Leadership Matters March 2014

Matters Leadership MARCH 2 0 1 4 I ASA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Outreach critical for superintendents

In this month’s issue

Additional Items

 Blurring the lines: Connecting with your community P. 4  Weathering the storm: Sometimes blogging can help P. 5  Community outreach recipe: Salt the food P. 6  Mutual respect fuels informative legislative roundtable P. 8  Simple secret for communicating with legislators: They are people, too P. 9  Public education forecast: Time to think about retooling P. 10  City sales tax for schools might be option worth exploring P. 14  City sales tax helped DuQuoin fund new high school P. 15  Getting to know your IASA Region Presidents P. 17  IASA News in Brief P. 18  IASA Calendar of Events P. 24

Simple secret for communicating with legislators: They are people, too P. 9

Community Outreach Articles P. 4-9

City sales tax for schools might be option worth exploring P. 14

Public education forecast: Time to think about retooling P. 10

2648 Beechler Court Springfield, IL 62703-7305 217.753.2213 800 Woodfield Road, Ste. F109 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4717 847.466.5075

IASA Newsletter Editor Michael Chamness mchamness@iasaedu.org

Assistant Editor Mary Ellen Buch mbuch@iasaedu.org

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Volume 2, Issue 3

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Many similarities between Arizona and Illinois when it comes to pension case

We’re still waiting for the pension reform lawsuit to be heard in Illinois, but there was a very interesting out-of-state development on February 20 th when the Arizona Supreme Court overturned that state’s pension reform legislation. The similarities between Arizona

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

and Illinois are striking, including:

 The pension protection language in both states’ constitutions is virtually identical.  The Arizona case, Fields vs. The Elected Officials’ Retirement Plan , centered on a law Arizona legislators passed to reduce the future cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for judges and elected officials. The Arizona ruling made it clear that the COLAs – referred to as Automatic Annual Increases (AAI) in the Illinois legislation – going forward are a contractual benefit already earned as opposed to a yet-to-be- earned future benefit.  One of the reasons cited for Arizona legislators cutting pension benefits was the poor shape of that state’s budget. Sound familiar? It’s understood that the Arizona ruling has no direct impact on how the Illinois Supreme Court ultimately will decide the fate of Senate Bill 1. For one thing, this is Illinois, and, unlike in Arizona, Supreme Court justices are elected in Illinois, so the politics cannot be ignored. But while the Arizona decision may not count as judicial precedent in Illinois, it certainly must be taken into consideration given the similarities in the two states -- particularly the pension protection language mirrored in the state constitutions. The Arizona Supreme Court decision was unanimous; not a single justice dissented. So what are the odds a majority of Supreme Court justices in Illinois would reach the opposite decision? Some proponents of SB 1 have said that the fact Illinois has worse budget problems than Arizona could be a factor. But it’s hard to imagine that such a landmark decision would be based on a fiscal snapshot in time, and legislators and politicians would be able to use their self-inflicted budget problems to circumvent the constitution.

A statement from Hank Kim, Executive Director and Counsel for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS), addressed that very issue. “The justices correctly rejected the state retirement system’s argument that the benefit reduction was financially necessary and that the traditional federal impairment of contract test – balancing the contract against public necessity – should apply. The justices found instead that the pension clause of the Arizona Constitution was intended to add an additional measure of protection to pension benefits. Even more important, the high court found that the term ‘benefit’ includes the formula by which future payments will be calculated,” Kim said. We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out in our state, and that might take a while. The Arizona case took more than two years to be resolved. The Illinois Supreme Court on March 3 ruled that the four pension lawsuits that have been filed to date, including the lawsuit filed jointly by the Illinois Retired Teachers Association and IASA, will be consolidated and that the case will be heard in Sangamon County. No date has been set yet for the case to be heard. It is expected that the Illinois Supreme Court even- tually will rule on the constitutionality of Senate Bill 1, Illinois’ pension reform law. The current Illinois Supreme Court includes, from left, Anne M. Burke, Thomas L. Kilbride, Charles E. Freeman, Chief Jus- tice Rita B. Garman, Robert R. Thomas, Lloyd A. Karmeier, and Mary Jane Theis.

