SB1165 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 10653 NHT 30881 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB1165

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Deanna Demuzio

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/6-2.1	from Ch. 122, par. 6-2.1
105 ILCS 5/14C-8	from Ch. 122, par. 14C-8
105 ILCS 5/3-14.11 rep.
105 ILCS 5/3-14.19 rep.
105 ILCS 5/6-11 rep.
105 ILCS 5/21-19 rep.
105 ILCS 5/29-17 rep.

Amends the School Code. Repeals Sections in relation to the examination of a school treasurer's books, accounts, and vouchers; furnishing a township treasurer with a list of school districts; the posting of maps of congressional townships and educational service regions at polling places; the report of certain employment information by a teacher to the regional superintendent; and State reimbursement for the installation of passenger seat backs of a certain height in school buses. Makes related changes. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 6-2.1 and 14C-8 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/6-2.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 6-2.1)

Sec. 6-2.1. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act, the provisions of Sections 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, 6-10, 6-11 (now repealed), 6-12, 6-17, 6-18, 6-19, 6-20, and 6-21 of this School Code shall have no application in any educational service region having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants.

(Source: P.A. 87-969.)

(105 ILCS 5/14C-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-8)

Sec. 14C-8. Teacher certification - Qualifications - Issuance of certificates. No person shall be eligible for employment by a school district as a teacher of transitional bilingual education without either (a) holding a valid teaching certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 of this Code and meeting such additional language and course requirements as prescribed by the State Board of Education or (b) meeting the requirements set forth in this Section. The Certification Board shall issue certificates valid for teaching in all grades of the common school in transitional bilingual education programs to any person who presents it with satisfactory evidence that he possesses an adequate speaking and reading ability in a language other than English in which transitional bilingual education is offered and communicative skills in English, and possessed within 5 years previous to his or her applying for a certificate under this Section a valid teaching certificate issued by a foreign country, or by a State or possession or territory of the United States, or other evidence of teaching preparation as may be determined to be sufficient by the Certification Board, or holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country which the Certification Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States; provided that any person seeking a certificate under this Section must meet the following additional requirements:

(1) Such persons must be in good health;

(2) Such persons must be of sound moral character;

(3) Such persons must be legally present in the United States and possess legal authorization for employment;

(4) Such persons must not be employed to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

Certificates issuable pursuant to this Section shall be issuable only during the 5 years immediately following the effective date of this Act and thereafter for additional periods of one year only upon a determination by the State Board of Education that a school district lacks the number of teachers necessary to comply with the mandatory requirements of Sections 14C-2.1 and 14C-3 of this Article for the establishment and maintenance of programs of transitional bilingual education and said certificates issued by the Certification Board shall be valid for a period of 6 years following their date of issuance and shall not be renewed, except that one renewal for a period of two years may be granted if necessary to permit the holder of a certificate issued under this Section to acquire a teaching certificate pursuant to Article 21 of this Code. Such certificates and the persons to whom they are issued shall be exempt from the provisions of Article 21 of this Code except that Sections 21-12, 21-13, 21-16, 21-17, 21-19, 21-21, 21-22, 21-23 and 21-24 shall continue to be applicable to all such certificates.

After the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1984, an additional renewal for a period to expire August 31, 1985, may be granted. The State Board of Education shall report to the General Assembly on or before January 31, 1985 its recommendations for the qualification of teachers of bilingual education and for the qualification of teachers of English as a second language. Said qualification program shall take effect no later than August 31, 1985.

Beginning July 1, 2001, the State Board of Education shall implement a test or tests to assess the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of applicants for a certificate issued under this Section in the English language and in the language of the transitional bilingual education program requested by the applicant and shall establish appropriate fees for these tests. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Certification Board, shall promulgate rules to implement the required tests, including specific provisions to govern test selection, test validation, determination of a passing score, administration of the test or tests, frequency of administration, applicant fees, identification requirements for test takers, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the years for which a score is valid, waiving tests for individuals who have satisfactorily passed other tests, and the consequences of dishonest conduct in the application for or taking of the tests.

If the qualifications of an applicant for a certificate valid for teaching in transitional bilingual education programs in all grades of the common schools do not meet the requirements established for the issuance of that certificate, the Certification Board nevertheless shall issue the applicant a substitute teacher's certificate under Section 21-9 whenever it appears from the face of the application submitted for certification as a teacher of transitional bilingual education and the evidence presented in support thereof that the applicant's qualifications meet the requirements established for the issuance of a certificate under Section 21-9; provided, that if it does not appear from the face of such application and supporting evidence that the applicant is qualified for issuance of a certificate under Section 21-9 the Certification Board shall evaluate the application with reference to the requirements for issuance of certificates under Section 21-9 and shall inform the applicant, at the time it denies the application submitted for certification as a teacher of transitional bilingual education, of the additional qualifications which the applicant must possess in order to meet the requirements established for issuance of (i) a certificate valid for teaching in transitional bilingual education programs in all grades of the common schools and (ii) a substitute teacher's certificate under Section 21-9.

(Source: P.A. 91-370, eff. 7-30-99.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-14.11 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/3-14.19 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/6-11 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-19 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/29-17 rep.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by repealing Sections 3-14.11, 3-14.19, 6-11, 21-19, and 29-17.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.