Do I need to have U.S. citizenship to obtain a license in Illinois? You do not need to be a U.S. citizen or hold a valid social security number to obtain an Illinois license, but you must hold a valid social security number to obtain employment as an educator. For additional information about acquiring a social security number through the Social Security Administration, click . I need additional coursework for the PEL. What courses can I take to fulfill these requirements, and where can I take them? The Illinois State Board of Education has pre-approved courses from various Illinois and institutions for the professional educator license requirements. To see specific courses that that may be completed to meet licensure requirements in the areas of cross-categorical special education methods, ESL/bilingual methods, reading methods, and reading in the content area, click . How can I obtain the gifted education teacher or gifted education specialist endorsement? View the document. Does Illinois offer any alternative routes to educator licensure? Yes. Instead of completing a traditional route to educator licensure, you may complete an approved alternative licensure program in the state. Alternative programs are two-year programs and typically begin with an intensive course of study during the summer term. Then, candidates serve as teachers of record in their own classroom for two years. Additional program requirements are completed during this time. To be admitted to an alternative licensure program, you must already hold a bachelor’s degree in a content area and have passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (or provided acceptable ACT or SAT scores) and have passed the applicable content test.
How much are registration fees for my license? Licenses must be registered for $10 per year to prevent them from lapsing. Educators can pay registration fees by logging in to ELIS, and registration fees must be paid for the entire cycle of the license. If you hold more than one license, you must pay registration fees for each license. It is your responsibility to remember when your license needs to be registered. If a license is not registered after six months, it lapses, and the educator will have to pay a $500 penalty fee OR complete nine semester hours of appropriate college coursework. Which regional office of education (ROE) is in my county or region? Regional offices of education are grouped by counties throughout Illinois. Your license must be registered in the region where you are employed. Non-public and retired educators register in the county where they live; Out of state educators register in Region 15. to see a list of regional offices of education. What will I need to do to renew my professional educator license? Teachers, Career and Technical Education Teachers, Teaching Speech Language Pathologists Complete and record the required amount of professional development reflected in ELIS at the bottom of the Educator Development screen. Log in to ELIS on/after April 1st of your renewal year. Click on Renewals in the Action Center on your homepage. Follow the instructions to renew and register your license. Beginning in 2019 teachers who hold administrative credentials will must complete 1 Administrator Academy (AA) during each five-year cycle. Information about AAs is available by contacting your Regional Office of Education. School Service Personnel (Does not include Teaching Speech Language Pathologists) Complete and record the required amount of professional development reflected in ELIS at the bottom of the Educator Development screen. Alternately, School Service Personnel may record their Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations license in ELIS to fulfill 100% of their professional development requirements. Log in to ELIS on/after April 1st of your renewal year. Click on Renewals in the Action Center on your homepage. Follow the instructions to renew and register your license.
Contact Information Issue Contact Assistance with ELIS Your ROE () or call our call center: 217-557-6763 between 8am and 5pm CST. Renewal/Reinstatement Questions Email Submitting Documents to ISBE (excluding transcripts and forms that must be signed by a university/college/ROE) Acceptable documents to be emailed include: -out-of-state license -course descriptions/course syllabi - social security card & request for account merge -letters of teaching experience (must be emailed directly from your administrator or school district human resources office) Email your documents to . Transcripts and documents requiring official signature or seal from a university/college/ROE cannot be emailed by the applicant. *Note: This email is used to submit documents only; questions and comments are not monitored and will not receive a response. Submitting social security card for account merges/name changes Email a copy of your card to or fax a copy of your card to 217-524-1289. Submitting Transcripts to ISBE Must be mailed directly from the institution or emailed directly from the institution to . Applicants