Format for Council for Teacher Education Hearings

Purpose of the hearing

To serve as a final review for complaints/requests for waivers, etc. from teacher education students following decisions made by the Teacher Education Review Board. Students have the right to be supported by legal counsel. Legal counsel may not speak on behalf of the complainant but is there to advise his/her client. If the complainant brings legal counsel, the University legal counsel will be asked to be present as well. The Council for Teacher Education will make one of following decisions relative to the student's complaint:

• approve the student's request; overrules the Teacher Education Review Board decision
• deny the student's request; affirms the Teacher Education Review Board decision

Authorization

The Bylaws of the Council for Teacher Education stipulate that the Teacher Education Review Board (TERB) will review cases of students having complaints concerning admission, retention, and evaluation of progress toward certification in teacher education programs.

Note: Illinois State Board of Education rules require, as a criterion for program approval, that institutions provide this stipulation for teacher candidates. See Criterion 8 of the program approval rules.

Procedures for Hearing of Complaints by the Council for Teacher Education (CTE)

Prior to the hearing

• Students may appeal the decision of the Teacher Education Review Board. Such an appeal must be in written form and received within ten working days following the Review Board decision. The student must indicate in writing whether he or she will be bringing legal counsel.
• The chair of the Council for Teacher Education (CTE) will schedule a date and time for the committee to meet to hear the complaint. A date of a regularly scheduled meeting will be selected for the hearing.
• The student and the department chair will be notified of the hearing times and asked to submit information in writing regarding the complaint by a date certain which addresses the particular issue, criteria, or policy. The department chair may delegate his or her designee to prepare the written response regarding the complaint on behalf of the department. As part of the information provided to CTE, the Teacher Education Review Board will also submit a written rationale for its decision.  Prior to the hearing, the student and the department represented (chair and/or designee) will be provided copies of all the information which each have submitted to CTE for the appeal. 
• If the student chooses to have legal counsel present at the hearing, the Council for Teacher Education Chair will invite the University's legal counsel to be present at that time, also.

At the hearing

• The chair of the Council for Teacher Education will review the issue in question: admission, retention and evaluation of progress toward certification in teacher education programs.
• The chair of CTE will facilitate the hearing. Other members of the Council who may be members of the specific student's department and/or members of Teacher Education Review Board may not participate in the deliberations of the Council.
• During the hearing, the student and the representative(s) of the department are asked to meet separately with the Council. 
• The student will meet first and is limited to 30 minutes to present oral remarks regarding the complaint. His or her legal counsel may not speak on behalf of the complainant but may be there to advise his/her client.
• Members of the CTE may ask questions for up to an additional fifteen minutes, if desired. Following the oral testimony and the questions by the Council for Teacher Education members, the student  will leave the hearing room.
• The Department is then asked to meet with the Council and is limited to 30 minutes to present oral remarks regarding the complaint and to provide evidence and rationale as to the decision.
• Council members may ask the Department questions for up to an additional fifteen minutes, if desired. Following the oral testimony and the questions by the Council for Teacher Education members, the departmental representative(s) will leave the hearing room.
• Following the oral testimony, the Council may review the merits of the complaints; it may choose to reschedule another meeting for review; and/or it may make a decision at that time.
• The members of the Council will be asked by secret ballot to vote on the appeal. The chair will announce the results of the ballot. Members of the Council for Teacher Education who may be members of the specific student's department and/or members of Teacher Education Review Board may not vote. In the event of a tie, the chair will vote.
• When the decision is rendered, the chair of CTE will inform the appropriate parties in writing within thirty working days of the hearing.