Intent to Mentor
If you are a National Board Certified Illinois educator, you may be eligible for an annual incentive of up to
$2,250, paid at a rate of
$50 per hour for providing mentoring and/or National Board professional development support to educators pursuing or maintaining National Board Certification. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to educators serving in Tier 1 school districts.
Eligibility Criteria
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Current Employment in an Illinois School District: You must be currently employed by an Illinois school district.
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National Board Certification: You must hold both a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification and the corresponding valid NBPTS certificate.
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Written Commitment to Mentor: You must agree, in writing, to provide up to
45 hours of mentoring, National Board professional development, or a combination of both during the school year.
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Eligible Mentoring Activities: Mentoring and support may be provided to
- National Board certification candidates.
- National Board certification re-take candidates.
- National Board certification renewal candidates.
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Funding Availability: Incentive funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority consideration is given to educators working in Tier 1 school districts.
Incentive Details
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Maximum Incentive Amount: Up to
$2,250 annually.
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Payment Rate:$50 per hour of approved mentoring and/or professional development activities.
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Maximum Hours: Up to
45 hours during the school year.
Important Deadline
- Intent to Mentor forms and all supporting documentation must be submitted no later than May 7, 2027, at 11:59pm.
- Incentive payments will be calculated based on approved mentoring and professional development hours submitted by the deadline.
Professional Development Reduction
If you hold a valid National Board Certificate, your overall PD owed is reduced by 60 PD hours.
Example: You hold a PEL with a teaching endorsement, you only owe 60 PD hours instead of 120 PD hours to renew your PEL.
In order to receive your reduction for National Board Certification, you must add your valid certification information as a PD activity on your Professional Development page in ELIS.
Be sure the begin and end dates of the activity are chosen within your current cycle. If you choose dates outside of your cycle, you will not receive credit.
Follow the steps below to successfully add your National Board Certification as an activity in your ELIS account:
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Login to ELIS
- On the menu panel, select Professional Development
- Click “click here to add professional development hours”
- Enter your certification information
- Enter 60 professional development hours.
- Select finish
