IllinoisHB3528104th General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET

SCH CD-STUDENT TEACHERS-SALARY

Sponsored By: Michael Crawford (Democratic)

Became Law

higher educationassignments

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

9 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.

License for school business officials

A chief school business official must hold the matching endorsement. It requires a master’s or higher, two years of school business admin or approved practical experience, 24 graduate credits in an approved program, and passing State tests. It is valid until the June 30 after five years and can be renewed.

More paths to teach career and tech

A career and technical educator endorsement needs at least 60 semester hours and 2,000 hours of work in each subject taught. It is valid until the June 30 after five years and can be renewed. A provisional CTE endorsement is available with 8,000 hours in the skill if the district confirms no qualified licensed teacher is available. It is valid five years, renewable, lets you substitute in CTE classes, and gives you the same rights as Professional Educator License holders.

Pay and credit for student teachers

School districts can pay student teachers and set the salary amount. Colleges cannot require student teaching to be unpaid. For early childhood, you can meet student‑teaching in a birth‑to‑grade‑2 setting and be paid while earning credit, if your program approves it.

Alternative and provisional educator licenses

An alternative provisional educator endorsement is available if you have a bachelor’s, finished phase one of the alternative program, and passed the content test. It lasts two years and can be renewed for a third year if you meet extra rules. A provisional in‑state endorsement lets Illinois program completers with required tests and a Board‑set assessment score teach for one fiscal year (not renewable). A provisional superintendent path exists for managers with a non‑education master’s, five years of outside management, phase‑one completion, and the test; it is valid for up to two fiscal years to complete one full year of service. The Board will set rules for a specialized services endorsement. Licenses with stipulations can be limited to certain jobs, and holders cannot be used to replace a teacher who would otherwise stay employed.

Rules for substitute teaching jobs

A Substitute Teaching License needs a bachelor’s or enrollment in an approved Illinois program with 90 credits, and it is valid statewide for five years. Districts cannot make PEL or stipulations‑license holders get a separate substitute license. A sub may only teach for a contracted teacher; in an emergency vacancy, a district may use a sub for up to 30 days with notice and seek written extensions up to 90 days or the semester with proof of recruitment and training. Time caps apply: generally 90 days per contracted teacher (120 days in 2021–22 and 2022–23, or 120 if the sub holds a PEL or stipulations license).

Short-term substitute licenses through 2028

Through June 30, 2028, you can apply for a Short‑Term Substitute Teaching License with an associate degree or 60 college credits. It is valid statewide for five years. You must complete the required training before you can teach, and you cannot get this license if a prior educator license was suspended or revoked. Limits apply: no more than 15 consecutive days for the same contracted teacher, and you cannot cover absences of 6 or more days unless the Governor declares a public‑health disaster.

Bilingual and international teacher routes

A transitional bilingual endorsement requires language skill, English communication, and either a recent foreign teaching certificate or a foreign degree equal to a U.S. bachelor’s. It lasts five years to June 30 and is not renewable, and holders cannot replace a teacher who would otherwise stay employed. A language endorsement needs the transitional bilingual, a passed language test, and a bachelor’s or equivalent; it is PK–12, matches the same time window, and is not renewable. A visiting international educator endorsement is five years, not renewable, and requires a U.S.‑equivalent bachelor’s, teacher preparation for the grade, content knowledge, and strong English; bilingual teaching also needs an English proficiency or writing test.

Clear path to paraprofessional jobs

You can get a paraprofessional endorsement with a high school diploma and one of these: an associate degree or 60 credits, a paraprofessional test, or be at least 18 and work only pre‑K to grade 8 until you turn 19. The endorsement is valid until the June 30 after five years and can be renewed. If you only hold this endorsement, you face lighter renewal requirements.

New teacher licenses and endorsements

Illinois now uses four license types: Professional Educator, Educator with Stipulations, Substitute, and Short‑Term Substitute. The first year of any license ends on June 30 after one full year. A Professional Educator License requires an approved program, tests, and coursework in exceptional children and reading. It is valid until the June 30 after five years. Adding an endorsement usually needs 24 semester hours in that subject and a content test.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Michael Crawford
Democratic • House

Cosponsors

Adriane Johnson
Democratic • Senate
Camille Y. Lilly
Democratic • House
Christopher Belt
Democratic • Senate
Doris Turner
Democratic • Senate
Kimberly A. Lightford
Democratic • Senate
Laura Faver Dias
Democratic • House
Laura M. Murphy
Democratic • Senate
Nicolle Grasse
Democratic • House
Rachel Ventura
Democratic • Senate
Thaddeus Jones
Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 190 • No: 2

Senate vote • 5/22/2025

Third Reading - Passed;

Yes: 56 • No: 2

Senate vote • 4/30/2025

Do Pass Higher Education;

Yes: 11 • No: 0

House vote • 4/8/2025

Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed

Yes: 112 • No: 0

House vote • 3/19/2025

Do Pass / Short Debate Higher Education Committee;