LM Nov-Dec 2022

Education Elevat g We continue our series highlighting tremendous educators across Illinois who have given their time and energy to ele- vating the superintendency and public education as a whole. Each month, we will feature two educators who are going the extra mile and truly making a difference beyond their school districts and local communities. While we are aware of many of the contributions administrators are making, we are open to any suggestions for someone to feature next month. To make a recommendation, contact Jason Nevel, IASA Director of Social Media and Publications, at jnevel@iasaedu.org or by calling 217–753–2213.

Heather Friziellie Fox Lake GSD#114

Gary Tipsord LeRoy CUSD#2

Lake County Superintendent Association Developed 5 Essential Strategies of Focus; Helped pass a referendum to enhance facilities and improve teaching and learning; President of Who: Heather Friziellie, superintendent What: Co-authored three education books; Consultant for Solution Tree, providing her the opportunity to work with school districts across the country;

Who: Gary Tipsord, superintendent What: Vision 20/20 with focus on Evidence-Based Funding; Professional Review Panel; IASA Board of Directors; IASA Governmental Relations and Advocacy Committee; HEAT Academy; Helping design non-traditional classrooms for students Where: LeRoy CUSD #2, Corn Belt Region

When: Superintendent of LeRoy CUSD #2 since 2006 Why: Throughout his career as a superintendent, Gary Tipsord has operated with the belief that we have a responsibility to serve children whether they are within the walls of the schools we lead or those throughout the state. “The opportunities I’ve been a part of, and the decisions we made both in LeRoy and around the state, have been enriched or invented by the professionals that I’ve been able to engage with as a result of the IASA,” Tipsord said. “Our students in LeRoy have certainly been impacted by the leadership of superintendents throughout the state of Illinois. I’ve been blessed by those people, and the role they’ve played to elevate our profession” When IASA and other education groups organized Vision 20/20, Tipsord jumped at the opportunity to serve on the Vision 20/20 Committee and participate in the building of a blueprint for improving public education in Illinois. His focus on

Where: Fox Lake GSD #114, Lake Region When: Superintendent of Fox Lake GSD #114 for six years Why: When Heather Friziellie served as director of educational services for Kildeer Countryside District 96, the district had success closing learning gaps when it integrated special education into district wide Professional Learning Community (PLC) practices—a concept that has historically not always been practiced in school districts. “We were finding we were doing these things that did not cost money and produced measurable growth for all students, particularly students with IEPs,” Friziellie said. “We wanted to share our work with others because we found other districts were not operating that way.” Friziellie and her co-authors from Kildeer Countryside District 96, Julie Schmidt and Jeanne Spiller, wrote Yes We Can!:

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LM Nov/Dec 2022