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Education Elevat g Polyak ... cont’d. The educational pathways program is made possible through a partnership with the Okaw Area Vocational Center. Twelve school districts participate in the program, which provides students pathways to earn industry Garrison ... cont’d.

academy in Springfield is an immersive learning experience that prepares educators for the superintendency. Dr. Polyak and Dr. Lubelfeld also lead the Aspiring Superintendent Academy for AASA. “We wanted to help demystify the position of superintendent and develop and encourage the next generation of school leaders,” Dr. Polyak said. “The relationships people develop in the academy carry on throughout people’s careers.” Dr. Polyak also launched the IASA Global Service Project, which sends a group of superintendents and school board members to the Dominican Republic to engage in a service project that benefits the local community. The first service project was held in October 2021. The second will take place in October 2022. “The grand hope is participants bring this idea back to their school districts and create an opportunity for their students to experience all of the benefits of a service project,” Dr. Polyak said. Dr. Polyak has also co-authored three books on education leadership and is the leader of the AASA Transformational Leadership Consortium. The consortium brings school leaders from across the country to do site visits at innovative districts. “When you go and see a program or something awesome happening in another school or district, your mind begins to explore whether or not something like that might make sense in your own schools and communities,” Dr. Polyak said. Dr. Polyak co-created #Suptchat on Twitter eight years ago. He and Dr. Lubelfeld pose questions on Twitter about leadership and educational practices. People across the country then respond to the questions using the hashtag. “It’s a monthly free learning opportunity that helps people connect with colleagues across the country and around the world,” Dr. Polyak said. Inside Leyden CHSD #212, Dr. Polyak said he’s proud the district was one of the first three schools in the country to transition to 1:1 with Google Chromebooks and Google Apps in 2012. The process started the year before he was hired, and he was able to help oversee implementation. Leyden was also blessed to be part of the state’s original E-Learning Day pilot, paving the way to help school districts transition from traditional snow days to being able to keep learning happening during inclement weather. Lastly, over the past three years, the district has completed over $100 million in construction projects to modernize facilities in order to suit the needs of current and future Leyden Eagles.

certifications and an associate’s degree before graduating high school. A major focus in recent years has been on developing future educators. “One of the things we’re most proud of is that the credit hours earned are transferable to colleges we have agreements with and actually count toward core education courses, and not as electives,” Dr. Garrison said. The first edition of Vandalia One magazine was recently published. The publication includes numerous student success stories. What makes the magazine unique is that it is printed and mailed to the homes of community members. “It’s important for us to keep building those connections and sharing our success stories to the community,” Dr. Garrison said. Within Vandalia CUSD #203’s walls, Dr. Garrison has prioritized implementing supports for students who may have suffered setbacks in their learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vandalia CUSD #203’s “Learning Rejuvenation” program includes extra interventions based on student deficits as well as high-impact tutoring, made possible through a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. Outside of the district’s walls, Dr. Garrison was a strong advocate for Evidence-Based Funding. Before the monumental law was passed in 2017, Dr. Garrison was among a group of superintendents who testified at the Illinois statehouse and advocated across numerous platforms about the need to fix the school funding formula in Illinois. She was also named to IASA’s COVID-19 Transition Team in March 2020. The team of superintendents from across the state created resources and communication letters for superintendents as well as developed positive messaging to help school leaders navigate an unprecedented time. “We did not know what was coming when Dr. (Brent) Clark formed the team in March 2020,” Dr. Garrison said. “I was honored to be selected, and I valued the diversity of the team and its willingness to work together and support each other and our peers across the state.”

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