97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3393

 

Introduced 2/7/2012, by Sen. Heather A. Steans

 

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

    Amends the Certification of Teachers Article of the School Code. Changes provisions concerning the reinstatement of a lapsed certificate by providing that lapsed certificates may be immediately reinstated upon payment by the applicant to the State Board of Education of (1) any and all back fees, including without limitation registration fees, owed from the time of expiration of the certificate until the date of reinstatement; and (2) a $500 penalty or the demonstration of proficiency by completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the content area that most aligns with the educator's endorsement area or areas; provided that, until September 1, 2012, certificates that have lapsed solely for the failure to pay a registration fee may be immediately reinstated upon payment only of any and all back fees, including without limitation registration fees, owed from the time of expiration of the certificate until the date of reinstatement. Provides that any and all back fees and penalty amounts shall be deposited by the State Board of Education into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund. Effective immediately.


LRB097 19817 AMC 65091 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3393LRB097 19817 AMC 65091 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
521-14 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
9after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its expiration or
10within 60 days thereafter by the county superintendent of
11schools having supervision and control over the school where
12the teacher is teaching upon certified evidence of meeting the
13requirements for renewal as required by this Act and prescribed
14by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
15Teacher Certification Board. An elementary supervisory
16certificate shall not be renewed at the end of the first
17four-year period covered by the certificate unless the holder
18thereof has filed certified evidence with the State Teacher
19Certification Board that he has a master's degree or that he
20has earned 8 semester hours of credit in the field of
21educational administration and supervision in a recognized
22institution of higher learning. The holder shall continue to
23earn 8 semester hours of credit each four-year period until

 

 

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1such time as he has earned a master's degree.
2    All certificates not renewed as provided in this Section or
3registered in accordance with this Code shall lapse after a
4period of 6 months from the expiration of the last year of
5registration. Such certificates may be immediately reinstated
6upon payment by the applicant to the State Board of Education
7of (1) any and all back fees, including without limitation
8registration fees, owed from the time of expiration of the
9certificate until the date of reinstatement; and (2) a $500
10penalty or the demonstration of proficiency by completing 9
11semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited
12institution of higher education in the content area that most
13aligns with the educator's endorsement area or areas; provided
14that, until September 1, 2012, certificates that have lapsed
15solely for the failure to pay a registration fee may be
16immediately reinstated upon payment only of any and all back
17fees, including without limitation registration fees, owed
18from the time of expiration of the certificate until the date
19of reinstatement. Any and all back fees and penalty amounts
20shall be deposited by the State Board of Education into the
21Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund. The certificate may be
22reinstated once the applicant has demonstrated proficiency by
23completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally
24accredited institution of higher education in the content area
25that most aligns with the educator's endorsement area or areas.
26Before the certificate may be reinstated, the applicant shall

 

 

SB3393- 3 -LRB097 19817 AMC 65091 b

1pay all back fees owed from the time of expiration of the
2certificate until the date of reinstatement. Any certificate
3may be voluntarily surrendered by the certificate holder. A
4voluntarily surrendered certificate shall be treated as a
5revoked certificate.
6    (b) When those teaching certificates issued before
7February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after February
815, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be exchanged for
9Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in subsection (c) of
10Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard Teaching Certificates,
11including those issued to persons who previously held teaching
12certificates issued before February 15, 2000, shall be
13renewable under the conditions set forth in this subsection
14(b).
15    Initial Teaching Certificates are valid for 4 years of
16teaching, as provided in subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this
17Code, and are renewable every 4 years until the person
18completes 4 years of teaching. If the holder of an Initial
19Certificate has completed 4 years of teaching but has not
20completed the requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of
21subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, then the Initial
22Certificate may be reinstated for one year, during which the
23requirements must be met. A holder of an Initial Certificate
24who has not completed 4 years of teaching may continuously
25register the certificate for additional 4-year periods without
26penalty. Initial Certificates that are not registered shall

 

 

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1lapse consistent with subsection (a) of this Section and may be
2reinstated only in accordance with subsection (a). Standard
3Teaching Certificates are renewable every 5 years as provided
4in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this
5Section. For purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as
6employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or
7State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
8cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
9of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter
10school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
11    (c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
12this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching Certificate
13may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification Board based
14upon proof of continuing professional development, the State
15Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board
16shall jointly:
17        (1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard
18    Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
19    limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and the
20    components set forth in subsections (d) through (k) of this
21    Section;
22        (2) establish the standards for certificate renewal;
23        (3) approve or disapprove the providers of continuing
24    professional development activities;
25        (4) determine the maximum credit for each category of
26    continuing professional development activities, based upon

