TEACHERS-VARIOUS

Amends the Downstate Teachers and State Universities Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Requires an employer to make an additional employer contribution for a participant whose earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings exceed the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year by more than 6% (instead of 3%). Makes conforming changes. Amends the School Code. Allows each school district to provide a salary to a student teacher employed by the district and fix the amount of that salary. Removes the requirement of the passage of a test of basic skills for obtaining certain Professional Educator Licenses and Educator Licenses with Stipulations. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/21B-25 Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. With regard to endorsements on licenses, provides that, for a special education endorsement in the area of Early Childhood Special Education, an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. Provides that the student teaching experience must meet the requirements of and be approved by the individual's early childhood teacher preparation program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district designated as Tier 1 under the evidence-based funding formula may, after application to the State Board of Education, receive from the State Board a refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher performance assessment required to obtain his or her license. Effective immediately. Senate Floor Amendment No. 2 Provides that, for an early childhood education endorsement (rather than a special education endorsement in the area of Early Childhood Special Education), an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. House Committee Amendment No. 1 Deletes reference to: 40 ILCS 5/15-155 40 ILCS 5/16-158 Removes provisions amending the Downstate Teachers and State Universities Articles of the Illinois Pension Code.