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-267, eff.
88-22-17; 100-288, eff. 8-24-17; revised 9-25-17.)