 

 

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1    recommendations submitted by a continuing professional
2    development activity task force, which shall consist of 6
3    staff members from the State Board of Education, appointed
4    by the State Superintendent of Education, and 6 teacher
5    representatives, 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois
6    Education Association and 3 of whom are selected by the
7    Illinois Federation of Teachers;
8        (5) designate the type and amount of documentation
9    required to show that continuing professional development
10    activities have been completed; and
11        (6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
12    teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents of
13    schools, school districts, and others with an interest in
14    continuing professional development, information about the
15    standards and requirements established pursuant to this
16    subsection (c).
17    (d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an individual
18employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
19State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
20cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
21of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
22school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law must be
23maintained Valid and Active through certificate renewal
24activities specified in the certificate renewal procedure
25established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section,
26provided that a holder of a Valid and Active certificate who is

 

 

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

 

 

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1described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3) of this
2subsection (e); (iii) (blank); (iv) completing the National
3Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as described
4in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); or
5(v) earning 120 continuing professional development units
6("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of
7this subsection (e). The maximum continuing professional
8development units for each continuing professional development
9activity identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
10paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall be jointly
11determined by the State Board of Education and the State
12Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the certificate
13holder has maintained the certificate as Valid and Exempt for a
14portion of the 5-year period of validity, the number of
15continuing professional development units needed to renew the
16certificate as Valid and Active shall be proportionately
17reduced by the amount of time the certificate was Valid and
18Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is employed and
19performs teaching services on a part-time basis for all or a
20portion of the certificate's 5-year period of validity, the
21number of continuing professional development units needed to
22renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be reduced by
2350% for the amount of time the certificate holder has been
24employed and performed teaching services on a part-time basis.
25Part-time shall be defined as less than 50% of the school day
26or school term.

 

 

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1    Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary, if
2a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as Valid
3and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity and
4the certificate holder has completed his or her certificate
5renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate shall be
6renewed as Valid and Active.
7    (2) Beginning July 1, 2004, in order to satisfy the
8requirements for continuing professional development provided
9for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, each Valid
10and Active Standard Teaching Certificate holder shall complete
11professional development activities that address the
12certificate or those certificates that are required of his or
13her certificated teaching position, if the certificate holder
14is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
15State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
16cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
17of control, or that certificate or those certificates most
18closely related to his or her teaching position, if the
19certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except as
20otherwise provided in this subsection (e), the certificate
21holder's activities must address purposes (A), (B), (C), or (D)
22and must reflect purpose (E) of the following continuing
23professional development purposes:
24        (A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
25    and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
26    Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content

 

 

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1    Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
2    certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
3    order to keep the certificate holder current in those
4    areas.
5        (B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
6    skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois
7    teachers, as defined by the State Board of Education, known
8    as "State priorities".
9        (C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
10    certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if the
11    teacher is employed in an Illinois public or State-operated
12    elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or
13    joint agreement with a governing body or board of control.
14        (D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
15    skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
16    acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
17    or relevant education degree.
18        (E) Address the needs of serving students with
19    disabilities, including adapting and modifying the general
20    curriculum related to the Illinois Learning Standards to
21    meet the needs of students with disabilities and serving
22    such students in the least restrictive environment.
23    Teachers who hold certificates endorsed for special
24    education must devote at least 50% of their continuing
25    professional development activities to this purpose.
26    Teachers holding other certificates must devote at least

 

 

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1    20% of their activities to this purpose.
2    A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
3licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
4Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing education
5requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated under that
6Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing
7professional development requirements established by the State
8Board of Education and the Teacher Certification Board to renew
9a Standard Certificate.
10    (3) Continuing professional development activities may
11include, but are not limited to, the following activities:
12        (A) completion of an advanced degree from an approved
13    institution in an education-related field;
14        (B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
15    approved education-related program, of which at least 2
16    semester hours relate to the continuing professional
17    development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph
18    (2) of this subsection (e), completion of which means no
19    other continuing professional development activities are
20    required;
21        (C) (blank);
22        (D) completion of the National Board for Professional
23    Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process for certification or
24    recertification, completion of which means no other
25    continuing professional development activities are
26    required;

 

 

