Feb2020LMhi

February 2020 LeadershipMatters

Graduating With A Plan

U-46 to Offer 24 Educational Pathways

BrandNew Feature!

IASA Members On The Move BrandNew Feature!

Highlighting LeadersWho Are Elevating Education

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GRADUATING WITH A PLAN

Beginning in the 2021–22 school year, U-46 will launch its Educational Pathways initiative, aimed at preparing all U-46 students for the rigors of college and tomorrow’s career skills, while also providing students opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials. Learn more about the initiative by reading a story and listening to an IASA Podcast.

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On The Move

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Legal Corner

IASA News in Brief

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Educators Who Are Elevating Education

Education Elevat g

Videos From the Districts

Education Elevat g

IASA Calendar of Events

PartXIV

16 Series Part XIV:

Making a Difference

Volume 8, Issue 2 February 2020 LeadershipMatters 20000 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

Graphic Designer Marjorie Gladish 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.

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Message From the Executive Director What CanWe Expect During Gov. Pritzker’s Second Legislation Session

Dr. Brent Clark

Pritzker was referring to an unintended consequence of the state’s Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, that incentivizes units of government to tax to the cap every year for fear of losing that revenue in perpetuity. IASA has argued for years PTELL needs to be reformed, and it was encouraging to hear the governor sound receptive to the idea. However, property tax relief polls well and many lawmakers are clamoring to tell their constituents their tax bill will be lowered. Don’t forget this is an election year for the Illinois House of Representatives, as well as some Senators, and anything can happen. Furthermore, hanging over everything will be how much support there is for a ballot initiative in November to change the state’s Constitution to allow for a graduated income tax. We still believe it’s possible the promise of local property tax relief could be used as a tradeoff for the passage of the graduated income tax. There are also ramifications for school funding. Last month, the Illinois State Board of Education Board approved a budget recommendation of a $100 million increase for early childhood programs and $510 million increase in EBF funding. The latter is up $135 million from this fiscal year. This would be a tremendous step forward. I believe the governor wants to make the investment, but it will boil down to if the state can afford it. Stay tuned. We will learn much more about the governor’s agenda when he gives his budget address on Feb. 19.

Last May, we witnessed one of the most impressive legislative sessions ever in terms of a governor being able to accomplish the goals set forth in his gubernatorial campaign. When the dust settled, Pritzker cleared the board and reminded everyone it is still possible to get things done under the Capitol dome. As we head into a new legislative session—kick started by Pritzker’s State of the State address last week—what can we expect to happen? I predict this session will have a much different feel from last. Lawmakers and lobbyists are now familiar with how the governor and his staff operate. Also, the Senate has a new leadership team that will want to put its stamp on how it does business. I also don’t expect the governor’s agenda to be quite as wide-ranging, although that doesn’t mean it won’t be consequential. Gov. Pritzker signaled ethics reform would be his top priority in his State of the State Address, noting, “We have to work together to confront a scourge that has been plaguing our political system for far too long.” The governor wants to end the practice of legislators serving as paid lobbyists and wants to enact a revolving-door policy so lawmakers can’t retire and immediately start lobbying. That’s always been a tough climb at the statehouse because it would require legislators to vote for something that will hurt them financially. The devil will be in the details, but I expect meaningful ethics reform to pass. Also, Pritzker came out in favor of allowing citizens to consolidate or eliminate units of local government. He did not mention schools but several pieces of legislation have already been filed to force consolidation. The biggest issue for schools this session, however, will be possible changes to our main source of revenue—property taxes. Pritzker’s remarks were interesting, saying “Local governments continue to max out their levies even when they don’t need to.”

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—Lela Majstorovic U-46 Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education The end goal is not simply graduating from high school; the end goal is for our students to graduate with a plan and multiple options for the next step in their journey.

