102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB2074
 
Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Cristina Castro
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
105 ILCS 5/21B-20

     Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that an applicant who (i) has earned a master's degree in social work from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and (ii) holds a valid license issued pursuant to the Clinical Social Work and Social Work Practice Act may obtain a social worker endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations, as defined and specified by rule. Provides that an applicant who satisfies these requirements is not required to complete an Illinois-approved educator preparation program but may be required to fulfill other criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education. Effective immediately. 
  


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
SB2074LRB102 15020 CMG 20375 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-20 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
7    Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of 
8Education shall implement a system of educator licensure, 
9whereby individuals employed in school districts who are 
10required to be licensed must have one of the following 
11licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an 
12educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute 
13teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term 
14substitute teaching license. References in law regarding 
15individuals certified or certificated or required to be 
16certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall 
17also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed 
18under this Article.  The first year of all licenses ends on June 
1930 following one full year of the license being issued.
20    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
21State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such 
22rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for 
23licenses and endorsements under this Section. 
 
 
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1        (1) Professional Educator License.  Persons who (i) 
2    have successfully completed an approved educator 
3    preparation program and are recommended for licensure by 
4    the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation 
5    program, (ii) have successfully completed the required 
6    testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have 
7    successfully completed coursework on the psychology of, 
8    the identification of, and the methods of instruction for 
9    the exceptional child, including without limitation 
10    children with learning disabilities, (iv) have 
11    successfully completed coursework in methods of reading 
12    and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other 
13    criteria established by rule of the State Board of 
14    Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License. 
15    All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30 
16    immediately following 5 years of the license being issued. 
17    The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with 
18    specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is 
19    eligible to practice. For an early childhood education 
20    endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student 
21    teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher 
22    preparation program through placement in a setting with 
23    children from birth through grade 2, and the individual 
24    may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The 
25    student teaching experience must meet the requirements of 
26    and be approved by the individual's early childhood 
 
 
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1    teacher preparation program.
2        Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the 
3    Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements 
4    shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework 
5    in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable 
6    content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.
7        (2) Educator License with Stipulations.  An Educator 
8    License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement 
9    that limits the license holder to one particular position 
10    or does not require completion of an approved educator 
11    program or both.
12        An individual with an Educator License with 
13    Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or 
14    any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher 
15    who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.
16        An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued 
17    with the following endorsements:
18            (A) (Blank). 
19            (B)  Alternative provisional educator.  An 
20        alternative provisional educator endorsement on an 
21        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an 
22        applicant who, at the time of applying for the 
23        endorsement, has done all of the following:
24                (i)  Graduated from a regionally accredited 
25            college or university with a minimum of a 
26            bachelor's degree.
 
 
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1                (ii) Successfully completed the first phase of 
2            the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for 
3            Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this 
4            Code.
5                (iii) Passed a content area test, as required 
6            under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
7        The alternative provisional educator endorsement is 
8    valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a 
9    third year by an individual meeting the requirements set 
10    forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code. 
11            (C)  Alternative provisional superintendent.  An 
12        alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on 
13        an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the 
14        holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant 
15        superintendent in a school district's central office. 
16        This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant 
17        who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has 
18        done all of the following:
19                (i)  Graduated from a regionally accredited 
20            college or university with a minimum of a master's 
21            degree in a management field other than education.
22                (ii)  Been employed for a period of at least 5 
23            years in a management level position in a field 
24            other than education.
25                (iii)  Successfully completed the first phase 
26            of an alternative route to superintendent 
 
 
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1            endorsement  program, as provided in Section 21B-55 
2            of this Code.
3                (iv)  Passed a content area test required under 
4            Section 21B-30 of this Code.
5            The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in 
6        order to complete one full year of serving as a 
7        superintendent or assistant superintendent.
8            (D) (Blank).
9            (E)  Career and technical educator.  A career and 
10        technical educator endorsement on an Educator License 
11        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who 
12        has a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a 
13        regionally accredited institution of higher education 
14        or an accredited trade and technical institution and 
15        has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of 
16        education in each area to be taught.
17            The career and technical educator endorsement on 
18        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until 
19        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the 
20        endorsement being issued and may be renewed.
21            An individual who holds a valid career and 
22        technical educator endorsement on an Educator License 
23        with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's 
24        degree may substitute teach in career and technical 
25        education classrooms. 
26            (F) Part-time provisional career and technical 
 
