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week-long boot camp. More than 80 participants have been hired as superintendent within five years of attending this academy. The next Aspiring Superintendent Academy will be held June 2025. Legal Support and Services The IASA Legal Support Program works in concert with and independently from the AASA legal assistance program. At no additional cost, IASA member superintendents can contact IASA’s in-house general counsel, Chad Watkins, for legal consultation regarding contracts and assistance in job-related legal actions or proceedings. There are also instances where IASA members can obtain private counsel through a formula-driven financial reimbursement of private attorney fees. To help members navigate complex legal issues, IASA hosts virtual legal workshops led by experienced school attorneys. In FY 2024, IASA hosted 20 legal workshops. Legislative Advocacy As a statewide association, IASA is a united voice for superintendents in the Illinois General Assembly. We work tirelessly to advocate for legislation that will improve education in our state and benefit our members. IASA employs a Chief of Staff, Emily Warnecke, and a full-time Director of Governmental Relations, Madeline McCune. Whenever issues of interest or importance happen at the State Capitol, the IASA will provide members with an analysis regarding what legislative proposals mean, potential impacts and what counter-proposals might emerge. The Capitol Watch reports are timely, delivered electronically and only available to IASA members. In addition, IASA unveiled an online Bill Tracker/Analysis tool in 2022 that is exclusive to IASA membership. Communications Members have direct access to Jason Nevel, Director of Communications, for consultation and assistance in developing talking points, media statements or messages to parents. IASA members can also access a library of template letters on the IASA website that make it easy to quickly turnaround messages to families.

Leadership, Elevate Women in Leadership and Reimagining Rural Leadership. • ISAL: Originally launched in 2010, IASA’s School for Advanced Leadership is unlike any professional development experience available to superintendents in Illinois because it integrates personal and professional growth plans with the cultivation of lifelong relationships. At this point in time, seven ISAL classes and a total of 175 ISAL fellows have successfully completed the two-year cohorts. The eighth cohort will kick off its first session in January 2025. • LEVEL UP LEADERSHIP: In September 2022, IASA launched the first of its kind statewide cohort for assistant superintendents and central office administrators. The first class included 41 educators. Participants met quarterly in Springfield at the IASA headquarters. The cohort finished its final meeting on May 3, 2024. • ELEVATE: This premier professional development opportunity was designed by female superintendents for female superintendents. The new cohort—the first of its kind in Illinois—launched in February 2023. Eight sessions will be held throughout the cohort, which wraps up in August 2024. The first class of Elevate featured 21 female superintendents. • REIMAGINING RURAL LEADERSHIP: IASA opened registration for this new cohort for rural educators in April 2023. The cohort launched with a site visit to Bunker Hill CUSD #8 in September 2023, followed by six virtual sessions and a final site visit to Olympia CUSD #16 in May 2024. Aspiring Superintendent Academy The IASA Aspiring Superintendent Academy (ASA) is a four-day academy designed for administrators seeking to become a superintendent. The learning academy hones participants’ leadership knowledge and skills and gives them a view of the modern superintendency. Since it launched in July 2016, 313 educators have attended this

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