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Graduating With a Plan

U-46 to Offer 24 Educational Pathways

By Jason Nevel IASA Director of Social Media and Publications

School districts across Illinois continue to innovate and develop new programs that prepare students for life after high school. Over the past year, IASA highlighted some of these innovative practices, including how Okaw Valley CUSD #302 teamed up with the US Army Corps of Engineers and sponsors to develop a unique agriculture program, how Maine Township High School District 207 re-examined career and college advisement and how students at Abingdon-Avon CUSD #276 can earn an associate degree before graduation.

In this issue, we share another example of innovation happening at School District U-46 in Elgin, the state’s second largest district with 38,395 students. This article is an overview and just one way to learn about the Educational Pathways initiative at U-46. To learn more, click on the icon to the right to listen to an IASA Podcast with Lela Majstorovic, assistant superintendent for secondary education. CreatingEducational Pathways Beginning in the 2021–22 school year, U-46 will launch its Educational Pathways initiative, aimed at preparing all U-46 students for the rigors of college and tomorrow’s career skills, while also providing students opportunities to earn college credit and industry credentials. The initiative builds and expands upon U-46’s magnet academies, which have been offered to select groups of

high school students for two decades as a way to take students to new levels of creative, interdisciplinary learning, as well as give them a head start on higher education. The Educational Pathway initiative calls for all U-46 high schools to each house the same five college and career academies: • Fine Arts • Business • Human Services • STEM • Liberal Arts Within the college and career academies, 24 different educational pathways will be offered to high school students. For example, the human services academies will offer pathways in early childhood education, hospitality, culinary arts, law, medical assistant, patient care technician and social advocacy. (See the complete breakdown on page 7.)

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Pathways ... cont’d.

Whydo it? U-46 decided to launch the Educational Pathways initiative in response to rising costs of college, changing labor trends and a desire to better support social emotional needs of students. The initiative also fulfills the district’s vision of expanding the number of small learning communities within U-46’s five high schools. By providing students with more rigorous courses, opportunities for career exploration and increased guidance— all housed within a small, supportive learning community within a large high school—it better sets students up for success later in life, school leaders believe. “We are hoping to empower students to explore a field of interest and learn more about themselves in the process,” Majstorovic said. “The end goal is not simply graduating from high school; the end goal is for our students to graduate with a plan and multiple options for the next step in their journey.” Howdoes itwork? The Educational Pathways initiative aims to provide high school students a way to explore a field of interest, earn early college/career credentials and graduate with a plan for the next step in their journey. Current seventh-graders will be the first class to switch to the new high school structure in 2021–22, where they will be able to select a career objective, attend the academy that offers classes for that career and possibly graduate with college credit, industry credentials or certifications and/or a state seal of biliteracy.

Students will take a semester-long freshman seminar course before selecting an intentionally-designed sequence of courses housed within each academy. The course sequences could be made up of core classes or electives but are taken together in a cohesive manner. The pathways are intended to emphasize critical thinking, problem- solving, collaboration, communication and other 21st Century work skills required across all industries. Students will still be required to meet graduation requirements and be able to meet specific college admission standards. What else toknow While there isn’t a specific career exploration course to be offered in middle school, a great deal of work has been done to revise offerings available to students through electives. The work is reflected in the middle school art, P.E., family and consumer sciences, Project Lead the Way and computers curricula. Additional middle school guidance counselors have also been hired to assist students. The initiative has also been designed with multiple entry and exit points. Students can change their pathway selection during sophomore or junior year. Another important aspect is that while every high school will have the same career academies, not all pathways will be available at every school. The popular magnet academies will still exist as structured, four- year specialized programs that have an established admission criteria. That’s different from pathways courses, which only take up one to two periods within a student’s schedule and are designed to be completed in three years.

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Want toLearnMore? More information about the U-46 Educational Pathway initiative can be found online at the district’s website .

