Message from the Superintendent

It is hard to believe that another school year has come and gone. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming students back into the classroom and preparing for an exciting school year. The ROE #51 would like to thank all of the administrators, educators, and staff members who work tirelessly to ensure that the students of Sangamon and Menard Counties receive an outstanding education. Words cannot express how much you are appreciated!

Is Your License Expiring? Now is the Time to Check.
As the school year draws to a close, it’s a great time for educators to check the renewal dates for their Educator License.

Licenses that expire this year need to be renewed and registered by June 30, 2017 or will risk having the license lapse.

Anyone holding a Professional Educator License (PEL), Educator License with Stipulations (ELS), or Substitute License can check his or her licensure account information in the ISBE’s licensure system, known as ELIS. The entire process is conducted online.

Even though a license may not expire until June, educators can renew now. The ELIS renewal and registration portal opened April 1 for this year’s process.

Renewing and registering a license is a two-step process. First, to verify and document that the individual has met the required professional development hours based on the kind of license and endorsements that a person has; and second, to register and pay the required fee in the appropriate county where the educator works. If the educator is not working, he or she will register in the region in which he or she lives.

Professional development activities that are required for working educators should be entered into the ELIS system. The requirements for professional development vary based on the position and license held. Administrators will have only their Administrator Academies entered for them by the professional development provider.

Once professional development requirements have been met, a licensee can renew their license, and then register their license by paying their fees. The fee to register the license is $10 per year of the cycle. Each renewal is a five-year cycle, totaling $50.

Any license that has not been renewed (by entering and submitting the required amount of professional development) lapses on September 1. A penalty of $500 or nine college credit hours will be assessed if the license lapses. Completing, entering, and submitting the required professional development with the penalty fee or credit hours can reinstate it.

Any license that has not been registered once it is renewed (by paying required registration fees) lapses on January 1. Again, it can be reinstated by paying the back registration fees, plus a penalty of either $500 or nine college credit hours.

An Educator License with Stipulations (Para-pro) is the only license with a different penalty fee of $150 or nine college credit hours.

If the renewing and registration process has been completed correctly, a new expiration and “registered thru” date will show in the individual’s educator account online.

Teacher/Principal Evaluation Re-Trainings
Evaluators who have taken the initial evaluator training (Growth Through Learning Modules or district-developed) must complete retraining “once within the next renewal cycle”(105ILCS 5/24A-3). The chart below provides a guide for determining when retraining must be completed. Please note that retraining is connected to the renewal cycle of the license (PEL).

Retraining will be offered through the Administrator’s Academies. Retraining through the Administrator Academy structure will allow for the inclusion of teachers who have successfully completed initial evaluator training but do not hold an administrator endorsement on their PEL. Two academies are required to meet the retraining requirement. One will address teacher practice and the other will address student growth. The academies do not need to be taken in any particular order, nor do they have to be taken together.

Re-Training Deadlines

Renewal Cycle	Date of Retraining
As a teacher evaluator, if I took the initial training in 2012 and renewed my license by July 1st, 2013.	My retraining must be completed by June 30th, 2018.
As a teacher evaluator, if I renewed my license by July 1st, 2014.	My retraining must be completed by June 30th, 2019.
As a teacher evaluator, if I renewed my license by July 1st, 2015.	My retraining must be completed by June 30th, 2020.
As a teacher evaluator, if I renewed my license by July 1st, 2016.	My retraining must be completed by June 30th, 2021.
As a teacher evaluator, if I renew my license by July 1st, 2017.	My retraining must be completed by June 30th, 2022.

 

Illinois Needs Motivated Substitute Teachers
Each year, schools across Illinois need qualified, motivated substitute teachers.

It’s not easy stepping into a classroom to fill in for a teacher who is sick, on leave, or otherwise unable to be in class. But it can be a rewarding experience for those who want to teach and have the flexibility of a schedule that permits them to serve as a substitute.

The first step in becoming a substitute teacher is to check out the required qualifications and then, if qualified, begin the registration process.

“Illinois’ 35 Regional Offices of Education and three Cook County Intermediate Service Centers serve as valuable resources for those interested in substitute teaching,” according to Jeff Vose, president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools and Regional Superintendent for Sangamon and Menard counties.

“Regional Offices of Education can provide information about local needs and how to get on substitute lists held either by the ROE, ISC, or local districts.”
Substitute teachers must either hold a Professional Educator License (PEL), an Educator License with Stipulations (which required a Bachelor’s degree), or receive a Substitute License through the State of Illinois.

Substitute teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, but need not have a degree in education in order to receive a substitute license.

Persons interested in becoming a substitute will need to apply for a Substitute License through the Illinois State Board of Education’s website ELIS (Educator’s Credentials). Information is available at http://www.isbe.net/licensure/html/substitute.htm.

Basically, those wanting to receive a Substitute License will be required to complete a new account on the State Board of Education website, apply for a Substitute License, submit a $100 fee and provide an official transcript indicating that the individual has received a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Once an individual receives a Substitute License, it will need to be registered within the county or counties where the person wishes to substitute. There is a registration fee of $10 per year, for a five-year cycle, totaling $50.

Once registered within one ROE or ISC region, persons can register in others without paying an additional registration fee. Substitute Licenses can be renewed after the five year period.

Those interested in applying for a new Substitute License should consider doing so during the summer in order to allow the maximum time to complete the application and obtain the necessary documents and background checks prior to the new school year.

Criminal background checks are required as part of the process for authorization to work in a school district and generally involves a fee for the background check. Persons wanting more information on the required background checks and how to complete the process can contact our office at 753-6620.