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Outreach

Blurring the lines: Connecting with your community By Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett Rockford District 205

 A few days after the Update is distributed to the board and leaders, it is edited and sent to the district staff. It’s my way to directly communicate with employees in a way an internal newsletter could not.  We redesigned our

In three years, I have gone from being a principal of a school with 2,200 students and 200 employees

to running a school district with 29,000 students and 3,800 employees. I went from knowing every employee by name to struggling with the names of our 47 school buildings in the Rockford Public Schools. To navigate this brave new world, I put the highest value on communication. And I don’t mean the kind of communication steeped in strategy and buzzwords. Even when I didn’t know exactly what kind of leader I wanted to be, I knew what I

website last fall so it’s more visually appealing and easier to navigate. It’s also a place to highlight our success stories.  I will visit all of our school buildings and district departments over the next year. These are informal Q&A sessions, not a time to be “on-message.” My chief of communications comes along so he knows the areas we are doing well or falling short.  Our Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council is made up of students from every high school. These students are visible and active.  I have a steady diet of speaking engagements .

Dr. Ehren Jarrett became Rockford Public Schools superintendent in July 2013. He joined the district’s leadership team in June 2011 as an assistant superintendent. Before that, he was principal at Hononegah Community High School in Rockton for four

years. During that time, Newsweek Magazine and the Washington Post recognized Hononegah as one of the top schools in the country. Jarrett earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University. He serves as chairman of the Alignment Rockford Governing Board and is education chairman of the United Way Annual Campaign. He is also a member of the Discovery Center Board of Directors, the Joint Institute of Technology Education-Aerospace and the Rockford Area Economic Development Council Education Committee.

The groups I speak to run the gamut in size, from Kiwanis clubs to business districts to the group that ran our successful building referendum campaign in November 2012. We keep in touch with these groups even – and especially – when we don’t need anything from them. And we meet them at times and locations convenient for them .  We hold regular focus groups for employees, parents, students and the community.  I encourage my Cabinet and other members of the leadership team to be visible in the community as well. Nearly a dozen administrators are signed up to write for our Rockford Public Schools blog. If I have one driving principle of communication, it’s this (borrowed from visual storyteller Nancy Duarte): Let your audience be the hero. You have a story to tell, but your audience must see themselves in your story. Once you make that connection, the lines between “central office,” students, teachers, parents and the community seem to blur. Even if I don’t know all their names – yet.

didn’t want. I didn’t want to be a caricature. I wanted to be real and authentic, as opposed to that person who turns up every Tuesday night on the public access channel. As Peter Drucker said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Your most brilliant plan will be foiled unless your employees believe you genuinely want to listen and are committed to frequent and honest communication. I have been very open with my staff and the public about turnover in the top job and how that works against building a culture of collaboration and engagement. The Rockford Park District has had seven leaders in 100 years. The school district, in contrast, has had seven in barely more than 10 years. None of us can go back, but we can go forward. These have been my go-to tools as we do that:  A weekly Update newsletter is sent electronically to board members and key administrative employees. The information is aimed at giving leaders a heads-up before they get a phone call from a reporter.

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Outreach

Weathering the storm: Sometimes blogging can help

By Superintendent Dr. Donald Owen Urbana District 116

local emergency management officials, I made the decision to close school on January 23 due to a forecast of -25˚F to -30˚F wind chill. I sent out a voice/email/text blast to all families. I immediately received an email from a parent who did not

