LM Nov-Dec.2019

Message From the Executive Director Recognitions AsWe Close 2019; Preparations for the Tax Debate to Come in 2020

Dr. Brent Clark

Looking ahead, one thing you can bank on is the spring legislative session won’t be boring. I suspect we haven’t seen the end of public corruption investigations, and the Illinois Senate will have new leadership after members select a new president on January 19. The big issue for school districts, however, will be what happens with property taxes. The General Assembly will likely act on a report issued by the Property Tax Relief Task Force detailing recommendations for short-term and long- term property tax relief. IASA will not be silent on this issue, I promise. In October, we hired Ben Boer as our new director of research and data analysis. One of the issues Ben has studied is the effect a potential property tax would have on school districts. We will share his research with the General Assembly and have a sit-down meeting with the governor and his staff and emphasize the significant impact a freeze would have. In addition, IASA is rolling out a new initiative to get superintendents more prepared for the debate that is coming around property taxes in Illinois. On page 16, you can learn more about what we plan to do. I hope each of you can take part in this initiative and learn more about how to use the Evidence-Based Funding Formula as a strategic communication tool to detail what it actually costs to provide students with access to a high-quality education. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and can find time over the holiday break to spend quality time with your families, as well as relax and get rejuvenated for the remainder of the school year. Thank you for all you do, and I will see you in 2020.

The drive home from Chicago always provides ample opportunity to reflect on all the great interactions and inspirational messages I heard at the Joint Annual Conference. As I headed south on Interstate 55, IASA’s Women in Leadership pre-conference session came to mind. The second I walked into the room, the energy and excitement was palpable. Female superintendents were reconnecting, sharing stories and supporting one another. A lot of people deserve credit, but Dr. Courtney Orzel’s passion and enthusiasm propelled Women in Leadership to another level. Witnessing that was a reminder the IASA Board of Directors selected exactly the right person at the right time to push our tradition of high-quality professional development forward. Dr. Orzel will begin as IASA’s Associate Director of Professional Development on July 1, 2020. I look forward to seeing her put her personal touch on professional development and find new ways to support the needs of superintendents across our very diverse state. Also at the Joint Annual Conference, we had the opportunity to honor the 2020 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Kevin Blankenship, dual superintendent of Scott-Morgan CUSD #2 and Winchester CUSD #1, is a tremendous leader who works tirelessly to improve the educational environment for students. If you’re planning to attend the National AASA Conference on Education in San Diego, be sure to stop by our reception honoring Dr. Blankenship. You can find details about the event on page 8. To close, I want to touch on the fall veto session and preview the spring legislative session. There weren’t many fireworks during veto session, but we were pleased the legislature took a step forward in addressing the 900-plus unfilled paraprofessional positions in Illinois. SB 10 restores a provision that allows paraprofessionals to receive a license from ISBE if they pass a competency test. A legislative drafting error eliminated that pathway.

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LM Month 2019