New laws concerning education take effect July 1 in Iowa and in Illinois.
Illinois educators, including paraprofessionals, will be required to participate in the state’s new Educator License and Information System, which keeps a registry of all licensed educators in the state.
The Illinois Education Association says the new law moves all educators from certification to licensure as educators. The state’s new licensure system provides a Professional Educator License, a Professional Educator License with stipulations and a Substitute Teaching license and requires state’s attorneys to notify school officials if any licensed public or private school employee is convicted of any narcotics offense or sex offense.
All school employees in Iowa schools will now be required to undergo a background check prior to being hired. The screening checks the sex offender, child abuse and dependent adult abuse registries. School districts will also be required to repeat check district workers every five years after they are hired.
Iowa will also increase the maximum tuition grant amount college students are allowed to receive from $4,000 to $5,000 per year.
