LM May 2023

Education Elevat g

Dr. Scott Doerr Nokomis CUSD #22

Dr. Theresa Rouse Joliet PSD #86

Who: Dr. Theresa Rouse, superintendent What: Implementing new policies and training on equity; improving bilingual programs; Supporting a strong music program; National Superintendents Roundtable; IASA-ISBE Advisory Committee; Passed $99.5 million referendum; Spanish Community Center Board of Directors; Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Who: Dr. Scott Doerr, superintendent What: IASA Board of Directors since 2013; IASA Governmental Relations and Advocacy Committee; AASA Governing Board; IASA-IWAS Committee; Montgomery County Vocational Consortium; Advocacy

and Senior Seminar courses Where: Nokomis CUSD #22,

Kaskaskia Region When: Superintendent at Nokomis CUSD #22 since 2009 Why: As a new superintendent attending region meetings, Dr. Scott Doerr always appreciated the reports Dr. Connie Woods (former superintendent of Panhandle Comm #2) would give about IASA Board of Directors meetings. When the opportunity arrived to represent the Kaskaskia region on the IASA governing board in 2013, Dr. Doerr jumped at the opportunity. “The ability to collaborate and connect with superintendents across the state has been incredibly beneficial to me throughout my career,” Dr. Doerr said. “The experience of learning about legislation, new programs, and regional concerns has provided me with a lot of perspective on how diverse Illinois really is.” Dr. Doerr is currently Co-Associate Chair of the IASA Governmental Relations and Advocacy Committee. He also just began a new three-year term on the AASA Governing Board. Governing Board members represent their home state and report the work of the Governing Board to their home state affiliate. In April, Dr. Doerr was asked to chair a new IASA committee that will make recommendations to the Illinois State Board of Education about streamlining the IWAS system. “We know there’s a lot of frustration in the field when people feel like they have to input the same information over and over

Educational Institute of the Year; Joined a roundtable of superintendents who published articles in Education Week during pandemic; Member of the NAMI Advisory Board for Will and Grundy counties Where: Joliet PSD #86, Three Rivers When: Superintendent of Joliet PSD #86 since 2016 Why: When she was hired as superintendent of Joliet PSD #86, the Board of Education gave Dr. Rouse a hard-to- define goal. “The Board felt like they needed someone who could push the district to the next level,” Dr. Rouse said. “They didn’t define what the next level was. They just directed me to visit the schools and talk to people.” Drawing from her past experience teaching students from low socio-economic backgrounds and other cultures— including in the country of Palestine—Dr. Rouse came to the conclusion that, to take Joliet PSD #86 to the next level, it needed to improve policies and practices around diversity, equity and inclusion. For instance, African-Americans made up 24 percent of the student body but accounted for 65 percent of suspensions and expulsions. “When you started to peel each layer off, we clearly had disproportionality issues,” Dr. Rouse said.

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LM May 2023