HB3528, known as the Affordable Student Teaching Act, amends the Illinois School Code to change educator licensure rules and, most notably, prohibit institutions of higher education from maintaining policies that require student teaching for preservice teachers to be unpaid. The bill also states that school districts may provide a salary to student teachers and may set the amount of that salary. In addition to the student-teaching compensation provision, the bill revises and reorganizes multiple educator license categories and endorsements under Section 21B-20, including professional educator licenses, educator licenses with stipulations, substitute teaching licenses, short-term substitute licenses, bilingual and language endorsements, visiting international educator endorsements, paraprofessional endorsements, chief school business official endorsements, and provisional in-state and career-and-technical educator endorsements.
The bill’s impact on state law is broad within the School Code. It updates eligibility requirements, validity periods, renewal rules, and practice limitations for a range of educator credentials, and it adds or clarifies restrictions on when substitute teachers may be used and for how long. It also preserves or expands pathways for alternative licensure, including routes for career and technical education, bilingual instruction, and international educators, while tying many of those pathways to testing, coursework, experience, and State Board rulemaking. The bill expressly requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules as needed to implement the licensure framework.
The general sentiment reflected in the voting history appears strongly favorable. The bill passed the Illinois House overwhelmingly, 112-0, and later advanced in the Senate by a 55-2 vote, suggesting broad bipartisan support for the measure. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded committee debate to indicate organized opposition or amendments in discussion.
The main point of contention suggested by the text is the new prohibition on unpaid student teaching. That provision directly affects colleges and universities by limiting their ability to require unpaid placements, and it may raise implementation questions about how student-teaching programs are structured and funded. Another possible area of concern is the bill’s detailed licensure changes, which affect school districts, educator preparation programs, substitute teachers, and applicants for specialized endorsements; however, the vote totals indicate that any disagreements were limited and did not prevent passage.
Overall, HB3528 appears designed to reduce financial barriers for preservice teachers while also modernizing and clarifying Illinois educator licensure categories. Its practical effect is to support paid student teaching opportunities and to refine the state’s licensing system for teachers, substitutes, bilingual educators, career and technical educators, and school administrators.
The bill amends Sections 21B-20 and 24-8.5 of the Illinois School Code. It bars higher education institutions from requiring unpaid student teaching, authorizes school districts to pay student teachers, and revises numerous licensure and endorsement provisions administered by the State Board of Education. It affects preservice teachers, educator preparation programs, school districts, substitute teachers, and applicants for specialized educator endorsements, while directing the State Board to adopt implementing rules.
The bill appears to have received strong support. It passed the House 112-0 and advanced in the Senate 55-2, indicating broad bipartisan approval. With no committee transcripts available, there is no recorded floor or committee debate showing substantial opposition, and the voting history suggests the measure was generally viewed favorably.
The most notable contention is the mandate that no institution of higher education may require student teaching to be unpaid, which directly affects university policy and the financing of teacher preparation. The bill also makes extensive changes to licensure categories, substitute-teaching limits, and endorsement requirements, which could raise administrative concerns for school districts and educator-preparation programs. However, the near-unanimous votes suggest these issues were not politically divisive.