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1        (E) completion of 120 continuing professional
2    development units that satisfy the continuing professional
3    development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this
4    subsection (e) and may include without limitation the
5    activities identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
6    this paragraph (3);
7        (F) collaboration and partnership activities related
8    to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
9    teacher, including the following:
10            (i) participating on collaborative planning and
11        professional improvement teams and committees;
12            (ii) peer review and coaching;
13            (iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
14        including service as a consulting teacher
15        participating in a remediation process formulated
16        under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
17            (iv) participating in site-based management or
18        decision making teams, relevant committees, boards, or
19        task forces directly related to school improvement
20        plans;
21            (v) coordinating community resources in schools,
22        if the project is a specific goal of the school
23        improvement plan;
24            (vi) facilitating parent education programs for a
25        school, school district, or regional office of
26        education directly related to student achievement or

 

 

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1        school improvement plans;
2            (vii) participating in business, school, or
3        community partnerships directly related to student
4        achievement or school improvement plans; or
5            (viii) supervising a student teacher or teacher
6        education candidate in clinical supervision, provided
7        that the supervision may only be counted once during
8        the course of 5 years;
9        (G) college or university coursework related to
10    improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
11    as follows:
12            (i) completing undergraduate or graduate credit
13        earned from a regionally accredited institution in
14        coursework relevant to the certificate area being
15        renewed, including coursework that incorporates
16        induction activities and development of a portfolio of
17        both student and teacher work that provides experience
18        in reflective practices, provided the coursework meets
19        Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois
20        Content Area Standards and supports the essential
21        characteristics of quality professional development;
22        or
23            (ii) teaching college or university courses in
24        areas relevant to the certificate area being renewed,
25        provided that the teaching may only be counted once
26        during the course of 5 years;

 

 

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1        (H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and
2    symposiums related to improving the teacher's knowledge
3    and skills as a teacher, subject to disapproval of the
4    activity or event by the State Teacher Certification Board
5    acting jointly with the State Board of Education, including
6    the following:
7            (i) completing non-university credit directly
8        related to student achievement, school improvement
9        plans, or State priorities;
10            (ii) participating in or presenting at workshops,
11        seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums;
12            (iii) training as external reviewers for Quality
13        Assurance;
14            (iv) training as reviewers of university teacher
15        preparation programs; or
16            (v) participating in or presenting at in-service
17        training programs on suicide prevention.
18    A teacher, however, may not receive credit for conferences,
19    workshops, institutes, seminars, or symposiums that are
20    designed for entertainment, promotional, or commercial
21    purposes or that are solely inspirational or motivational.
22    The State Superintendent of Education and regional
23    superintendents of schools are authorized to review the
24    activities and events provided or to be provided under this
25    subdivision (H) and to investigate complaints regarding
26    those activities and events, and either the State

 

 

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1    Superintendent of Education or a regional superintendent
2    of schools may recommend that the State Teacher
3    Certification Board and the State Board of Education
4    jointly disapprove those activities and events considered
5    to be inconsistent with this subdivision (H);
6        (I) other educational experiences related to improving
7    the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including
8    the following:
9            (i) participating in action research and inquiry
10        projects;
11            (ii) observing programs or teaching in schools,
12        related businesses, or industry that is systematic,
13        purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal;
14            (iii) traveling related to one's teaching
15        assignment, directly related to student achievement or
16        school improvement plans and approved by the regional
17        superintendent of schools or his or her designee at
18        least 30 days prior to the travel experience, provided
19        that the traveling shall not include time spent
20        commuting to destinations where the learning
21        experience will occur;
22            (iv) participating in study groups related to
23        student achievement or school improvement plans;
24            (v) serving on a statewide education-related
25        committee, including but not limited to the State
26        Teacher Certification Board, State Board of Education

 

 

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1        strategic agenda teams, or the State Advisory Council
2        on Education of Children with Disabilities;
3            (vi) participating in work/learn programs or
4        internships; or
5            (vii) developing a portfolio of student and
6        teacher work;
7        (J) professional leadership experiences related to
8    improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
9    including the following:
10            (i) participating in curriculum development or
11        assessment activities at the school, school district,
12        regional office of education, State, or national
13        level;
14            (ii) participating in team or department
15        leadership in a school or school district;
16            (iii) participating on external or internal school
17        or school district review teams;
18            (iv) publishing educational articles, columns, or
19        books relevant to the certificate area being renewed;
20        or
21            (v) participating in non-strike related
22        professional association or labor organization service
23        or activities related to professional development;
24        (K) receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or
25    endorsement pursuant to this Article;
26        (L) completion of requirements for meeting the

 

 