24 EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS

BusinessAcademy Finance and Accounting Management and Leadership Office Assistant FineArtsAcademy

Liberal ArtsAcademy College Prep Early College STEMAcademy Environmental Science Information Technology Precision Manufacturing Welding Automotive Engineering

Photography Theatre Arts

HumanServicesPathway Early Childhood Education Hospitality and Culinary Arts Law Medical Assistant Patient Care Technician Social Advocacy

2D Art 3D Art

Artes Folkloricas de Mexico Commercial and Digital Art Music Recording and Production

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GET PREPARED: Leveraging the Power of EBF to Plan and Communicate

New Series of Workshops Scheduled EBF is much more than a tool to funnel additional money to needy schools. It has the power to be used as a strategic communication and planning tool to detail what it costs to provide students with a high-quality education— no matter what tier your district is in. This free workshop will give you the tools you need to more effectively tell your district’s story and speak confidently and factually about the impact any property tax freeze would have on your district. By the end of the workshop participants should be able to answer three important questions: • Is my adequacy target sufficient to meet the demand for service in my district? • How do my staffing and services compare to the research-based design for the students we serve? • What is the fiscal responsibility for the state and our district, and how can we rightly design our tax rate? The free workshops will be held across the state beginning in late February and run through late March. Each workshop will be taught by two IASA Field Services Directors and participants will be eligible for CPD hours. Each participant must bring their own laptop, current year staff directory and FY 20 budgeted data for salaries. Click on the link to see the complete workshop schedule and to register. GET PREPARED—Click Here to REGISTER Today To deepen your understanding of this initiative, click here to listen to IASA’s podcast.

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LegalCorner

NewYear, NewDistrict? Tips to Help You Navigate the Process

Chad Watkins IASA Associate Director/General Counsel

Congratulations! We would like to offer you the job as our district’s next superintendent.

evaluate them. Boards should understand that committing to a new district is not a split-second decision and requires careful consideration. • Findout howthe contractwill beprepared andnegotiated. As part of your initial conversation regarding the offer, find out how the contract will be drafted and who will be handling negotiations. Districts across the state take different approaches. Some use their board attorney; some do not. Some utilize the contract from the previous superintendent; some do not. Some also invite the new superintendent to draft a proposed contract. • Contactme. I can be reached at 217–381–8014 or cwatkins@iasaedu.org . Subject to some limitations, I am available to assist current members regarding

For some, hearing those words from the school board president means getting that first shot at your dream job, leading a school district. For others, those words mean a fresh start or an exhilarating challenge in a new place. Whatever the circumstances, it is always exciting to learn that you have been chosen for the job, and that is worth celebrating. But at the same time, it is important that your excitement does not get in the way of prudent decision making as you develop your contract in the new district. To help you navigate this process successfully, here are some tips to keep in mind: • Knowyour non-negotiablesandpriorities. Even before receiving an offer, consider what must be in your contract before you move to a new district. This could be a certain salary, paid family health insurance, a certain number of vacation days, etc. This is a personal decision and only you can decide what you are willing to accept for a new opportunity. • Upon receiving theoffer, bepositive, yet non-committal. When you get the offer, be sure to communicate your appreciation for the board’s decision but avoid committing to terms before you have had a chance to

matters related to their employment, including contract negotiations, as well as individuals who have been offered superintendent positions and who commit to becoming an IASA member upon becoming the superintendent.

The preceding article was written for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For matters related to your employment, you are invited to contact me to discuss possible representation.

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012020 HP IASA

AASA National Conference on Education February 13–15, 2020 San Diego, CA

Register here Registration and Housing Now Open!

The preferred hotel for the Illinois delegation is the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.

Superintendent of the Year Reception A reception honoring the 2020 Illinois Superintendent of the Year, is planned for Friday, February 14, 2020 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in the Marina Kitchen Private Dining Room at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Co-sponsored by: American Fidelity and ECRA Group, Inc.

Joinus inFebruaryat the2020AASANational ConferenceonEducation inSanDiego for a ReceptionHonoring Dr. KevinBlankenship 2020 IllinoisSuperintendent of theYear

Scott-MorganCUSD#2and Winchester CUSD#1

Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 5:30–7pm

At theMarinaKitchenPrivateDiningRoom MarriottMarquisSanDiegoMarina SanDiego, California

Co-sponsored by:

BrandNew LeadershipMatters Feature

LISTED CHANGES WILL BE EFFECTIVE START OF 2020–2021 SCHOOL YEAR Members On The Move

Who’s moving, who’s brand new, who’s retiring? Here’s an easy way to keep track of who’s where!