 
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1        educator or provisional career and technical educator.  
2        A part-time provisional career and technical educator 
3        endorsement or a provisional career and technical 
4        educator endorsement on an Educator License with 
5        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a 
6        minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill 
7        for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement.  It 
8        is the responsibility of each employing school board 
9        and regional office of education to provide 
10        verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent 
11        of Education at the time the application is submitted 
12        that no qualified teacher holding a Professional 
13        Educator License or an Educator License with 
14        Stipulations with a  career and technical educator 
15        endorsement is available and that actual circumstances 
16        require such issuance.
17            The provisional career and technical educator 
18        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations 
19        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years 
20        of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 
21        5 years.
22            A part-time provisional career and technical 
23        educator endorsement on an Educator License with 
24        Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2 
25        courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The 
26        part-time provisional career and technical educator 
 
 
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1        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations 
2        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years 
3        of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 
4        5 years if the individual makes application for 
5        renewal. 
6            An individual who holds a provisional or part-time 
7        provisional career and technical educator endorsement 
8        on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not 
9        hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in 
10        career and technical education classrooms. 
11            (G) Transitional bilingual educator.  A 
12        transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an 
13        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for 
14        the purpose of providing instruction in accordance 
15        with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who 
16        provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets 
17        all of the following requirements:
18                (i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and 
19            writing ability in the language other than English 
20            in which transitional bilingual education is 
21            offered.
22                (ii) Has the ability to successfully 
23            communicate in English.
24                (iii) Either possessed, within 5 years 
25            previous to his or her applying for a transitional 
26            bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and 
 
 
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1            comparable teaching certificate or comparable 
2            authorization issued by a foreign country or holds 
3            a degree from an institution of higher learning in 
4            a foreign country that the State Educator 
5            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be 
6            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a 
7            regionally accredited institution of higher 
8            learning in the United States.
9            A transitional bilingual educator endorsement 
10        shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, 
11        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years 
12        of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be 
13        renewed.
14            Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator 
15        endorsement shall not be employed to replace any 
16        presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be 
17        replaced for any reason. 
18            (H) Language endorsement.  In an effort to 
19        alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language 
20        other than English in the public schools, an 
21        individual who holds an Educator License with 
22        Stipulations may also apply for a language 
23        endorsement, provided that the applicant provides 
24        satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the 
25        following requirements:
26                (i) Holds a transitional bilingual 
 
 
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1            endorsement. 
2                (ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the 
3            language for which the endorsement is to be issued 
4            by passing the applicable language content test 
5            required by the State Board of Education.
6                (iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from 
7            a regionally accredited institution of higher 
8            education or, for individuals educated in a 
9            country other than the United States, holds a 
10            degree from an institution of higher learning in a 
11            foreign country that the State Educator 
12            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be 
13            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a 
14            regionally accredited institution of higher 
15            learning in the United States.
16                (iv) (Blank).
17            A language endorsement on an Educator License with 
18        Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through 
19        grade 12 for the same validity period as the 
20        individual's transitional bilingual educator 
21        endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations 
22        and shall not be renewed.
23            (I)  Visiting international educator.  A visiting 
24        international educator endorsement on an Educator 
25        License with Stipulations may be issued to an 
26        individual who is being recruited by a particular 
 
 
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1        school district that conducts formal recruitment 
2        programs outside of the United States to secure the 
3        services of qualified teachers and who meets all of 
4        the following requirements:
5                (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a 
6            bachelor's degree issued in the United States.
7                (ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the 
8            grade level for which he or she will be employed.
9                (iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the 
10            subject to be taught.
11                (iv) Has an adequate command of the English 
12            language.
13            A holder of a visiting international educator 
14        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations 
15        shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education 
16        programs in the language that was the medium of 
17        instruction in his or her teacher preparation program, 
18        provided that he or she passes the English Language 
19        Proficiency Examination or another test of writing 
20        skills in English identified by the State Board of 
21        Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
22        Preparation and Licensure Board.
23            A visiting international educator endorsement on 
24        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5 
25        years and shall not be renewed.
26            (J) Paraprofessional educator.  A paraprofessional 
 
 
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1        educator endorsement on an Educator License with 
2        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a 
3        high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and 
4        either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60 
5        semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited 
6        institution of higher education or has passed a 
7        paraprofessional competency test under subsection 
8        (c-5) of Section 21B-30. The paraprofessional educator 
9        endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately 
10        following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and 
11        may be renewed through application and payment of the 
12        appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of 
13        this Code. An individual who holds only a 
14        paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject 
15        to additional requirements in order to renew the 
16        endorsement.
17            (K) Chief school business official. A chief school 
18        business official endorsement on an Educator License 
19        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who 
20        qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2 
21        years of full-time administrative experience in school 
22        business management or 2 years of university-approved 
23        practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester 
24        hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the 
25        State Board of Education for the preparation of school 
26        business administrators and by passage of the 
 
