IL HB5393

Establishes the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program to provide monetary assistance and incentives to teachers and school counselors obtaining National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification, effective July 1, 2014.

Allocates funds for application fees (up to $2,000 per applicant) for NBPTS certification, with priority given to educators in poverty or low-performing schools (up to 750 applicants) before other schools (up to 250 applicants), totaling 1,000 applicants.

Provides up to $1,000 in assistance toward NBPTS renewal application fees for certified educators.

Offers $1,500 annual incentives to NBPTS-certified educators employed in school districts who commit to providing at least 30 hours of mentoring or professional development to other teachers and counselors, with priority for poverty or low-performing schools.

Allows funds to support instructional leadership training for qualified educators interested in implementing Illinois Learning Standards or supporting State Board of Education teaching and learning priorities.