Known New Superintendents 28

Known Transferring Superintendents

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Click on each square to see a list of names for the upcoming school year.

Known Retiring Superintendents

Known Superintendent Vacancies

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Please know that every attempt has been made to achieve accuracy on these lists. If we have not yet learned of your new role or that of a fellow superintendent,

please send the information to Misti Murphy at mmurphy@iasaedu.org, and we will include it in next month’s issue of Leadership Matters.

See IASA’s Job Bank to post or apply for educational positions in Illinois.

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BrandNew LeadershipMatters Feature

Education Elevat g IASA is proud to launch a new series highlighting tremendous educators across Illinois who have given their time and energy to elevating the superintendency and public education as a whole. Each month, we will feature two educators who are going the extra mile and truly making a difference beyond their school districts and local communities. While we are aware of many of the contributions administrators are making, we are open to any suggestions for someone to feature next month. To make a recommendation, contact Jason Nevel, IASA director of social media and publications, at jnevel@iasaedu.org or by calling 217–753–2213.

Dr. Donna Leak, CCSD#168

Dr. E. Scott England, Fairfield PSD#112

Who: Dr. Donna Leak, superintendent What: Vice Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education; National Association of State Boards of Education Conference. Where: Community

Who: Dr. E. Scott England, superintendent What: Host of Anchored in Education podcast; co-chair of Illinois ASCD;

president-elect of the Fairfield Rotary Club; School Administrator magazine contributor.

Consolidated Schools District #168–Sauk Village; IASA Cook South Region When: Dr. Leak was appointed to the Illinois State Board of Education in February 2019 by Governor JB Pritzker. Her term expires January 2023. Why: When she was contacted by the governor’s office to serve on the ISBE board, Dr. Leak didn’t hesitate. It was an opportunity to be a voice for superintendents while also remaining in her current role. “I love my district and wanted to continue to try and make an impact on students and families,” she says.

Where: Fairfield PSD #112; IASA Egyptian Region When: “Anchored in Education” debuted in March 2019. The podcast is released on Mondays and is available in Apple Podcasts and other places people listen to podcasts. Why: Every week, Dr. England has a guest on to discuss an important issue in education or have a conversation aimed at helping superintendents become better leaders. Topics covered in the 40-plus episodes include time management, elimination of the edTPA and how superintendents should handle the loss of a staff member or student.

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Leak ... cont’d.

England ... cont’d.

Ever since she became a superintendent in 2010, Dr. Leak closely followed ISBE, reading board minutes and asking the members questions. An initiative of Vision 20/20 paved the way for her to serve. The legislation ensured a practicing educator would be appointed to the board. Since her appointment, she has tried to be a bridge to the field and encourage her colleagues to provide feedback and help ISBE develop a Strategic Plan that is responsive to the needs in the field. “It’s important the people at the table understand the decisions they make have an impact out in the field,” Leak says. In addition, Dr. Leak is involved with the National Association of State Boards of Education. “It helps me bring a more global view of what education should look like back to the ISBE board,” she says.

Dr. England was motivated to start the podcast by his wife—who kidded him he “never seems to be without anything to say”—and his participation in the ISAL V cohort. While it requires a lot of work to find a guest each week to interview, recording the podcast has been fulfilling both personally and professionally, Dr. England says. “There are some really cool educators out there and it has been just amazing to talk to them,” he says. “It’s important to build each other up, share what we are doing and let others learn from us.” If you have a great idea or would like to be a guest on the podcast, email Dr. England at podcast@escottengland.com .

