What's in this Issue:

Educator of the Year Ceremony

IL Empower

Lake County Services

Professional Development

Youth Mental Health Training

Administrator Academies

Licensure News

Conference News

News from the Superintendent

of Schools

We moved!! Our new office location is located at 300 Center Drive, Suite 100, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061

Lake County Educator of the Year Ceremony

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday May 10th for the 2nd Annual Educator of the Year Ceremony at the Lake County Fairgrounds. More information to follow soon.

Lake County 211


Winter break can be a challenging time for students disconnected from the school environment and the support it brings. Share this message below from 211 in your school newsletters to help support our families during break. Additional 211 promotional resources are available in United Way of Lake County’s 211 toolkit.


The holidays can be a tough time of year for families. Many families are struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table, while others are experiencing grief from the loss of loved ones. For those coping with mental health challenges, the holidays can be an especially lonely or stressful time of year. Please know you’re not alone and help is available.


If you or someone you know needs support talking through a problem or exploring mental health treatment options, 211 is here to help. Watch the video to learn more:


To speak with a caring, expert navigator who will guide you to local resources, simply dial 2-1-1 or text your zip code to 898211. 211 is free, confidential and available 24/7, with English and Spanish-speaking staff and interpretation to more than 150 other languages.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training


LEARN HOW TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adolescents ages 12-18. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to young people who are struggling.


8-hour, in-person classes are scheduled through the Lake County's Mental Health First Aid Coordinator: pderuntz@lakecountyil.gov

Here is a flyer for more details.

Licensure News

Short-Term Substitute Training

The ROE now offers short term substitute training available online at any time. There is a $25 fee to participate, paid with debit/credit card. Program List | ROE (lake.k12.il.us)  A short test is required at the end of the training. You will receive a certificate after successful completion of testing. Maintain this certificate to provide to the hiring district.


Reading Endorsements

There are two endorsements that allow an educator to teach reading.


1)   Reading teacher endorsement - requires a specific distribution of coursework but not a master’s degree

2)   Reading Specialist – Requires that the educator complete an approved program specifically for reading specialist. It also requires a master’s degree. A reading specialist can teach reading as well as provide support to other reading teachers. As part of the requirements, the college must complete the 80-02 form to confirm completion of a reading specialist program.


Often times we see educators applied in error for the wrong endorsement. Districts and educators should be aware of the difference. A reading teacher should not be referred to as a reading specialist unless they hold the actual reading specialist endorsement. 

If you have any questions regarding these two endorsements, please reach out to Pam Cooper

pcooper@lake.k12.il.us

 

Beginning January 2023

Paraprofessionals working in K-8 building may be 18 years old to qualify for the paraprofessional license.

Please note: Age 19 still applies for Paraprofessionals working in grades 9-12.

 

Required Professional Development

Professional development (PD) is required for teachers and administrators anytime that you are working in an Illinois public school 50% or more of the time in a school year.

PD is not required if working as a substitute teacher or paraprofessional.

Please be aware of your PD requirement and be sure to complete and enter your required PD before your renewal date to avoid a lapsed license.

An educator/administrator cannot continue working with a lapsed license.

 

Administrator Academies

If actively working as an administrator, you are required to complete one Administrator Academy (AA) in each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) If you miss the required AA in the fiscal year, you will have a penalty AA added to your requirement.

 

ELIS Account

Login to your ELIS account on a regular basis to view credentials.

  • Be aware of when you renew, and what is required to renew
  • Be certain that your name and address are current
  • Review your credentials

 

Short-Term Paraprofessional Approval

This approval was created for those that have not completed requirements for the full paraprofessional license but do hold a high school diploma. It is temporary, valid for three years. Educator must complete requirements for the full para license before the approval expires. There is a $25 application fee. There is no registration fee.

 

Be careful to apply for the correct license. Must apply for the short-term approval for paraprofessional and not the paraprofessional license.

 

Short- Term Approval (existing teachers)

Educator already holds a PEL not endorsed for the desired area of teaching. The short-term approval for teachers of all grades for general education, and the short-term emergency approval for special education may be helpful. Approvals (isbe.net)

 

Application Time Frame

  • Currently 30 to 60 days for review of new applications.
  • Transcripts and other documents such as 80-02 forms received at ISBE may take 2 weeks to be added to your ELIS account


Vacancies

You may search HERE for countywide school vacancies.

Upcoming Trainings for Bus Drivers

Link to Lake County ROE Calendar.

IL-Empower

The Lake County Regional Office of Education (ROE) is proud to be an Illinois State Board of Education-approved IL-Empower Learning Partner.


The Lake County ROE can support schools in Culture & Climate, Educator & Employee Quality, Continuous Improvement, Shared Leadership, Family and Community Engagement, Governance, and Management & Operations. For more information, please contact Shay McCorkle

Upcoming Professional Development

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Declutter my Digital Life

January 17 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm (Virtual)

STEM Series: Coding & Robotics Playground

January 18 | 8:30am - 3:00pm

Vocabulary Development in Young Children

January 19 | 9:00am - 3:30pm

Developing Better Writers and Critical Thinkers with Extended Responses

January 24 | 8:30am - 3:00pm

Hey Google, What's New?

January 24 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Visit our website for more PD Opportunities

Upcoming Administrator Academies

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AA #3000 Illinois Performance Evaluation Retraining: Student Growth

January 19| 8:30am - 3:30pm

AA #2000 Illinois Performance Evaluation - Principal Eval Training for Pre-Qualified Principal

January 19 and 20| 8:30am - 3:30pm

AA #1865 Principal Evaluator Competency for Initial Training and Retraining of Principal Evaluators

January 20| 8:30am - 3:30pm

AA #3952 Professional Development in a Box: SEL, Inquiry, and Critical Thinking through Engaging Discussions

January 25| 8:30am - 3:30pm

AA #1118 Law as it Relates to Teacher Rights, Liability & Litigation; Understanding Remediation & Dismissal

January 31| 8:30am - 3:30pm

Visit our website for more information on Admin. Academies

Upcoming Conferences

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Lake County Regional Office of Education
300 Center Drive, Suite 100, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
(847) 543-7833

www.lake.k12.il.us