LM December 2015

IASA News in Brief

AASA National Conference on Education February 11-13, 2016 in Phoenix, AZ

The 2016 AASA National Conference on Education will be held in Phoenix, AZ on February 11-13, 2016. Registration and housing is open. The preferred hotel for the Illinois delegation is the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Go to http://nce.aasa.org/ for additional information. Superintendent of the Year Reception A reception for the 2016 Illinois Superintendent of the Year is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2016, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel (Valley Overlook room).

Future AASA Conferences: March 2-4, 2017 - New Orleans

Illinois State University inducts Bertrand into Hall of Fame

The College of Education inducted six alumni into its Hall of Fame in October, including alumni from the Department of Special Education, School of Teaching and Learning, and the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations. The college boasts a talented alumni community of more than 45,000. More than 1 in 7 teachers in Illinois are graduates of the University, and better than 1 in 4 first-year teachers hired in 2012 or later are also Redbirds. Dr. Thomas Bertrand, Ph.D. ’02, has dedicated his career in education to helping students, teachers, and school administrators to realize their potential. His efforts and accomplishments in school leadership were recognized in 2015 when he was named the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) Illinois Superintendent of the Year Award. For the past 23 years, Bertrand has served Rochester Community Unit School District 3A (RCUSD) in downstate Illinois, the last 13 coming as superintendent. As the leader of RCUSD, Bertrand directed the overhaul of technology infrastructure to deliver one-to-one computers and Wi-Fi access for all students and staff—including on school buses. He has also prioritized differentiated professional development for faculty and staff as well as the creation of a now nationally acclaimed bullying prevention program. Throughout his career, Bertrand has sought out ways to support school and administrator development throughout Illinois. In connection with IASA, he serves as a leadership coach and mentor to superintendents, and is a trusted consultant to Illinois Regional Offices of Education on the subject of school improvement. In an effort to support the next generation of school leaders, Bertrand serves as an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level, educational leadership at Eastern Illinois University. He previously served as an adjunct at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

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