Library Information Specialist Endorsement - Further Clarification

Some clarification on my prior post is in order. The Library Information Specialist (LIS) endorsement can only be earned by students who are already certified teachers in Illinois. Here's an example: a teacher who has taught 3rd grade for some time would like a change. She would love to be her school's librarian, but needs an extra credential: the LIS endorsement. To qualify for this endorsement, the teacher must take 24 credit hours of library classes and pass an exam. We've had a number of students over the past several years who have done this. However, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has now made a new rule that half the of 24 credit hours have to be graduate level courses. This will take effect in February 2012.

If you are not a certified teacher who wants to earn the LIS endorsement, this news does not impact you. There is an urgency to the post, but only for a few. So sorry to have alarmed some of you unnecessarily. As always, if this is unclear, please email me.