 
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1        applicable State tests, including an applicable 
2        content area test. 
3            The chief school business official endorsement may 
4        also be affixed to the Educator License with 
5        Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a 
6        master's degree in business administration, finance, 
7        accounting, or public administration and who completes 
8        an additional 6 semester hours of internship in school 
9        business management from a regionally accredited 
10        institution of higher education and passes the 
11        applicable State tests, including an applicable 
12        content area test. This endorsement shall be required 
13        for any individual employed as a chief school business 
14        official. 
15            The chief school business official endorsement on 
16        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until 
17        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the 
18        endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the 
19        license holder completes renewal requirements as 
20        required for individuals who hold a Professional 
21        Educator License endorsed for chief school business 
22        official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such 
23        rules as may be adopted by the State Board of 
24        Education. 
25            The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules 
26        necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.
 
 
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1            (L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional 
2        in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License 
3        with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has 
4        completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation 
5        program at an Illinois institution of higher education 
6        and who has not successfully completed an 
7        evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but 
8        who meets all of the following requirements: 
9                (i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
10                (ii) Has completed an approved educator 
11            preparation program at an Illinois institution.
12                (iii) Has passed an applicable content area 
13            test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
14                (iv) Has attempted an evidence-based 
15            assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a 
16            minimum score on that assessment, as established 
17            by the State Board of Education in consultation 
18            with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
19            Board.
20            A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an 
21        Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one 
22        full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not 
23        be renewed.
24            (M) (Blank).
25            (N) Specialized services.  A specialized services 
26        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations 
 
 
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1        may be issued as defined and specified by rule. 
2            (O) Social worker. A social worker endorsement on 
3        an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued, 
4        as defined and specified by rule no later than August 
5        1, 2022, to an applicant who (i) has a master's degree 
6        in social work from a regionally accredited 
7        institution of higher education and (ii) holds a valid 
8        license issued pursuant to the Clinical Social Work 
9        and Social Work Practice Act. An applicant who 
10        satisfies these requirements is not required to 
11        complete a Illinois-approved educator preparation 
12        program but may be required to fulfill other criteria 
13        established by rule of the State Board of Education. 
14        (3)  Substitute Teaching License.  A Substitute Teaching 
15    License may be issued to qualified applicants for 
16    substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, 
17    prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching 
18    Licenses are not eligible for endorsements.  Applicants for 
19    a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's 
20    degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution 
21    of higher education.
22        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.
23        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute 
24    teaching in every county of this State. If an individual 
25    has had his or her Professional Educator License or 
26    Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked, 
 
 
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1    then that individual is not eligible to obtain a 
2    Substitute Teaching License.
3        A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a 
4    licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing 
5    board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under 
6    contract because of an emergency situation, then a 
7    district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer 
8    than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the 
9    district if the district notifies the appropriate regional 
10    office of education within 5 business days after the 
11    employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency 
12    situation.   An emergency situation is one in which an 
13    unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is 
14    unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) 
15    teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous 
16    indications, and the district is actively engaged in 
17    advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the 
18    vacant position.
19        There is no limit on the number of days that a 
20    substitute teacher may teach in a single school district, 
21    provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer 
22    than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under 
23    contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who 
24    holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License 
25    with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school 
26    days for any one licensed teacher under contract  in the 
 
 
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1    same school year.  The limitations in this paragraph (3) on 
2    the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do 
3    not apply to any school district operating under Article 
4    34 of this Code.
5        A school district may not require an individual who 
6    holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator 
7    License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute 
8    Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher. 
9        (4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning 
10    on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of 
11    Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching 
12    License.  A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be 
13    issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in 
14    all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through 
15    grade 12.  Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not 
16    eligible for endorsements.  Applicants for a Short-Term 
17    Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's 
18    degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a 
19    regionally accredited institution of higher education.
20        Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 
21    substitute teaching in every county of this State.  If an 
22    individual has had his or her Professional Educator 
23    License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or 
24    revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a 
25    Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.
26        The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this 
 
 
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1    Code apply to short-term substitute teachers. 
2        An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching 
3    License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per 
4    licensed teacher who is under contract.  For teacher 
5    absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who 
6    is under contract, a school district may not hire an 
7    individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching 
8    License.  An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute 
9    Teaching License must complete the training program under 
10    Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible 
11    to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is 
12    inoperative on and after July 1, 2023. 

13(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 
14100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff. 
159-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, 
16eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)
 
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
18becoming law.