IMPORTANT CERTIFICATION CHANGES IMPACT EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY

While the Education Reform Act swept through Illinois, several other laws were in acting that impact educators in Illinois. Among those is Public Act 97-0607 that completely revamps the certification process and moves everyone from certificates to licenses. The new license will be issued in July of 2013 and will eliminate all the different types of certificates. This change will result in a single license that lists all content areas and grade level an individual may serve. In the meantime, there have been several technical changes that went into effect on August 26, 2011 when the governor signed the bill. First, there no longer is an option for an individual to reinstate a certificate for 1 year to complete professional development requirements not previously met. Instead, a person has 6 months from the date of expiration to complete the requirements (December 31^st). It is important to note that the 6 month grace period does not allow for an individual to remain in the classroom as that person is not certified when their certificate is expired. Should a person not renew within 6 months after their certificate expires they must complete 9 hours of college coursework in the area of endorsement or certification of their existing certificate before it may be renewed.The third change is that as of January 1, 2011 the fees for renewal, endorsements, and applications for additional certificates increase. For renewal, the fee doubles from $5 per year to $10 per year. A standard certificate renewed on or after January 1 will cost $50 instead of $25. Other fees have approximately doubled except out of state applicants which increased to $150. A final change that is not implemented until 2013 but needs to be understood immediately is that an individual who does not renew their certificate may NOT apply for a substitute certificate. The documents listed below provides additional information on the changes and directions for renewing your certificate.

• Overview of Certification Changes [ CertificationChangesFy12.pdf (380kb)]
• Information Renewing Your Certificate [CertificationRenewalFY12.pdf (268kb)]
• Using the Educator Certification System (ECS) Video [Video Link]
• Illinois State Board of Education Certification Website [ISBE Link]
  
• Educator Certification System (ECS) Website [ECS Link]