LM Summer 2025

Foundation Set for FY 2026 to be Instrumental Year Message From the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

Earlier this month, IASA held the New Superintendents Conference to help new district leaders hit the ground running in their new positions. The event is always an interesting inflection point in the year because you get to see the faces of leaders who are replacing superintendents who have been part of our public education ecosystem for decades. I always walk away from the event impressed by the next wave of superintendents who will be tasked with building on the successes of their predecessors and creating new opportunities for students. Changing the guard is always a good opportunity to reflect on achievements and game plan on how to make the next school year a success. We go through a similar process at IASA, each year setting goals and objectives to elevate the supports and services we offer members. When I look back at FY 2025, I see the concrete poured and a foundation laid for FY 2026 to be an instrumental year. Vision 2030 The collective power of our organizational partners—IASB, IPA, IASBO, SCSDD, IARSS, AIRSS and IAASE— gained a foothold in FY 2025. Vision 2030 was unveiled at the Joint Annual Conference and, to date, more than 500 Illinois school districts, regional offices of education, vocational centers and special education cooperatives have adopted resolutions in support of this initiative, demonstrating the unified commitment of educators across our state to follow a blueprint for transformative change. We are especially grateful to The ECRA Group for their invaluable partnership in facilitating the comprehensive visioning process and creating the IllinoisVision2030.com website that serves as the foundation for our advocacy efforts. In FY 26, it remains critical for school administrators to stay unified and be strong advocates for the initiatives that will shape the future of Illinois education. We are still at the beginning of this journey, and sustained advocacy will be essential to fulfilling the promise of public education. Supporting New Superintendents Our team of Field Services Directors was also strengthened in FY 2025 with the additions of Dr. Brian Harris and Dr. Sheila Harrison Williams. Each of them has been instrumental in mentoring new and early career superintendents in the northeastern part of the state. We are building on this support network in FY 2026 by fostering more of a Professional Learning Community for new

superintendents, where the group can reconvene and discuss successes and challenges every three months. Professional Development Professional Learning Community and Pathways are terms you will be hearing more often from IASA in FY 2026. Dr. Dawn Bridges, our Associate Director of Professional Learning, has finished her first year with IASA and has made strides in expanding our approach to professional development. IASA is introducing a new pathways concept that will guide aspiring, early career and veteran superintendents throughout their journey, emphasizing continuous improvement with certification badges. The pathways concept will be showcased in a new publication, the 2025-26 IASA Professional Learning Catalog. The one-stop shop resource will include information about PLC’s, administrator academies, workshops and more. Be on the lookout for the digital publication in August. Sponsored Programs In addition to strengthening our internal capacity, IASA partnered with Munetrix/Schooldata.net to provide an alternative platform for school analytics and district dashboards. Their team made inroads in FY 2025 and hope to expand in FY 2026 by offering school districts a unique blend of financial analysis and academic performance into one budget-friendly management tool. Recognition FY 2025 also saw Dr. Sharon Kherat of Peoria SD #150 being named a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year after winning the 2025 Illinois Superintendent of the Year award. Dr. Kherat recently announced that the 2025-26 school year will be her final year in Peoria before retirement. I wish Dr. Kherat all the best in her final year and in the well-deserved retirement ahead. Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Illinois Superintendent of the Year program. Thank you for your continued membership in IASA and your unwavering commitment to Illinois students. The energy and dedication you bring to this profession drive our work forward, and I’m excited to see what we’ll accomplish together in the year ahead.

3 LM Summer 2025