Section 1.710  Requirements for Elementary Teachers

a)         Except as otherwise allowed in this Section, each elementary teacher shall hold a valid professional educator license endorsed in a teaching field for the grade level or levels to be taught.

b)         Each elementary teacher first assigned to an elementary position on or after September 1, 1978 shall have formal training in each basic instructional area to be taught. 

c)         No teacher may be assigned to teach self-contained general education at the elementary level unless that teacher holds a professional educator license and:

1)         holds the applicable endorsement;

2)         if first licensed prior to July 1, 2004, possesses 16 semester hours of coursework in a combination of any of the following areas:

A)        Language Arts;

B)        Mathematics;

C)        Science;

D)        Social Science;

E)        Physical Education;

F)         Health;

G)        Fine Arts;

H)        General Elementary Teaching Methods; and

I)         Elementary Reading Teaching Methods; or

3)         is assigned pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.430 (Short-Term Approval for Teachers at All Grade Levels); or

4)         meets the requirements of Section 1.745 or 1.755 as applicable to assignment.

d)         Additional requirements may apply to holders of elementary education endorsements on professional educator licenses issued pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 26 (Standards for Endorsements in Early Childhood Education and in Elementary Education) who teach in grades 5 through 8; see Section 1.720.

e)         Career and technical educators who teach in grade 5 must meet the requirements of Sections 1.737(a)(1) and (c).

f)         Beginning July 1, 2025, any teacher who is teaching by virtue of meeting the qualifications set forth in subsection (c)(2) shall have a designation for elementary education added to the teacher's ELIS account, prior to being assigned to the position, by the regional office of education. Previous qualifications can continue to be added after July 1, 2025 if educators are assigned to new positions by virtue of being previously qualified.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 5744, effective April 21, 2021)