A teacher, as the term is used in this policy, refers to a District employee who is required to be licensed under Illinois law. The following qualifications apply:

  1. Each teacher must:
    1. Have a valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with the required endorsements that legally qualifies the teacher for the duties for which the teacher is employed.
    2. Provide the District Office with a complete transcript of credits earned in institutions of higher education.
    3. Notify the Superintendent of any change in the teacher’s transcript.
    4. Teachers expecting to earn an Educational Advancement stipend, must submit an official transcript to the District Office on or before September 30.
  2. All teachers working in a program supported with federal funds under Title I, Part A must meet applicable state certification and licensure requirements.
The Superintendent or designee shall:
  1. monitor compliance with state and federal law requirements that teachers be appropriately licensed;
  2. through incentives for voluntary transfers, professional development, recruiting programs, or other effective strategies, ensure that minority students and students from low-income families are not taught at higher rates than other students by unqualified, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers; and
  3. ensure parents/guardians of students in schools receiving Title I money are notified of their right to request their students’ classroom teachers’ professional qualifications.

Adopted: February 19, 2008
Revised: March 23, 2015; December 16, 2019; April 25, 2022
Reviewed: April 24, 2023