I never thought that I would be writing a column about a blog for any publication. I am not a frequent blogger, and I would argue that a blog is pretty low on the list of tools a superintendent should use to communicate with families, community members and stakeholders. That being said, I did learn a valuable lesson about the power of a blog recently. I waded into online journaling slowly and with much trepidation. When I started my blog, “A View from Here,” ( http://dowendo-blog.blogspot.com ) a little more than a year ago, I did it for very personal reasons. I used the blog as a way to overcome writer’s block while writing my dissertation. It worked. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that my posts

agree with my decision. The gist of the parent’s email was that I was not very bright, and this decision called for a detailed explanation. I carefully crafted a reply that explained my rationale for closing school, and provided insight into my personal thought process and the steps in the decision process. I used that email as the basis for a blog post that I posted that same night. I titled the post, “Why are you closing school?!” which paraphrased a line from the parent’s email. The challenge that

might be useful for people who were interested in education. I wrote posts about whatever education issue was on my mind at the moment from Race to the Top, to mentoring, to the new Illinois Report Card. I tweeted my posts to followers and occasionally

Dr. Donald Owen attended Minneapolis Public Schools; earned his BA in psychology and education from Carleton College, and an MA in history from Illinois State University. He completed his MEd and EdD in Educational Organization and Leadership from the

superintendents and school leaders have is how to find the right communication method to reach the most stakeholders. There is not one correct answer to this challenge. In fact, the best communication method depends on a wide variety of variables. For this particular issue, in this particular context, my blog worked better than I could have hoped. My blog post generated over 20,000 page views and led to discussions in newspaper, radio, and television news programs. Now when I talk to parents and community

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has worked for Urbana School District #116 since 1990. He taught 8 th Grade U.S. History for 12 years before moving to the district office to lead staff development and grant programs. He served as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction from 2007 - 2013. This is his first year as Superintendent.

received a re-tweet, comment, or email response. My most “popular” post was about Race to the Top, and it received about 180 page views over the course of two months.

members about winter weather, I get a lot more empathy and support about closing school due to weather than I ever thought possible. The lesson I learned from this experience is that for some issues, especially those which are time sensitive and apply to a large audience, a blog may be the best method of communication. While I don’t plan to become a true blogger, who posts all of the time, I am now more open to exploring ways of incorporating my blog and other forms of social media into my personal communication plan.

That all changed when the Winter of 2014 hit full force in January. My mentor and predecessor told me that calling “snow days” were no-win decisions, and he was right. Despite the fact that every school district in Champaign County cancelled student attendance on January 6, 2014, I received dozens of questions, calls, and complaints from parents and community members. On the evening of January 22, after consulting with several other superintendents and

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Outreach

Community outreach recipe: Salt the food By Superintendent Gary R. Tipsord LeRoy Community Unit District 2 from a representative group of those who will be impacted by the initiative. Be willing to bring in parents, community leaders, employers -- and don’t forget the kids.

All schools, regardless of size or geography, are impacted by the manner in which their community engages in the process of educating children. It is important to view this relationship as the “community” and not just parents. We have to reach out to the community in its broadest sense rather than more narrowly reaching out just to parents. The rationale is pretty

Share your vision and ask for honest feedback. You have to be willing to accept the answers to the questions you ask. The determination of questions is no small task, but rather the

most significant portion of verifying your desired state. This is where you find out if your desired state matches the values of the community. If you are not willing to throw it all out, don’t engage in conversation with this group. The obvious hope is that you are already closely aligned with the values of the community and will only have to make small changes to clearly align to their desires. If not, be willing to either start over or create a compelling argument to shift their thinking. Be transparent and

Gary R. Tipsord has been at

simple: The community group is larger than the parent group. If you are to gain significant support for any initiative, that support must come from as broad a group as possible. After all, it is the community that will fund what we do as an organization; that funding does not come from parents alone. Additionally, the broader the support for any initiative, the longer that initiative will remain in place and the more significant the effort will be to make it successful. So how do we make the engagement possible and successful?