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1    Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for
2    purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public
3    Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area;
4        (M) successful completion of 4 semester hours of
5    graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own
6    performance in relation to the Illinois Teaching
7    Standards, as described in clause (B) of paragraph (2) of
8    subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code; or
9        (N) successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester
10    hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation
11    to meet the requirements for certification by the National
12    Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as described in
13    clause (C) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section
14    21-2 of this Code.
15    (4) A person must complete the requirements of this
16subsection (e) before the expiration of his or her Standard
17Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance to the regional
18superintendent of schools or, if applicable, a local
19professional development committee authorized by the regional
20superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this
21purpose. The statement of assurance shall contain a list of the
22activities completed, the provider offering each activity, the
23number of credits earned for each activity, and the purposes to
24which each activity is attributed. The certificate holder shall
25maintain the evidence of completion of each activity for at
26least one certificate renewal cycle. The certificate holder

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1    completed professional development and continuing
2    education activities set forth in paragraph (3) of
3    subsection (e) of this Section;
4        (B) the certificate holder has submitted the statement
5    of assurance required under paragraph (4) of subsection (e)
6    of this Section, and this statement has been attached to
7    the application for renewal;
8        (C) the local professional development committee, if
9    any, has recommended the renewal of the certificate
10    holder's Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
11    recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools;
12        (D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
13    local professional development committee's recommendation
14    of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional professional
15    development review committee and the result of that appeal;
16        (E) the regional superintendent of schools has
17    concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
18    development committee's or regional professional
19    development review committee's recommendation, if any, to
20    renew or nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard
21    Teaching Certificate and made a recommendation to that
22    effect; and
23        (F) the established registration fee for the Standard
24    Teaching Certificate has been paid.
25    If the notice required by this subsection (g) includes a
26recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, then, at the same

 

 

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1time the regional superintendent of schools provides the State
2Teacher Certification Board with the notice, he or she shall
3also notify the certificate holder in writing, by certified
4mail, return receipt requested, that this notice has been
5provided to the State Teacher Certification Board.
6    (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
7his or her local professional development committee's
8recommendation of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional
9professional development review committee, within 14 days of
10receipt of notice that the recommendation has been sent to the
11regional superintendent of schools. Each regional
12superintendent of schools shall establish a regional
13professional development review committee or committees for
14the purpose of advising the regional superintendent of schools,
15upon request, and handling certificate holder appeals. This
16committee shall consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one
17non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2
18administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either (i)
19a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a
20community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
21given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
22in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure representation
23of an interest not already represented on the committee. The
24teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
25employee members of the review committee shall be selected by
26their exclusive representative, if any, and the administrators

 

 

SB3393- 21 -LRB097 19817 AMC 65091 b

1and at-large member shall be selected by the regional
2superintendent of schools. A regional superintendent of
3schools may add additional members to the committee, provided
4that the same proportion of teachers to administrators and
5at-large members on the committee is maintained. Any additional
6teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
7employee members shall be selected by their exclusive
8representative, if any. Vacancies in positions on a regional
9professional development review committee shall be filled in
10the same manner as the original selections. Committee members
11shall serve staggered 3-year terms. All individuals selected to
12serve on regional professional development review committees
13must be known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or
14their respective field of practice.
15    (h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall review
16the regional superintendent of schools' recommendations to
17renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching Certificates and notify
18certificate holders in writing whether their certificates have
19been renewed or nonrenewed within 90 days of receipt of the
20recommendations, unless a certificate holder has appealed a
21regional superintendent of schools' recommendation of
22nonrenewal, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection
23(h). The State Teacher Certification Board shall verify that
24the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth
25in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.
26    (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal

 

 

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

 

 

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1return receipt requested. All certificate renewal or
2nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher Certification Board
3are final and subject to administrative review.
4    (i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet the
5same requirements and follow the same procedures as holders of
6Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their renewal
7cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2
8of this Code and their renewal requirements shall be subject to
9paragraph (8) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
10    A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
11speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
12Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
13Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
14Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal
15cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
16    (j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
17Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
18services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary
19school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
20with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
21teaching position, may voluntarily activate their certificates
22through the regional superintendent of schools of the regional
23office of education for the geographic area where their
24teaching is done. These certificate holders shall follow the
25same renewal criteria and procedures as all other Standard and
26Master Teaching Certificate holders, except that their

 

 

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1continuing professional development activities need not
2reflect or address the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local
3school improvement plan.
4    (k) (Blank).
5    (l) (Blank).
6    (m) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act
7of the 93rd General Assembly that affect renewal of Standard
8and Master Certificates shall apply to those persons who hold
9Standard or Master Certificates on or after the effective date
10of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall
11be given effect upon renewal of those certificates.
12(Source: P.A. 96-951, eff. 6-28-10; 97-607, eff. 8-26-11.)
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
14becoming law.