#2 Finding: The Quest for Educator Licensure Information is Obscure

In the context of Educator Misconduct specifically within Sexual Abuse Allegations, we experienced the difficulty and limiting nature on finding access of Educator Licensure insights. In fact, locating the database of licensed teachers in Illinois was a challenge and not easy to locate by navigating the ISBE website. With our research team’s rigor, the State Board of Education maintains the Educator Licensure Information System was located here. This database shows when a license is issued, when it expires, what Region they work in, and whether or not it was revoked, expired, lapsed, or exchanged. It does not show which school they work in, or even the District, except Chicago, which is both a region and a district.

Furthermore, if the license is revoked, the database does not capture the reason. More information is available on revocations, suspensions, and other sanctions in another section of the ISBE website here. It’s worth noting that this database is not searchable. For example: one must know when the sanction was filed and look for the name in an alphabetical listing for each type of sanction for each year.

If there is a filing, it usually does not reveal much information about why the sanction was imposed, even if the license was revoked. Of those our research team reviewed, the filings don’t show where the individual worked. We found that for revocations, it’s common for the Educator to voluntarily surrender his/her license, which results in an automatic revocation. In most cases, it appears, the teacher voluntarily surrendered the license to avoid losing at a revocation hearing.

In many areas of licensed positions like medical, legal, real estate, etc., there are clear cut ways to tracking licensure information. However, in the education sector, it makes it difficult to come to conclusions and take action quickly and productively.