LeRoy CUSD 2 since 1990 and has served as the district superintendent since 2007. Mr. Tipsord received his specialist degree from Eastern Illinois University and was a part of the first ISAL cohort. He also serves on the Governmental Relations committee for IASA and is involved in the Vision 20/20 initiative.

provide time: Once you get to a position of support from your small group, push the message to your community in the broadest manner possible. Be sure to strategically create the message so that it represents your desired state in a manner that hits the mark (aim small, miss small). Utilize social media as you see fit for your district, as well as using your website and community-wide meetings. When it comes to social media, determine what is appropriate for your district but also realize that many of our stakeholders will engage more frequently through social media that in many other ways. You can provide 24-7-365 access to your desired state through your district’s website. There is no better way than through the website. If you want to drive people to your message, couple that message with student-centered postings so anyone who visits to see the student-centered stories also will be exposed to your message.

Celebrate and access talent: There are school districts in our state that are ridiculously talented and purposeful in their efforts. Whether they are like you, near you -- or even your biggest rival -- be willing to engage with them in conversation about what they do, and why they do it. While you may not be able to do exactly what they do and your motivation may be different, to ignore the excellence of those around you is irresponsible. Know your desired state: Engaging in the conversation about your desired state takes time and is sometimes controversial and difficult, but if you really believe it is valuable, then invest consistent with how you see the value of the desired outcome. You have to know what you desire before you begin to advocate for support from the community. If your team does not deeply believe in the “ask,” how can you expect your community to believe in it? Be willing to ask: Once you have crafted the desired state of your initiative, be willing to seek input

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Outreach

(Continued from page 6)

We

offer

a

community-wide meeting on an annual basis. We have titled that meeting, “State of the Schools.” We use this meeting to share the performance of our past year as well as forecast the years ahead. We send strategic community members a personal invitation to the event and then offer an invitation to all community members though our website and local press. The event features a wonderful meal and very specific break out sessions. These sessions focus on our future initiatives. This is our opportunity to create a compelling argument for our desired state (you can find a more detailed description of this event in the April 2013 edition of Leadership Matters .) We make every effort to be a full year ahead of implementation. So, what is presented in the spring of 2014 will not be fully implemented until the 2015-16 school year;

to do it faster than that would diminish the intent of the process. If you truly desire “buy-in,” the time from information to implementation has to be reasonable. Continue to report: Provide ongoing information about those things in which you have invested through this process. An analogy we use a lot is “You can always lead a horse to water, but they will not always drink… so

salt the food.” We see purposeful and strategic community engagement as “salting the food.” We have added to the analogy recently: If you just give them water, they may continue to drink, but only until their thirst is satisfied. However, if the drink you provide does more than just satisfy their thirst, they will continue to drink, not because they are thirsty, but because the drink is desirable.

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Outreach

Mutual respect fuels informative legislative roundtable By Superintendent Brent O’Daniell

Virginia Community Unit School District 64 When it comes to outreach, one area that sometimes gets overlooked is communications with elected officials. Thanks to the past efforts of people like retired Superintendent Diane Robertson and Pikeland District 10 Superintendent Paula Hawley, the IASA Two Rivers Region has been able to host a very productive annual Legislative Roundtable the past few years. At our most recent roundtable, held in January at John Wood Community College in Pittsfield, we had four of the five state legislators that represent our region as well as 25 of our 31 members. If I had to identify just one reason for such great participation, I would say mutual respect. Even in times as tough as these, when the legislative news is not happy, legislators know that they will be treated with respect, and we know that the legislators will be willing to listen and receptive to our input. It’s not that we

superintendents is to gain some political insights. Back when we started our roundtable, it was hard to get much comment from the legislators, but over the years I think we have built up trust and they do open up. The politics involved still make the legislative From left, Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb), Sen. John Sullivan (D-Quincy), Sen. David Koehler ( D-Peoria) and retired superintendent Diane Robertson, attend a Two Rivers Legislative Roundtable a couple of years ago.

hold back or sugar-coat our opinions, but we have never been offensive to legislators in our comments. “I always learn something I did not know when we have this meeting. I always make an effort to attend,” said Senator John Sullivan (D- Rushville), who has a leadership role in the General Assembly as Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate. In addition to Sullivan,

process unpredictable, but you get an idea where they think something might go and that helps us develop our strategy. For example, this year Senator Sullivan was honest in telling us that the education line item in the budget looks bad, especially with the temporary income tax increase scheduled to sunset halfway through the next fiscal year (January 1, 2015). One key to making the roundtable an efficient use of everyone’s time is advance planning. We normally start gathering questions and issues two

