21085 LM Summer 2021_hi

10

IASA digs deeper into our data to see how retirements and transfers compare to previous years. In addition, we speak to several superintendents who are retiring or leaving education to see how much the pandemic influenced their decision. After Difficult School Year, Are Illinois Superintendents Opting Out?

GoodbyeMessage fromDr. Vic Zimmerman

Dr. Victor Zimmerman Past President, IASA Board of Directors

While we sometimes tend to focus on the bad days, there are really many more good ones to think about. We have a choice on how we face each day and, hopefully, we choose to make every day a great one, not only for us but for our students, teachers, aides, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians and cooks. There is only one superintendent in each school district. At some point, at least four (but hopefully seven) elected school board members made the decision that we were the best person to lead our school districts. Don’t forget that. To close, I want to thank Dr. Brent Clark for his never-ending leadership and the entire IASA staff for their support of the IASA Board of Directors and the IASA Superintendents during this crazy school year.

With the 2020–21 school year in the rear-view mirror, it is time to reflect on what we lived through as superintendents. There were unprecedented challenges and setbacks, but superintendents continued to show resilience and flexibility, as well as a unique ability to get the job done when the chips were down. For that, I want to commend and celebrate you for your calm leadership during all of the great and not so great days. As leaders, we have to steer the ship in calm waters and in stormy seas. Superintendents deal with safety plans, weather emergencies, faculty and student deaths, bad employee decisions, CPPRT drops, coal plant closures, social media, bullying, snow-day decisions, split school boards, community input, coach firings, letters to the editor, bussing issues, building closures, unfunded mandates and I could keep going. However, we also get to see kids learning to read, high fives during lunch, dress-up days, birthday treats, art projects, band concerts, students with smiling faces, state championships, hiring brand new teachers, engaging professional development, referendum passages, new facilities, retirements, college scholarships and graduates coming back to see us.

IASA 2022 Superintendent of the Year Application Remembering Dr. Walt Warfield, IASA Executive Director 1992–2006

15

Refresh Recharge Revitalize PrioritizingYou andYour District

57th IASA Annual Conference Registration Opens Early August

4

I can vividly recall attending my first IASA Conference as a new Superintendent almost 20 years ago and being in awe of all of the leadership in the room. I will be finishing my role as IASA President on June 30 and will continue to serve as Superintendent of Monticello CUSD #25 through the end of the 2021–22 school year. I am proud to have served the IASA and will forever be a supporter of our organization. It’s a Great Day to be a SUPERINTENDENT.

16

Welcoming New IASA Board of Directors for FY 2022

Great Day “ It’s a to be a

” tendent! Superin

5

23 18 24

Elevating Education

IASA Professional Development Opportunities

6 LM Summer 2021

20 Superintendent Check-In

IASA News in Brief

Volume 9, Issue 6 Summer 2021 LeadershipMatters 21085 Jason Nevel Director of Social Media and Publications jnevel@iasaedu.org

2648 Beechler Court Springfield, IL 62703-7305 217.753.2213 800 Woodfield Road, Ste. F109 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4717 847.466.5075

Marjorie Gladish Graphic Designer mgladish@iasaedu.org

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

www.iasaedu.org

Scan here with your phone’s QR code reader to get the IASA APP— Don’t have a QR reader? Go to or and search for IllinoisASA.

2