Bill
HB 3528
Illinois bans mandatory unpaid student teaching and allows paid placements for early childhood student teaching (birth-2) to count toward academic credit, with program approval.
Status and timeline
- Bill number: HB 3528 — Enrolled as Public Act 104-0316
- Introduced: February 28, 2025
- Passed both houses: May 22, 2025
- Sent to Governor: June 20, 2025
- Governor approved / Effective date: August 15, 2025
Purpose
- To remove policies that require student teaching to be unpaid and to explicitly permit student teachers in certain early childhood placements to be paid while receiving academic credit. The Act is titled the “Affordable Student Teaching Act.”
Key provisions
- Amends the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/21B-20 and 105 ILCS 5/24-8.5):
- For early childhood endorsements, the student teaching requirement may be satisfied by placement in settings serving children from birth through grade 2.
- The student teaching experience for an early childhood endorsement may be paid and may count for academic credit, provided it meets the educator preparation program’s requirements and is approved by that program.
- Establishes a statewide prohibition: no institution of higher education shall adopt or maintain any policy that requires student teaching for preservice teachers to be unpaid.
Who is affected
- Preservice teachers enrolled in educator preparation programs (particularly early childhood candidates).
- Institutions of higher education that run teacher preparation programs (policy change compels them not to require unpaid student teaching).
- K‑12 schools, early childhood sites, and school districts that host student teachers (may be asked or expected to pay student teachers).
- Teacher preparation programs and program accreditors (must approve paid placements that meet program standards).
Practical/financial implications
- The law mandates institutions cannot require unpaid student teaching but does not set a mandated pay rate, funding source, or specify whether payment is required in all placements — only that policies cannot require unpaid status.
- Implementation may shift costs to host districts, partnering agencies, institutions, or external funders and could prompt policy/practice changes to secure paid student-teaching opportunities.
Legislative sponsors and related bills
- Primary sponsors: Rep. Michael Crawford; Sen. Adriane Johnson (chief Senate sponsor); multiple co‑sponsors listed.
- Companion legislation: SB 1729 and SB 1780.
Notes
- The provision allowing paid student teaching is explicit for early childhood endorsements (birth–grade 2) but the prohibition on requiring unpaid placements applies broadly to preservice teachers across programs.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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