LM Apr 2023 hi

Education Elevat g

Nettles ... cont’d. professional growth plans. When ISAL VII concludes, Nettles and Sandye Brown will replace Dr. Gary Zabilka and Dr. Nancy Blair as lead ISAL Facilitators. The move coincides with his retirement from Clinton CUSD #15. “Gary and Nancy designed a program that not only made 150 plus Illinois superintendents stronger leaders, but also better spouses, better parents and better people,” Nettles said. “I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and hope to carry on the tremendous legacy they built.” At Clinton CUSD #15, Nettles is proud of introducing and strengthening non-traditional programs for students. In 2017, the district launched the Central Illinois CEO Program. The CEO Program, funded by local businesses and entities, teaches high school students about business and entrepreneurship. Nettles has since become a consultant for the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship, which developed the program. “We were initially looking at developing a program internally that taught students soft skills, communications skills and skills that help them be successful in life,” Nettles said. “One day, I got an invitation to learn about the CEO Program and realized it offered everything we were seeking, and it didn’t have any cost to the school. It has paid dividends for our students. We will be graduating our fourth class and every year we strengthen our resolve to keep it going.” Nettles is also proud to expand vocational programs at Clinton CUSD #15. The district hired three teachers in the areas of family consumer sciences, industrial technology and automotive. Clinton High School now better utilizes an automotive shop with three vehicle lifts. “Our kids are able to do things like take the engine out of a vintage car, paint a vehicle, do body work and then sell the vehicle,” Nettles said. “We have really been able to put that program back on the map for kids.” Lastly, Nettles is proud of the district’s efforts to expand social-emotional support for students. Clinton CUSD #15 adopted Teen Mental Health First Aid, which teaches teens in grades 10–12, or ages 15–18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use challenges among their friends and peers.

Johns ... cont’d.

“When I met with stakeholders, our conversations were focused on improving the social-emotional well-being of our students,” Dr. Johns said. “I’m very much a systems and data person, so what we’ve been doing is taking an analytical approach to make sure we have systems in place that reach the needs of every student and then make sure our staff is prepared to deliver students the help they need.” Glenbrook High School District 225 is deep into the process of conducting an in-depth Climate and Culture study that will establish a baseline of the district site culture for students and staff. The district is also using a social-emotional-screener tool for students three times per year and then embeds that data into its Student Success Platform, which incorporates attendance, grades and other key metrics. “In order for students to continue to achieve at high levels, we realized we needed to do more to tend to their wellbeing,” Dr. Johns said. “It’s about fully understanding where we are, and then determining how we can get better.” Dr. Johns is also passionate about presenting at conferences and sharing the work he’s most proud of with his peers. Topics he’s presented on include improving organizational structure as well as developing systems for continuous improvement of teaching and learning. Not only can presenting at conferences elevate public education as a whole, it can also improve internal processes because of outside feedback. “When you have people react to your ideas, it can cause a spiral of improvement,” Dr. Johns said. Dr. John’s education career has also included work as a consultant helping school districts implement the multi tiered system of supports framework. MTSS is designed to help schools identify struggling students early and intervene quickly. “Systems are important, but we should not think of them as the end-point,” Dr. Johns said. “They really give us a baseline from which to reflect, refine and improve.”

11 LM April 2023