CALLFORPRESENTATIONS Superintendency the Share your best practices with your colleagues! Click here to submit a proposal to present a Breakout Session. Celebrating

KeyDates:

CONFERENCE 56th Annual

SubmissionDeadline:March6,2020 PresentersNotified: April 2020 ConferenceHeld: Sept. 30–October2,2020

Questions:

ContactJodi Gillespie,Panel Coordinator 217–753–2213or jgillespie@iasaedu.org

NewsInBrief

InRemembrance We are sad to share Dr. Harold E. Ford passed away on January 20 at the age of 72. Dr. Ford served as superintendent at Geneseo CUSD #228 before retiring, and was also a former IASA President. Bill Wrenn, superintendent of Midland Community Unit School District #7, passed away on January 26 at the age of 58. Wrenn served at Midland as superintendent the past four years.

Dr. KeelyRoberts to BeRecognized for ExpandingMusical Educationat ZionESD#6 Dr. Keely Roberts, superintendent at Zion ESD #6, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Save The Music Foundation’s 15th annual Administrator

Dr. Harold E. Ford

Dr. Keely Roberts

Award for Distinguished Support of Music Education. Dr. Roberts will travel to San Diego for the annual National Conference on Education, hosted by AASA, where the award will be presented on February 15. The award recognizes one superintendent or school district CEO who has exhibited outstanding commitment to restoring music education in his or her school district. Dr. Roberts was chosen for her deep commitment to providing elementary students across Zion ESD #6 with a well-rounded education that includes music. Under her leadership, Zion ESD #6 has built pathways that have expanded musical programming opportunities district-wide. Students are now able to experiment with many musical instruments, enroll in a variety of music classes that are outside of their core content and are given opportunities to showcase their talent and skill to the community through multiple concerts from ensembles with varying playing abilities (beginning band and orchestra, intermediate band and orchestra, middle school orchestra, concert band, elementary choir, combined choir and mariachi). Additionally, students now have the opportunity to enroll in summer music camps for both band and orchestra. To learn more about music education at Zion ESD #6, read our story about the program in the May 2018 issue of Leadership Matters . ISDLAF+MonthlyUpdate Click here to view the most current ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Dr. Donald E. Weber, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations/ISDLAF+ at 630–657–6435. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com.

Bill Wrenn

MessageFromDr. Orzel About PDOpportunities Dr. Courtney Orzel, current superintendent at Lemont-Bromberek CSD #113A, will begin as IASA’s Associate Director of Professional Development on July 1. On Jan. 31, she wrote a letter to IASA members about upcoming professional development opportunities. Click here to view that letter and learn more about exciting professional development opportunities.

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Series Part XIV

MakingaDifference: ANewYear,More Progress

CCSD #168–Sauk Village

FiveMoreSchoolDistrictsShare HowEBFBenefitsTheirStudents

Casey-Westfield CUSD #4C

By Jason Nevel IASA Director of Social Media and Publications

Wesclin CUSD #3

Fairfield PSD #112

In August 2018, we launched our Making a Difference series to better understand how Evidence-Based Funding is helping Illinois students. We profiled 50 school districts and one thing was abundantly clear from our conversations with superintendents. The state’s investment into public education is making a difference. STEM programs were created, social workers and counselors hired, class sizes reduced, electives restored and student safety improved, all as a result of just two years of additional state funding.

Herrin CUSD #4

This month, we continue our series on how school districts across the state are using Evidence-Based Funding dollars to improve student outcomes. The series this time around, however, has a new wrinkle. In addition to learning how the dollars have already made a difference, superintendents share what continued support of the Evidence-Based Funding Formula would mean for their school districts going forward. Telling these stories is important as IASA continues to advocate for the EBF formula to be properly funded over time. You can also find an interactive map on our website with the stories of all 75 schools we have profiled so far.

adding back positions and providing our students with the support they need.” Other improvements include increasing the district’s industrial technology program to full-time at the Jr/Sr High School, replacing a retiring speech language pathologist, adding a social worker and partnering with the city to add a school resource officer. Adding a social-worker to address the social-emotional needs of students was critical. “The mental health needs everywhere across the state have exploded and we saw that in our district,” Scott said. Overall, the increase in state funding provided the district with much-needed financial stability. Having that confidence made it possible for the district to add back transportation service

