GROW YOUR OWN TEACHER-PROGRAM

Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Requires the Board of Higher Education to establish and administer a transition to teaching program that allows competent professionals, recent college graduates, and individuals working at a school or in some other facet of teaching to train to become teachers. Provides that a person is eligible to participate in the program if the person (1) passes a written examination that demonstrates competency in relevant subjects related to the person's expected teaching position, (2) participates in a beginning teacher residency program at an elementary or secondary school in this State, and (3) receives sponsorship by the school to have an initial practitioner license issued by the State Board of Education that allows the individual to teach at the school while pursuing a Professional Educator License. As part of the transition to teaching program, requires the Board of Higher Education to establish a loan forgiveness program in which a person participating in the transition to teaching program who has student loans guaranteed by the State of Illinois is eligible to have those loans forgiven if the person successfully receives a Professional Educator License and teaches in a rural school district or a disadvantaged school district in this State for 2 consecutive school years.