HB 5393

Abstract

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code with respect to the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. Removes language that provides that the monetary assistance and incentives that qualified educators are eligible for must be based on outlined priorities; makes related changes. Removes from monetary assistance the fee for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' Take One! for up to 500 qualified educators. Adds, as monetary assistance, a maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee. Removes the annual incentive equal to $1,500 paid to each qualified educator who holds both a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards designation and a current corresponding certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, who is employed in a school district, and who agrees, in writing, to provide 30 hours of mentoring or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards professional development or both during the school year to teachers or school counselors in a poverty or low-performing school. Provides that funds must be dispersed on a first-come, first-serve basis, with priority given to poverty or low-performing schools. Removes language requiring mentoring to include mentoring of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Take One! participants. Provides that funds may be used for instructional leadership training for qualified educators interested in supporting implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards or teaching and learning priorities of the State Board of Education or both. Effective July 1, 2014.