Happy Summer! We hope you are enjoying your favorite summertime activities. Our office is excited as we prepare for the upcoming school year. One of our new items this summer is our monthly newsletter! Each month you will receive a newsletter with information pertaining to our office such as upcoming events, professional development activities, and news to know. As always, you can visit our website for more information. We look forward to connecting with you each month!

Sincerely,

Regional Office of Education 51

Summertime Goodie Baskets!

Prior to summer vacation, our truancy team and homeless liaisons partnered together to create summer time goodie baskets for our families in Sangamon and Menard counties!

FY25 KIDS

Click the image to learn more!

Save the Date!

Back to School Event

ROE 51 will be hosting their back to school event for Sangamon and Menard County school administrators on Friday, August 2. We look forward to seeing everyone!

Professional Development Opportunity

Friday, October 11, 2024, ROE 51 will be hosting a professional development event at the Crowne Plaza. The event will include a keynote speaker and several engaging breakout sessions. More details to follow!S

ROE 51 Capital Area Career Fair

The 2024-2025 school year brings a new event to the ROE 51 activities calendar. On Wednesday, October 2nd, the Regional Office of Education #51 will host the 47th Annual Capital Area Education Fair in the Orr Building located at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Approximately 90 post secondary institutions will be on hand to meet with prospective college students. Last year saw over 2,000 juniors and seniors from across the Springfield area in attendance.

Reminders

Any licensee who fails to renew by August 31 will lapse on September 1. Licenses must be renewed by June 30 to be considered valid for employment in the 2024-2025 school year.

All recent retirees need to update their PD/Employment status in their ELIS account to "retired" to avoid lapsing on September 1. Find step-by-step instructions here.

All outstanding professional development/administrator academies must be completed prior to renewing your license. Renewal can be completed through your ELIS account. Visit our renewal website for more information.

Back to School Immunization & Physicals

Licensure Flexibilities

Struggling to fill a vacant position? Check out licensure flexibilities including short-term approvals for licensed teachers, non-licensed applicants, substitutes, and paraprofessionals.

School Bus Training

Participants for initial and refresher bus driver training courses must be registered with ROE 51 prior to attending the course. Please visit our website for scheduled dates and registration information. Several courses are being offered throughout July.

Administrator Corner

Beginning July 1, 2024, new administrator academy updates are being implemented by ISBE. Here are the key takeaways:

-AA 4050 will become initial training and retraining for principal evaluators only

-AA 3000 will continue to be retraining but for teacher evaluators only

-AA 1865 will no longer be offered as a new student growth academy is being developed and will be available in the fall

To learn more, please visit ISBE's website.

Did You Know?

If you are seeking to add a subsequent endorsement to your existing Professional Educator License (PEL), most endorsements can be added with 18 semester hours of coursework and a passing score on the content exam. Coursework can be completed through any regionally accredited institution as long as it is completed with a C- or higher. To learn more, check out the subsequent endorsement requirements.

Staff Spotlight

Learn more about your local ROE 51 staff members!

This month we are featuring our Director of ROE Services - Morgan Lovelace.

Morgan joined ROE 51 in May of 2024. Prior to joining the ROE office, she worked as a Principal Consultant at the Illinois State Board of Education in the Educator Effectiveness Department where she processed licensure applications, managed grants, and assisted with a statewide professional development tracking system. She will be the new licensure contact for ROE 51 and will assist with other office initiatives as well.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside enjoying the weather and with her husband, 8 month old daughter, and her dog, Rue.

Morgan is excited to work closely with the teachers, administrators, and community members of Sangamon and Menard counties!

Licensure Testing

GED Testing & Transcripts

Do you know someone who wants or needs to complete the GED exam? You can sign up to complete the exam at the ROE 51 office. In addition, our office can provide official copies of GED transcripts. To learn more, visit the website.

Content Exams

Prospective and current teachers can complete content exams at ROE 51. To sign up visiting the testing website.