Casey-Westfield CUSD #4C

Enrollment: 933 FY18: $268,468 FY20: $126,295 Type: preK–12 FY19: $170,801 How EBF has made a difference The passage of EBF lifted Casey-Westfield CUSD #4C out of survival mode. Two elementary teachers were added to reduce classroom sizes, which were as high as 31. In addition, the district hired two special education teachers to help students with learning disabilities and students in need of additional social- emotional support. “It’s been so huge for our kids,” said Superintendent Dee Scott. “We were in the mode of cut, cut, cut, and now we’re

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Enrollment: 670 FY18: $236,722 FY20: $138,283 Type: preK–8 FY19: $141,817 How EBF has made a difference Fairfield PSD #112 provided students with more social- emotional support, better access to technology and STEM resources, as well as help in math thanks to an increase in state funding. The district added a guidance counselor this year and implemented a new social-emotional curriculum in an effort to become more trauma sensitive and trauma informed. The passage of EBF also allowed the district to bolster its technology by expanding to 1:1 with Google Chromebooks. Access to STEM resources was improved through the purchase of several 3D printers, as well as new robotics and coding programs and an expansion of Lego Education tools. “If you look at the careers of what our students are going to be going into, it’s not what I saw when I was in school,” said Superintendent Dr. E. Scott England. “They need to be given a chance to create. That’s one of our highest orders of thinking. This is a chance for us to give them that.” Lastly, the district was able to add a seventh grade math position and double block the schedule to give students extra time in math. Continued support of EBF would... Fairfield PSD #112 wants to continue to add more social- emotional supports for students by hiring more staff in the areas of social work and counseling. In addition, continued support of EBF would allow the district to bring back a full-time art program that was lost due to proration in General State Aid. Continued support of EBF would... CCSD #168–Sauk Village’s next goal is to invest in a new curriculum that is more hands on and provides students with increased STEM opportunities. “We needed to shore up what happened in the classroom and provide more support for our families. The next thing is to provide students with a high level of hands-on activities and curriculum that is engaging and will push students to the next level,” Leak said. Fairfield PSD #112

Enrollment: 1,346 FY18: $583,616 FY20: $306,053 Type: preK–8 FY19: $405,509 How EBF has made a difference CCSD #168–Sauk Village has seen increases in local assessment scores “across the board” as a result of an increase in state funding. The district used its EBF dollars to hire two instructional coaches, a reading interventionist, a math interventionist, three social workers, two psychologists and one guidance counselor. “We looked at the indicators in the EBF formula and invested our dollars in the areas that had the most significant impact on student success,” said Superintendent Dr. Donna Leak. The instructional coaches have been pivotal in changing teaching and learning methods throughout the district. Teachers now regularly meet and discuss classroom strategies and use data to better inform decisions. Adding reading and math interventionists has also provided students with another level of support to help them stay on track. In order for the new academic supports to be successful, CCSD #168–Sauk Valley needed to address chronic absenteeism. The combination of social workers, psychologists and guidance counselor has been pivotal to that effort because it significantly boosted the level of social-emotional support the district could offer students. “We are able to do so much more than just a phone call,” Leak said. for preschool students. Due to limited financial resources, parents were responsible for dropping off and picking their children up from school. Continued support of EBF would... Continued state funding would allow Casey-Westfield CUSD #4C to hire an art teacher at the elementary level and add a second music instructor. The district would also like to expand foreign language opportunities for students, as well as provide more opportunities for students to learn coding and robotics. In addition, the district has maintenance needs throughout the two school buildings that will need to be addressed. CCSD #168–Sauk Villiage

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Series Part XIV

Difference ... cont’d.

