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92_SB1585
LRB9212427NTdv
1 AN ACT concerning teacher incentive and mentoring
2 programs, which may be referred to as the Quality Teacher
3 Incentive and Mentoring Law.
4 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
5 represented in the General Assembly:
6 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
7 2-3.131 and 2-3.132 as follows:
8 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.131 new)
9 Sec. 2-3.131. Quality teacher incentive program.
10 (a) The State Board of Education shall implement and
11 administer a quality teacher incentive program. Under this
12 program, the State Board of Education shall provide, from
13 appropriations made for the purposes of this Section, a
14 signing bonus of $1,000 to each eligible teacher.
15 (b) A teacher is eligible under this program if the
16 person has graduated from a regionally accredited institution
17 in the top 10% of his or her class, has an Initial Teaching
18 Certificate, and agrees to teach in a public school in this
19 State for a minimum of 3 consecutive years.
20 (c) A teacher who has received a signing bonus under
21 this program and leaves employment with the public school
22 before the end of the 3-year commitment must reimburse the
23 State in the amount of $1,000, unless the teacher has left to
24 accept a teaching position with another public school in this
25 State.
26 (d) A teacher who receives a signing bonus under this
27 program shall not be deemed an employee of the State.
28 (e) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
29 necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this
30 Section.
-2- LRB9212427NTdv
1 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.132 new)
2 Sec. 2-3.132. Quality teacher mentoring program.
3 (a) The State Board of Education shall implement and
4 administer a quality teacher mentoring program. Under this
5 program, the State Board of Education shall award grants,
6 from appropriations made for the purposes of this Section, to
7 school districts that meet the grant award criteria
8 established by the State Board of Education to allow these
9 school districts to develop or expand teacher mentoring
10 programs.
11 (b) Grants under this program shall be awarded pursuant
12 to application. The form and manner of application and the
13 criteria for the award of grants shall be prescribed by the
14 State Board of Education. The grant award criteria shall
15 provide that a school district receiving a grant shall, at a
16 minimum, have a mentoring program for new teachers in their
17 first 3 years of employment. The State Board of Education
18 shall give grant award priority to school districts in which
19 50% or more of the teachers have 5 years or less of teaching
20 experience.
21 (c) The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules,
22 consistent with the requirements of this Section, that are
23 necessary to implement and administer this program.
24 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
25 July 1, 2002.
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