Bill Text: IL SB2689 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. By June 1, 2025, requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, to establish, by rule, a Montessori education endorsement to be added to a Professional Educator License. Requires the rules adopted by the State Board of Education to outline the requirements for obtaining the endorsement. Provides that these provisions are inoperative on and after January 1, 2026.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-04-24 - Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools [SB2689 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2689-Engrossed.html

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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 Section
21B-25 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-25)
Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued
under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be
specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each
content area, school support area, and administrative area for
which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized
institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs
shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to
applicants who meet all of the requirements for the
endorsement or endorsements, including passing any required
tests. The State Superintendent of Education shall randomly
audit institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are
being followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being
recommended.
(1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall
establish, by rule, the grade level and subject area
endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator

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License. These rules shall outline the requirements for
obtaining each endorsement.
(1.5) By June 1, 2025, the State Board of Education,
in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and
Licensure Board, shall establish, by rule, a Montessori
education endorsement to be added to a Professional
Educator License. The rules adopted under this paragraph
(1.5) shall outline the requirements for obtaining the
endorsement. The changes added to this Section by this
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly are
inoperative on and after January 1, 2026.
(2) In addition to any and all grade level and content
area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the
requirements for the following endorsements:
(A) (Blank).
(B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement
shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of
any holder who qualifies by having all of the
following:
(i) Successful completion of a principal
preparation program approved in accordance with
Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable
rules.
(ii) At least 4 total years of teaching or 4

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

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

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

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

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The State Board of Education, in consultation with
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish
and implement the teacher leader endorsement program
and to specify the positions for which this
endorsement shall be required.
(F) Special education endorsement. A special
education endorsement in one or more areas shall be
affixed to a Professional Educator License for any
individual that meets those requirements established
by the State Board of Education in rules. Special
education endorsement areas shall include without
limitation the following:
(i) Learning Behavior Specialist I;
(ii) Learning Behavior Specialist II;
(iii) Speech Language Pathologist;
(iv) Blind or Visually Impaired;
(v) Deaf-Hard of Hearing;
(vi) Early Childhood Special Education; and
(vii) Director of Special Education.
Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary,
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may
add additional areas of special education by rule.
(G) School support personnel endorsement. School
support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but

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