Wesclin CUSD #3

Herrin CUSD #4

Enrollment: 1,370 FY18: $183,611 FY20: $329,010 Type: preK–12 FY19: $282,049 How EBF has made a difference The passage of EBF allowed Wesclin CUSD #3 to address numerous needs that directly benefit students and teachers. The district hired a second social worker to better support the social-emotional needs of students. A new high school math and K–8 reading curriculum were also purchased, both of which are aligned to Illinois’ Learning Standards. “We really noticed the past few years our writing scores were going down at the high school, so we knew we needed to add a curriculum that was current and incorporated technology,” said Superintendent Jennifer Filyaw. In addition, the district hired several paraprofessionals to better support students in special education courses. Access to technology also improved. The district purchased numerous Chromebooks, bringing the district much closer to its goal of being 1:1. Another pressing need the district had to address was school parking lots, which were littered with potholes. Lastly, the district used EBF to give teachers a raise. The salary increase helped the district attract and retain teachers by bringing the new amounts in line with surrounding districts. “The impact EBF has had on our district has been extremely positive,” Filyaw said. “We are now being so much more proactive rather than being reactive.” Continued support of EBF would... Continued support from the state would allow Wesclin CUSD #3 to update its K–8 math curriculum so the material teachers use in the classroom is aligned to Illinois Learning Standards. In addition, EBF dollars could be used to replace sociology and psychology textbooks. Lastly, the district plans to continue to explore ways to provide better social-emotional support for students.

Enrollment: 2,513 FY18: $1.2 million FY20: $793,007 Type: preK–12 FY19: $831,923 How EBF has made a difference The impact increased state funding has had on Herrin CUSD #4 has been “dramatic,” highlighted by Herrin Elementary jumping from Underperforming to Exemplary in ISBE School Designations. The district studied EBF indicators and invested the new dollars into instructional coaches, tutoring, professional development, new curriculum, summer school, technology and school resource officers. “Our school district was on life support, and we were worried about what we would have to cut next,” Superintendent Dr. Terry Ryker said. “EBF has made a dramatic overall impact on our district and has truly been a blessing.” Eight instructional coaches were named to work with classroom teachers on lesson planning and delivery, classroom management and to analyze testing data and help teachers identify students’ learning weak spots. Tutoring is now also available to students in grades K–8 and high school students have more credit-recovery options, including summer school. In addition, the district invested EBF dollars into professional development for staff. Other areas of improvement include purchasing new Chromebooks so there is at least one computer for every two students in grades K–8, as well as hiring three school resource officers. “I think it gave everyone more of a sense of safety,” Ryker said about adding three additional school resource officers. “If someone doesn’t feel safe, they’re not going to learn well.” Continued support of EBF would... Herrin CUSD #4 plans to purchase new math curricula for grades K–12 next school year with EBF dollars. The district also wants to continue to add more instructional coaches and possibly make some instructional coaches full time. Currently, six of the eight are part time. Other areas the district has identified as needs include adding additional teachers at the junior high and continued professional development for staff.

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2019–2020 SENATE BILL 7 Performance Rankings Tool SOFTWARE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

All Illinois School Districts are working to comply with the requirements of education reforms. For years, the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) has worked to provide support via the Senate Bill 7 Performance Rankings File . This program gives districts a method of managing district positions aligned to local qualifications, teacher’s credentials, and performance ratings. The program compiles this local data and creates reports needed to comply with Senate Bill 7. The 2019–2020 file has been enhanced with updates in response to user ideas, and is ready for you to purchase and download. The cost of using this software has never increased and the annual licensing fee is $275 for members and $550 for non-members.

Find the access request form at http://www.iasasurveys.org.

Please note that previous versions of the IASA Senate Bill 7 Performance Rankings File are no longer supported. Also, the service method for the 2019–2020 software will be via email only.

This software was originally reviewed by the Senate Bill 7 teams from the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the Illinois Education Association (IEA). The 2019–2020 version of this software builds on the knowledge gained from hundreds of users.

fromtheDistricts

This Is Park View

Morton Grove SD #70 is a preK–8 district of about 960 students located 10 miles northeast of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The district has one school building, Park View Elementary School. In this video, the district set out to tell the story of Park View and what makes the school special. The video features a diverse student body sharing how staff treats them with respect and makes them feel like family. The video also highlights the different programs and opportunities available to students at Park View, as well as showcases the district’s dedicated staff. Brad W. Voehringer, Ed. S. Superintendent Morton Grove School District 70

Send your school videos to jnevel@iasaedu.org . We want to highlight what’s going on in your school districts.

