SB2689 EngrossedLRB103 36249 RJT 66346 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-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
15endorsement or endorsements, including passing any required
16tests. The State Superintendent of Education shall randomly
17audit institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are
18being followed 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        (1.5) By June 1, 2025, the State Board of Education,
4    in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and
5    Licensure Board, shall establish, by rule, a Montessori
6    education endorsement to be added to a Professional
7    Educator License. The rules adopted under this paragraph
8    (1.5) shall outline the requirements for obtaining the
9    endorsement. The changes added to this Section by this
10    amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly are
11    inoperative on and after January 1, 2026.
12        (2) In addition to any and all grade level and content
13    area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of
14    Education, in consultation with the State Educator
15    Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the
16    requirements for the following endorsements:
17            (A) (Blank).
18            (B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement
19        shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of
20        any holder who qualifies by having all of the
21        following:
22                (i) Successful completion of a principal
23            preparation program approved in accordance with
24            Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable
25            rules.
26                (ii) At least 4 total years of teaching or 4

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1        Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher
2        leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons
3        who meet and successfully complete the requirements of
4        the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader
5        endorsement on the Professional Educator License for
6        serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may
7        qualify to serve in such positions as department
8        chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction
9        leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by
10        the district. The endorsement shall be available to
11        those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator
12        License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a
13        regionally accredited institution, (iii) have
14        completed a program of study that has been approved by
15        the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
16        State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and
17        (iv) have successfully demonstrated competencies as
18        defined by rule.
19            A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in
20        this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement
21        may evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of
22        this Code, provided that the individual has completed
23        the evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of
24        this Code and a teacher leader is allowed to evaluate
25        personnel under the respective school district's
26        collective bargaining agreement.

 

 

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

 

 

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1        are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and
2        family therapist, school psychologist, school speech
3        and language pathologist, school nurse, and school
4        social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who
5        are not teachers or administrators, but still require
6        licensure to work in an instructional support position
7        in a public or State-operated elementary school,
8        secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
9        with a governing body or board of control or a charter
10        school operating in compliance with the Charter
11        Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement
12        shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License
13        and shall meet all of the requirements established in
14        any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G).
15        The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of
16        the rights and privileges granted holders of any other
17        Professional Educator License, including teacher
18        benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
19(Source: P.A. 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-267, eff. 8-22-17;
20100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-780, eff.
211-1-19; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220,
22eff. 8-7-19.)