ISBE Publishes Q&A on Teacher Resignation and Licensure

ISBE has released a new Q&A to address the changes to 24-14 of the Illinois School Code made by Public Act 103-549. While the guidance is non-regulatory, as ISBE is the authority that hears licensure revocations, the answers are important to understand for Districts that seek licensure action against teachers who resign providing less than thirty (30) days' notice before the school year.

The statute provides for a process, with 5 documents that must be provided to ISBE within 10 business days of the Board's refusal to accept resignation (with emphasis added, in relevant portion only):

A referral to the State Superintendent for an alleged violation of this Section must include

(i) a dated copy of the teacher’s resignation letter,

(ii) a copy of the reporting district’s current school year calendar,

(iii) proof of employment for the school year at issue,

(iv) documentation showing that the district’s board did not accept the teacher’s resignation, and

(v) evidence that the teacher left the district in order to accept another teaching assignment. 

If the district intends to submit a referral to the State Superintendent, the district shall submit the referral to the State Superintendent within 10 business days after the board denies acceptance of the resignation.  

The 43 question FAQ addresses issues including the meaning of terms in the statute, consequences for late resignation, and clarifications about what is needed for the process.  The guidance can be found here: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Teacher-Resignation-Guidance.pdf