Education (Teachers)

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships may also be known as School Social Work scholarships. Includes, as a qualified applicant subject to meeting the other requirements, (i) a person who is pursuing a clinical social work license or social work license and (ii) a person who will obtain a master's degree in social work from an approved program before enrolling the academic program that the scholarship would support. Allows scholarships to be applied to the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at a private, not-for-profit institution of higher education in the State that prepares students to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement in School Social Work. Provides that a scholarship for a recipient attending a private, not-for-profit institution shall not exceed the maximum grant payable to a student enrolled in the most expensive comparable program of study at a public university in the State. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code with respect to the removal or dismissal of teachers in contractual continued service. In provisions specifying that if a decision of a hearing officer for dismissal or of a school board for dismissal for cause is adjudicated upon review or appeal in favor of a teacher, then the trial court shall order reinstatement and shall remand the matter to the school board with direction for entry of an order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and costs, less mitigation, provides that, post reinstatement, the mutually selected hearing officer shall maintain jurisdiction over the back pay so that the teacher may challenge and the hearing officer may potentially amend the school board's order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, interest, and costs, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, less mitigation, through an expedited arbitration procedure, with the costs of the arbitrator borne by the school board (rather than providing that the teacher may challenge the school board's order setting the amount of back pay, lost benefits, and costs, less mitigation, through an expedited arbitration procedure, with the costs of the arbitrator borne by the school board).

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that an applicant for a Substitute Teaching License who holds a valid paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations and who has been working in the capacity of a paraprofessional in this State for a minimum of 5 school years does not need to hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or be enrolled in an approved educator preparation program in this State and have earned at least 90 credit hours to be issued a Substitute Teaching License.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides the additional requirement of successfully completing at least one foundational course on English learners for a person to be issued a Professional Educator License. Effective January 1, 2028.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows an institution of higher education approved to offer educator preparation programs to pursue accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Provides that an institution of higher education that receives and retains CAEP accreditation may forgo the State reauthorization process. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules for the reauthorization of a CAEP-accredited institution of higher education.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of "hard-to-staff school" to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny a National Board certified teacher a retention bonus solely because the public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a school report card.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of "hard-to-staff school" to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny a National Board certified teacher a retention bonus solely because the public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a school report card.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. With regard to the suspension or revocation of a license, endorsement, or approval, provides that failure of the State Superintendent of Education to complete its investigation and issue formal discipline or otherwise dispose of the investigation within one year after the State Superintendent receives any written investigatory evidence relating to a particular license holder shall result in the investigation being deemed completed and the allegations against the license holder shall be determined to be unsubstantiated and dismissed with prejudice by the State Superintendent. Provides that formal documentation of an unsubstantiated determination shall state that no further action will be taken by the State Superintendent arising from the same facts or circumstances and shall be sent to the license holder within 45 business days after the unsubstantiated determination.

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. With respect to special education teacher scholarships, provides that up to 50 additional scholarships may be awarded each year to persons who qualify, subject to appropriation to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for this purpose.

Amends the Downstate Teacher Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, through June 30, 2029 (instead of June 30, 2026), an annuitant may accept employment as a teacher without impairing his or her retirement status if that employment is not within the school year during which service was terminated and does not exceed 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year, but not more than 100 paid days in the same classroom. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.