Bill Text: IL SB1460 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Amends the School Code. With regard to the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that if adequate funds are available, incentives under the Program must include (i) a one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or remote school districts, (ii) an annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board certified teacher rural or remote candidate cohort facilitators, and (iii) an annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board certified teacher rural or remote liaisons; defines terms. Makes the program applicable to qualified educators who are employed by or retired from schools districts (rather than just employed by school districts) and who are in the process of obtaining licensure through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Changes references of poverty or low-performing schools to Tier 1 school districts. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2019-08-09 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 101-0333 [SB1460 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SB1460-Introduced.html

---

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 SB1460 Introduced 2/13/2019, by Sen. Andy Manar SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-70
Amends the School Code. Provides that priority in the distribution of funds appropriated for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be given to a qualified educator employed by an Organizational Unit assigned to Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula of the Code.
LRB101 08878 AXK 53968 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
SB1460 LRB101 08878 AXK 53968 b
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-70 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-70)
Sec. 21B-70. Illinois Teaching Excellence Program.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Poverty or low-performing school" means a school
identified as a priority school under Section 2-3.25d-5 of this
Code or a school in which 50% or more of its students are
eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches.
"Qualified educator" means a teacher or school counselor
currently employed in a school district who is in the process
of obtaining certification through the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards or who has completed
certification and holds a current Professional Educator
License with a National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards designation or a retired teacher or school counselor
who holds a Professional Educator License with a National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards designation.
(b) Beginning on July 1, 2011, any funds appropriated for
the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be used to

SB1460 - 2 - LRB101 08878 AXK 53968 b
provide monetary assistance and incentives for qualified
educators who are employed by school districts and who have or
are in the process of obtaining licensure through the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Priority in the
distribution of those funds must be given to a qualified
educator employed by an Organizational Unit assigned to Tier 1
under Section 18-8.15. The goal of the program is to improve
instruction and student performance.
The State Board of Education shall allocate an amount as
annually appropriated by the General Assembly for the Illinois
Teaching Excellence Program for (i) application fees for each
qualified educator seeking to complete certification through
the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, to be
paid directly to the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards, and (ii) incentives for each qualified educator to
be distributed to the respective school district. The school
district shall distribute this payment to each eligible teacher
or school counselor as a single payment.
The State Board of Education's annual budget must set out
by separate line item the appropriation for the program. Unless
otherwise provided by appropriation, qualified educators are
eligible for monetary assistance and incentives outlined in
subsection (c) of this Section.
(c) When there are adequate funds available, monetary
assistance and incentives shall include the following:
(1) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application fee for

SB1460 - 3 - LRB101 08878 AXK 53968 b
up to 750 teachers or school counselors in a poverty or
low-performing school who apply on a first-come,
first-serve basis for National Board certification.
(2) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application fee for
up to 250 teachers or school counselors in a school other
than a poverty or low-performing school who apply on a
first-come, first-serve basis for National Board
certification. However, if there were fewer than 750
individuals supported in item (1) of this subsection (c),
then the number supported in this item (2) may be increased
as such that the combination of item (1) of this subsection
(c) and this item (2) shall equal 1,000 applicants.
(3) A maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee.
(4) (Blank).
(5) An annual incentive equal to $1,500, which shall be
paid to each qualified educator currently employed in a
school district 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 and who agrees, in
writing, to provide at least 30 hours of mentoring or
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
professional development or both during the school year to
classroom teachers or school counselors, as applicable.
Funds must be disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis,

SB1460 - 4 - LRB101 08878 AXK 53968 b
with priority given to poverty or low-performing schools.
Mentoring shall include, either singly or in combination,
the following:
(A) National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification candidates.
(B) National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards re-take candidates.
(C) National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards renewal candidates.
(D) (Blank).
Funds may also 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.
(Source: P.A. 99-193, eff. 7-30-15; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)