Teacher Certification
The Regional Office of Education is responsible for the processing of teacher certification to the Illinois State Board of Education. ____________________________________________________________
Noncertificated Personnel
Employment as a paraprofessional requires a statement of approval issued by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, except that a paraprofessional first employed on or before June 30, 2005, in a program that serves students with disabilities shall be subject to this requirement as of July 1, 2007, and except that an individual who holds any certificate indicative of completion of at least a bachelor’s degree, or who holds a provisional vocational certificate, may serve as a paraprofessional without a statement of approval.
Recertification
Those teachers and administrators who are due to recertify need to logon to the ECS system and enter their Professional Development and submit their Statement of Assurance. There is a user manual on the left for any educator who needs help. Teachers who are moving from an Initial to a Standard certificate (after four years of teaching) must have their district send us a letter to verify their teaching experience in addition to submitting a Statement of Assurance.
Type 73′s
If you hold a Type 73 certificate, be aware that new requirements began July 1, 2008. You are now able to record your Professional Devleopment. Those educators who renewed in 2009 or will renew in the future will need to meet new Professional Development requirements, genereally 16 CPDU’s for each year that they are actively using their certificate. School Psychologists and Nurses cannot just use a state license; they will need to record their Professional Development as well.
Provisional Vocational Certificates
If you hold a Provisional Vocational certificate, be aware that new requirements began July 1, 2009. These will be similar to the requirements for current teachers. You will need to record your Professional Develoment on the ECS website after your next registration (beginning July 1, 2009). This requirement will be in effect for those teachers who renew in years 2009 and after and before the next cycle. If you renew in 2010, you will need to record Professional Develoment after July 1, 2010.
Endorsements
The Application for Endorsment (ISBE 73.52) will change on January 1, 2010. As of that date, you will only be allowed for one endorsement for each $30 fee. Until January 1st, you may still apply for up to three endorsements on each $30 fee.