103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1291

 

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Rep. Katie Stuart

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-70

    Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that the annual incentive shall be $2,250 (instead of $1,500) and that 45 hours of mentoring shall be required (instead of 30). Provides that funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center. Effective immediately.


LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1291LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 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-70 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-70)
7    Sec. 21B-70. Illinois Teaching Excellence Program.
8    (a) As used in this Section:
9    "Diverse candidate" means a candidate who identifies with
10any of the ethnicities reported on the Illinois Report Card
11other than White.
12    "National Board certified teacher candidate cohort
13facilitator" means a National Board certified teacher who
14collaborates to advance the goal of supporting all other
15candidate cohorts other than diverse candidate cohorts through
16the Illinois National Board for Professional Teaching
17Standards Comprehensive Support System.
18    "National Board certified teacher diverse candidate cohort
19facilitator" means a National Board certified teacher who
20collaborates to advance the goal of supporting racially and
21ethnically diverse candidates through the Illinois National
22Board for Professional Teaching Standards Comprehensive
23Support System.

 

 

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1    "National Board certified teacher diverse liaison" means
2an individual or entity that supports the National Board
3certified teacher leading a diverse candidate cohort.
4    "National Board certified teacher liaison" means an
5individual or entity that supports the National Board
6certified teacher leading candidate cohorts other than diverse
7candidate cohorts.
8    "National Board certified teacher rural or remote or
9distant candidate cohort facilitator" means a National Board
10certified teacher who collaborates to advance the goal of
11supporting rural or remote candidates through the Illinois
12National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
13Comprehensive Support System.
14    "National Board certified teacher rural or remote or
15distant liaison" means an individual or entity that supports
16the National Board certified teacher leading a rural or remote
17candidate cohort.
18    "Qualified educator" means a teacher or school counselor
19currently employed in a school district who is in the process
20of obtaining certification through the National Board for
21Professional Teaching Standards or who has completed
22certification and holds a current Professional Educator
23License with a National Board for Professional Teaching
24Standards designation or a retired teacher or school counselor
25who holds a Professional Educator License with a National
26Board for Professional Teaching Standards designation.

 

 

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1    "Rural or remote" or "rural or remote or distant" means
2local codes 32, 33, 41, 42, and 43 of the New Urban-Centric
3Locale Codes, as defined by the National Center for Education
4Statistics.
5    "Tier 1" has the meaning given to that term under Section
618-8.15.
7    "Tier 2" has the meaning given to that term under Section
818-8.15.
9    (b) Any funds appropriated for the Illinois Teaching
10Excellence Program must be used to provide monetary assistance
11and incentives for qualified educators who are employed by or
12retired from school districts and who have or are in the
13process of obtaining licensure through the National Board for
14Professional Teaching Standards. The goal of the program is to
15improve instruction and student performance.
16    The State Board of Education shall allocate an amount as
17annually appropriated by the General Assembly for the Illinois
18Teaching Excellence Program for (i) application or re-take
19fees for each qualified educator seeking to complete
20certification through the National Board for Professional
21Teaching Standards, to be paid directly to the National Board
22for Professional Teaching Standards, and (ii) incentives under
23paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c) for each
24qualified educator, to be distributed to the respective school
25district, and incentives under paragraph (5) of subsection
26(c), to be distributed to the respective school district or

 

 

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1directly to the qualified educator. The school district shall
2distribute this payment to each eligible teacher or school
3counselor as a single payment.
4    The State Board of Education's annual budget must set out
5by separate line item the appropriation for the program.
6Unless otherwise provided by appropriation, qualified
7educators are eligible for monetary assistance and incentives
8outlined in subsections (c) and (d) of this Section.
9    (c) When there are adequate funds available, monetary
10assistance and incentives shall include the following:
11        (1) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or
12    re-take fee for teachers or school counselors in a Tier 1
13    school district who apply on a first-come, first-serve
14    basis for National Board certification.
15        (2) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or
16    re-take fee for teachers or school counselors in a school
17    district other than a Tier 1 school district who apply on a
18    first-come, first-serve basis for National Board
19    certification.
20        (3) A maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for
21    Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee.
22        (4) (Blank).
23        (5) An annual incentive of no more than $2,250 $1,500
24    prorated at $50 per hour, which shall be paid to each
25    qualified educator currently employed in a school district
26    who holds both a National Board for Professional Teaching

 

 

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1    Standards designation and a current corresponding
2    certificate issued by the National Board for Professional
3    Teaching Standards and who agrees, in writing, to provide
4    up to 45 30 hours of mentoring or National Board for
5    Professional Teaching Standards professional development
6    or both during the school year to classroom teachers or
7    school counselors, as applicable. Funds must be disbursed
8    on a first-come, first-serve basis, with priority given to
9    Tier 1 school districts. Mentoring shall include, either
10    singly or in combination, the following:
11            (A) National Board for Professional Teaching
12        Standards certification candidates.
13            (B) National Board for Professional Teaching
14        Standards re-take candidates.
15            (C) National Board for Professional Teaching
16        Standards renewal candidates.
17            (D) (Blank).
18    Funds may also be used for professional development
19training provided by the National Board for Professional
20Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center.
21    Funds may also be used for instructional leadership
22training for qualified educators interested in supporting
23implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards or teaching
24and learning priorities of the State Board of Education or
25both.
26    (d) In addition to the monetary assistance and incentives

 

 

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1provided under subsection (c), if adequate funds are
2available, incentives shall include the following incentives
3for the program in rural or remote schools or school districts
4or for programs working with diverse candidates, to be
5distributed to the respective school district or directly to
6the qualified educator or entity:
7        (1) A one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National
8    Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 or Tier 2
9    rural or remote school districts or rural or remote
10    schools in Tier 1 or Tier 2 school districts, with
11    priority given to teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or
12    remote school districts or rural or remote schools in Tier
13    1 school districts.
14        (2) An annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board
15    certified teacher rural or remote or distant candidate
16    cohort facilitators, diverse candidate cohort
17    facilitators, and candidate cohort facilitators. Priority
18    shall be given to rural or remote candidate cohort
19    facilitators and diverse candidate cohort facilitators.
20        (3) An annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board
21    certified teacher rural or remote or distant liaisons,
22    diverse liaisons, and liaisons. Priority shall be given to
23    rural or remote liaisons and diverse liaisons.
24(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 101-333, eff. 1-1-20;
25101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.