LM August 2023hi

IASA Board Approves Launch of Visioning Process Seeking Representatives for Working Groups

In November 2012, the IASA Board of Directors initiated a plan aimed at developing a comprehensive visioning process for enhancing public education in Illinois in the long term. That effort resulted in Vision 20/20, a decision-making framework that effectively guided ongoing advocacy endeavors and fostered unity among public educators in envisioning a brighter future. Vision 20/20 catalyzed impactful changes in school funding, teacher recruitment, 21st century learning and accountability. However, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of public education has been significantly altered, presenting immense challenges and prompting increased scrutiny. Just like in 2012, it is our responsibility as educators to reflect upon the current state of education in Illinois and take decisive action to forge an education system that effectively addresses the needs of all students. During its recent meeting, the IASA Board of Directors unanimously voted to launch a fresh visioning process known

The person selected for the working group must be an active IASA member. There are no specific IASA guidelines for regions to use when selecting someone. Once an individual is selected, he or she should contact Cherry Middleton at cmiddleton@iasaedu.org to confirm participation. The first meeting for the Vision 2030 Working Group will be October 18 in Springfield . It is anticipated the visioning process will last one year. A statewide survey is slated to be released in November. Exact dates will be determined based on group feedback. Representatives should make every effort to attend meetings in person. Role of Vision 2030 Working Group Representatives of the Vision 2030 Working Group will engage in deep discussions on education policy and issues that will shape priority platforms and IASA advocacy efforts. The discussions will be facilitated and managed by ECRA Group, Inc., a third party educational consulting firm.

A few examples of discussion topics are literacy, school safety, Tier 2 pensions and the teacher shortage. IASA is also in the process of engaging statewide education associations and stakeholders to participate in Vision 2030. More information on that will be shared at a later date. To close, we appreciate your

as Vision 2030, aimed at fulfilling the promise of public education. Once again, this visioning effort will seek to foster collaboration and unity among educational organizations and individual school districts, creating a platform that articulates the principles educators stand for and aspire to realize.

Vision 20/20 catalyzed impactful changes in school funding, teacher recruitment, 21st century learning and accountability

To achieve this transformative vision, the IASA Board of Directors seeks your valuable contributions and active participation. Seeking Regional Representatives Each region is asked to select a member to serve on a Vision 2030 Working Group. This person will be joined by an IASA member selected from each region by IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark, meaning each region will have two representatives.

support as IASA embarks on this new visioning process to provide an updated blueprint for public education in Illinois. We are in the very early stages of this yearlong effort and recognize that it will be a continuous and gradual process. At the end of the day, it’s our collective duty to do all we can to improve the lives of each and every student and shape the next generation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

12 LM August 2023