Brent O'Daniell earned his undergraduate degree from Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo. He began his career in education teaching mathematics and physical education in

Odin. He earned his Masters and Specialists degrees from Eastern Illinois University and is currently superintendent in the Virginia (IL) School District overseeing a $17 million building project.

or three months in advance. We then combine and boil the topics down to the four or five that are the most timely and important. This year, we focused on school funding, bonding, transportation, unfunded mandates and the PARCC/Common Core transition. It’s also helpful to make sure that as superintendents we are on the same page regarding our issues, a process that involves information (Continued on page 9)

the bipartisan roundtable included Sen. Sam McCann (R-Carlinville), Rep. C. D. Davidsmeyer (R- Jacksonville) and Rep. Norine Hammond (R- Macomb). It’s our job not only to give legislators the cold, hard numbers and facts, but also how a particular bill or policy will affect our particular school district – to put a face on the pain. One of the big takeaways of the roundtable for

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Outreach

Simple secret for communicating with legislators: They are people, too

I had an interesting (at least for me) conversation with State Sen. John Sullivan recently. My takeaway was this: Legislators are people, too. That may not be a revelation, but today’s political rhetoric can make you wonder whether the human factor is disappearing into a blogosphere that seems to thrive on personal attacks and anonymous responses. The topic of our conversation was legislative roundtables. On the accompanying page you will find a column written by Virginia Superintendent Brent O’Daniell about the highly successful annual roundtable hosted by the IASA Two Rivers Region. During the past several years, that roundtable has achieved almost perfect attendance by both legislators and superintendents. Retired Mendon Superintendent Diane Robertson and Pikeland Superintendent Paula Hawley are credited with facilitating past roundtables and helping to set a productive tone.

Michael Chamness, IASA Director of Communications

I wanted to find out from a legislator’s perspective what makes the roundtables work. Sullivan, who actually attends three education roundtables a year in his Senate district, said that the Two Rivers formula for getting a legislator’s attendance – and, more importantly, their attention – works. And it is pretty simple. “They do their homework ahead of time, the meetings are concise and not rambling, and we get a chance to hear specifics about how our legislative actions are impacting school districts and the problems they are having in areas like transportation and curriculum,” said Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, who also serves as the Majority Leader in the Senate. Clearly, the efficient use of time can be as important to legislators as it is to school superintendents. The best communication goes two ways, and Sullivan said while he learns something new from every roundtable he attends, he hopes school leaders also “get a sense of reality about what we as legislators are up against” in trying to make decisions regarding policies and budgets. Obviously, tangible things like preparation and having a focused agenda are important. But it was an intangible item that really caught my attention as Sullivan was discussing why he religiously attends the education roundtables. In a word: Respect. “We have had some very frank discussions, but they have been held in an environment of understanding on both sides,” Sullivan said. “We all have challenges and we all have parameters that we have to work within. I appreciate the way the school superintendents have just laid out the facts.” Sullivan also destroyed one stereotype by making it clear that even as a politician he’s no fan of hot air. “We all are passionate about our jobs and we should be. But when there’s just a lot of rhetoric and hot air and people are lobbing bombs at each other, nothing really gets accomplished,” he said. “We are all professionals.” And, of course, we are all people.

make the working relationship more personal and even allowed me to establish communications with legislators outside of my own legislative district. The end result is developing a working relationship whereby a legislator might reach out to you to solicit your thoughts on public education policy or on potential legislation. That equals more impact on the legislative process for school superintendents. That makes it worth the effort.

