LM February 2017

State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith visits with schoolchildren on one of his visits to districts

State Superintendent hopes to build upon foundation of deeper relationships with districts

Drawing on his own experiences as a school district superintendent, Smith is committed to ensuring superintendents have support they need to serve communities well. “When I was a district superintendent, I had to be in great relationship with my principals. I understood their importance

By Mike Chamness IASA Director of Communications

When Dr. Tony Smith looks back on his first two years as Illinois State Superintendent, what is foremost on Smith’s mind are the relationship building blocks he feels have been put in place. “I’m proud of building a strong

as agents of change and stability,” he said. “What I learned was that I had to make our district’s central office more of a service center for them. The same is true at ISBE for superintendents. “Building relationships is a continuous process in which we must respond to the varied and changing needs of our districts. There are times when ISBE cannot waive a mandate or does not have the resources to fulfill every request. When that’s the case, I want to say, ‘I hear you, here is the context, and let’s find another way to get you the support you need.’“ Going forward, Smith said he wants to use the working relationships he has been able to forge as a foundation upon which to build.

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If every year we give everything we’ve got, Illinois can become the first state where each and every student in our care consistently reaches their full potential.

relationship with the State Board that is focused first on the well-being of kids,” said Smith, who became Illinois schools chief in April of 2015. “Good schools are instrumental in creating healthy communities. Fair access to high-quality education is something every kid deserves. “I’m also proud of building better and deeper relationships with individual districts and with private, public and philanthropic organizations. We are becoming more of an advocacy agency, speaking out for better funding and more equity.”

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—State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith

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