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LM February 2020

Calendar of Events IASA Event Professional Development Event

Click here to view the IASA interactive Calendar of Events online.

Legislative Event Region Meeting (Contact your Region President for details)

February 2020

March 2020

Mon. Feb. 3 Tues. Feb. 4

House Perfunctory Session

Tues. March 3

Shawnee, Blackhawk

Abe Lincoln, Shawnee

Tues.–Thurs. March 3–5 GA Session Wed. March 4 Two Rivers Thurs. March 5 Corn Belt

Tues.–Thurs. Feb. 4-6

GA Session

Wed. Feb. 5

Cook West, Illini

Evidence-Based Leadership: Using Data to Drive Improvements

Tues. Feb. 11 Wed. Feb. 12 Fri. Feb. 14

House Perfunctory Session

Illini

Wed. March 11 Thurs. March 12

DuPage, Illini Cook South

Kaskaskia House Perfunctory Session

Fri. March 13

Cook North, Kaskaskia

Tues.–Thurs. Feb. 18–20 GA Session Wed. Feb. 19

Professional Development Committee Meeting Governor’s Budget Address Central Illinois Valley Budget Committee Meeting IASA Board of Directors Meeting

Tues. March 17

Primary Election

Wed.–Fri. March 18–20 GA Session Thurs. March 19

Thurs. Feb. 20

Central IL Valley

Fri. Feb. 21

Tues.–Fri. March 24–27 GA Session Wed. March 25 Wabash Valley Tues. March 31 GA Session

Mon. Feb. 24

IASA-ISBE Advisory Committee Meeting

Tues.–Thurs. Feb. 25–27 GA Session Wed. Feb. 26 Wabash Valley

Principal Evaluator Competency Skill Building for Pre-Qualified... Southwestern Teacher Evaluator Training...

Fri. Feb. 28

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LM February 2020

Why should I participate in the IASA Aspiring Superintendent Academy? • Professional learning network • Immersive learning experience five days/nights • Working/Networking Dinners • Access to screening interviews with state/national search firms • Illinois Administrators’ Academy Credit • Relationships that will last your career and your lifetime. Each day of the Aspiring Superintendent Academy will feature a different accomplished superintendent and other professionals from across the Midwest. Participants will produce/experience a usable artifact during every module. Examples may include but are not limited to: video creation, crisis planning, legal issues, principal evaluation, simulation of school board meeting, state of district address, welcome back speech, budget presentations, PTA meeting, resolution of an ethical dilemma, and much more. “ “An incredible experience I won’t soon forget.” “This is summer camp for aspiring superintendents... an intense immersion into the work of school leaders that will transform your career.”

Preparing for the job of the 21st Century Superintendent

July 13–17 2020

Presented by: Michael Lubelfeld, Ed.D. Nick Polyak, Ed.D. Courney Orzel, Ed.D.

Have you ever wondered what you didn’t learn in graduate school but may need to know in order to be an effective leader? If you are thinking about becoming a school superintendent, then #ASuperWeek in July 2020 is for you! Registration Information The registration fee for the five day Learning Academy is $1,650. Tuition includes a daily continental breakfast and lunch, resource materials and lodging for the entire week, Sunday–Thursday (check- out Friday). The Learning Academy will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, at the IASA headquarters, 2648 Beechler Court, Springfield, IL. IASA will make lodging arrangements for participants at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 South Dirksen Parkway in Springfield.

How to Apply

video more information

In addition to applying, you must email your District Superintendent’s letter of support to: marney@iasaedu.org .

apply now

Questions? Contact Melissa Arney, Illinois Association of School Administrators Phone: 217–753–2213 | email: marney@iasaedu.org

Application Deadline: Sun., March 15, 2020

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