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gathering and sharing. Having a unified front on difficult issues can have a real impact when it comes to discussing issues with legislators. If we cannot reach a consensus on tough issues, how can we expect to persuade legislators to support our position? Politics and specific issues aside, one of the mutual benefits of holding a regular legislative roundtable is to put a face with a name. That helps

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Public education forecast: Time to think about retooling

Edwards, Superintendent of Mooresville, initiated a 1:1 computer program in his school district several years ago. Mooresville has increased its student academic scores to one of the highest performing districts in the state with one of the lowest per- student expenditures. You can read and view much more about Mooresville Graded School District at http:// americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/ personalized-learning/ and https://www.youtube.com/ watch? v=L15pelU3eUE&list=PLhdwy3ASoEfmBYOQI- ZTdRX-ulErQ1OpG The following has been copied from the above- mentioned article from American Radio Works; “Before the laptop program began in 2008, only 73 percent of students in Mooresville were scoring proficient on the state's standardized tests. In 2012, 89 percent of students scored proficient. Mooresville was the second-highest performing school district in North Carolina. The high school graduation rate went from 77 percent to 90 percent in that same time. Students from poor families are now graduating at nearly the same rate, on average, as other students: 86 percent. And African-American students are doing better than any other group. The black graduation rate went from 67 percent in 2007 to 95 percent in 2012. It's impossible to say whether the district's success is because of the laptop program, and school leaders are up front about that. "We did mess up the research," says Mooresville Middle School principal Carrie Tulbert, because other aspects of the school district changed, too. "We didn't do it on purpose, obviously. But it would not be accurate to say" that laptops are the only reason Mooresville Schools have improved. When Superintendent Mark Edwards came to Mooresville, he made a number of changes, such as adjustments to the curriculum and a new program focused on building better relationships between teachers and students. Any one of these things could have made a difference. And it could just be that people in Mooresville got behind something new and by all pulling in the same direction, they improved their (Continued on page 11)

Never 42-year educational career have I witnessed the dire financial condition of the State of Illinois like it is today. I have kept detailed figures and analysis of state funding for public education over the 32 years I have been involved in educational administration and the lack of state support for public education is at an all- time low. Considering the following: reading and listening to the various candidates for in my

Dr. Richard Voltz IASA Associate Director/ Professional Development

governor, the large-scale pension changes already enacted, the expiration date of the temporary state income tax increase, the continued explosion of families in need of public assistance, the newly enacted health care law, the multitude of mandated changes to public education from NCLB to PERA and much, much more… How are we going to deal with all these issues at the same time state support for public education is at a historic low point? I think the only way public education can survive is to retool itself. We need to start thinking outside the traditional box of public education and start to incorporate different processes, strategies, teaching techniques, bargaining methodologies, class size restrictions, and much more in order to educate the students of tomorrow. I suggest that every district that is experiencing financial difficulties start a process immediately to develop a new strategic plan around the concept of changing the traditional methods of teaching and learning. Most school districts spend 70 percent to 80 percent of their expenditures on salaries for staff. Districts can make headlines by cutting sports, music, extracurricular activities, administrators, supplies, field trips, etc., but in the end these expenditures will have a minimal impact on the overall budget. The real savings comes from cutting teaching staff. Many districts have cut staff over the past several years only to see increased spending in special education services that are mandated. Mooresville Grade School District in Mooresville, North Carolina would be an interesting case study for Illinois school districts to investigate. Dr. Mark

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If we have to increase class sizes to generate the amount of savings districts will need to generate in these times of decreasing resources, then we must find a different way of teaching students. Technology and “flipped classrooms” are not the only solutions, but I have personally visited classrooms like these and I have been amazed at the work of both the students and the teachers. In no way am I advocating that class sizes be increased. However, during these economic times when increased class sizes will occur because this is the only solution that can cut large amounts of expenditures then we need to figure out how to educate students better with fewer resources. Now is the time to start this conversation in your school district. I do not see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

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schools.” If you visit Mooresville you will find that they do not buy textbooks anymore, and they do not have copy machines or paper. They have digital learning. This district really has changed “teaching” to “mentoring.” I remember doing a Podcast interview with a Eureka Middle School math teacher, Mrs. Tignor, who had changed her math classes to a “flipped classroom” approach. What Mrs. Tignor told me during this interview had a major impact on how I view the use of technology in the classroom. She said, “In the past I might personally talk to four or five students during a class period. With this approach I talk to every student every day. I have never had so many students doing this well in my classes.” How powerful is that statement?

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City sales tax for schools might be option worth exploring In a previous issue of means for alternate views to be presented and discussed.

Leadership Matters , I discussed the County Occupational Sales Tax, which has passed in several counties during the last decade. This allows for districts to obtain up to $.01 of sales tax funds collected from within a county to help defray costs for capital renovation or construction. While many Illinois

If it does decide to raise the sales tax rate in order to help the school district, the city will need to prepare a resolution authorizing the increase. It is also helpful to develop a written intergovernmental agreement describing the structure and nature of the agreement. The participating entities need to address the terms of the agreement, such as how much funding that the sales tax will generate, length of time the agreement is in force, and if there are any restrictions on how the funds may be utilized by the school district. In studying this issue, the author has received input from several superintendents who have successfully utilized a city sales tax, including Dr. Gary Kelly from Du Quoin, and Mike Williams of Maroa-Forsyth. Some of the salient answers from them concerning this issue include the following: Was there a “sunset date” for this tax? In the case of both Maroa and DuQuoin, the tax was predetermined for a 20-year period. Were there political issue or problems encountered? The Village of Forsyth at the time was not home rule and therefore did not qualify for a city sales tax, so both school districts sought special legislation to enable the city to utilize a city sales tax. For both districts the County Occupational Sales Tax was not an option when their city sales tax was being discussed. If you had to replicate this process in another district, what suggestions would you have for colleagues considering this tax? Kelly indicated that knowing and understanding the desires of your community and obtaining an “optimal relationship” with city government officials was crucial. Williams stated that it necessary to “gain support from the district, community, and the businesses…” In terms of how much tax funds are generated annually, Du Quoin generates approximately $400,000 and Maroa around $1 million. As you can see, these funds can serve as the financing necessary to support the construction of capital facilities for a school district. While this financial option has been utilized by relatively few school districts in Illinois, it does present school districts with an alternative to the costs for the construction of capital facilities at a time of lack of funding from the Capital Development Board and the State of Illinois. School districts need to discuss with city government officials and constituents of their districts whether a city sales tax for schools provides a viable option.

Dr. William Phillips IASA Field Services Director

superintendents are aware of this possibility, the alternative sales tax possibility occurring within a city’s limits are much less well known. It is this occurrence that I will discuss in this article. Facing financial challenges, several cities in Illinois have turned to city officials, who raised the local sales tax rate within the boundaries of a city to generate funds in order to help the school districts with the construction of capital facilities. Their experience provides useful lessons for other jurisdictions under similar circumstances. In Illinois, home rule cities can raise the local sales tax in quarter percent increments -- without obtaining voter approval. Non-home rule cities must obtain voter approval to raise the sales tax. They are also constrained to a maximum rate of 1 percent, and must use the funds for public infrastructure or property tax relief. The non-home rule sales tax statute did not originally include public schools as public infrastructure, however the statute has been revised to include public schools and at least two communities have requested the change. The local sales tax is imposed on top of the state sales tax, which is currently 6.25 percent on most items. When approached for help, a city may be able to offer financially challenged school districts some type of assistance in the short-run, or help with the financing of a particular project, such as the construction of a new school facility. If the public believes that the school district has legitimate needs, then raising the sales tax rate to support those needs can be more politically feasible than having the school district raise the property tax. The sales tax is less visible, is not paid in a lump sum, and part of the burden is typically born by non-residents. The city and the school district need to educate the public and determine whether the public supports the use of the city sales tax to help the school district. Even if a city is not required to obtain voter approval, it is still prudent to hold public hearings and provide a

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City sales tax helped DuQuoin fund new high school By Superintendent Dr. Gary Kelly DuQuoin District 300

When our district and city decided to pursue the use of a city sales tax in 2002, the present county sales tax opportunity was several years in the making. Our district had just completed a new K-8 school facility and was experiencing a number of difficulties with our high school facility and no construction funding readily available. In looking to address the needs associated with our high school facility, we submitted an application to the state for an addition to the high school with the district seeking to pursue various facility upgrades as needed when our regular budget allowed. Upon examination of the actual school building and our original application, the Capital Development Board recommended that our various renovations would not qualify for any potential funding through the school construction program. They recommended that we submit an application for a new high school facility. Since our community had just supported a 1997 referendum that approved an increase in property taxes to support a new K-8 school, we felt we needed to examine an alternative revenue source to

part of) that remained on the FY 2002 school construction list. Finally, in 2009 funding was authorized for our project and our city was faithful to enact the local sales tax to fund our local match. During the 2012-2013 school year, after the completion of several phases of our project, our faculty and students were able to move into a modern high school facility with tremendous amenities to support the teaching/learning process. During the early part of this school year, the entire project became final with the completion of new

support our local match to qualify for state support for a new high school facility. At that time we entered into discussions with our city government for the consideration of a local sales tax to support this endeavor. Our City Council and Mayor were very

administrative and lobby areas that tied all parts of the project together. Like many small communities, the school district is a hub of activity for the community. Throughout the year various school activities are attended by school stakeholders as they support the youth of the community. Activities such as open houses, athletic contests, plays, and student award ceremonies are just a few of the opportunities to showcase to the local

Dr. Gary Kelly has served as the Superintendent of DuQuoin C.U.S.D. 300 since the middle of the 1996-97 school year. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2006 with a dissertation based on the use of a local sales tax as an alternative revenue source for

school districts. Dr. Kelly is Past President, Past Secretary, and a past Board of Director member of the IASA. He serves as a Governing Board member of the AASA, a position he has held since 2010. As well, he serves the Egyptian Division as a representative on the IASA Vision 20/20 Committee.

supportive, but it was agreed that we would submit the question to the voters of our city to solicit their support for this type of tax for school construction. After working through the legislative process and two referendums, we secured the support of our community to utilize the local sales tax as a non- home rule municipality and at the same time the voters of our district supported the question before them to construct a new high school facility. For the next seven years, no funding was forthcoming through the school construction project for the 24 school districts (which our district was a

community what their support means to our students. More importantly though, the opportunity for students to attend school daily without concern for issues related to the physical structure of the facility, the ability to take advantage of updated technology opportunities, the opportunity to utilize a facility to its fullest extent for learning activities, and the sense of pride with a new facility has been well worth the time it took for this to come to fruition. We are in gratitude to our community for their forethought to take a step of faith in providing a unique way to provide funding for our new high school.

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Getting to know your IASA Region Presidents Jeff Fritchtnitch IASA Region President - Wabash Valley Name: Jeff Fritchtnitch School district: Altamont CUSD 10 One thing you would Favorite hobby: Hunting, fishing, football, baseball & inspirational speaking Favorite movie: Passion of the Christ Favorite book: Holy Bible Favorite musical artist: Too many to list, but James Taylor, Harry Chapin, REO, Train, Big Daddy Weave, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me…..and on and on…..

One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you : I sing and play drums in church praise band. Biggest concern about public education: The continual push down of mandates and expectations without realistic timelines. A State Educational Strategic Plan should be devised with educator involvement before mandates and other educational initiatives take place. Most encouraging thing about public education: Although we continue to be scrutinized, we are placing high quality, competitive, and successful young men and women into the work force, armed forces, community colleges and universities.

like people to know about your school district: We are very quietly incorporating technology into teaching and learning along with Common Core Standards and are truly becoming a 21 st Century Learning Environment. Years as educator: 28 High school: Morris Community High School Colleges or Universities: Eastern Illinois University 1982-1986 BS, Governor’s State University 1996-1997 Masters Educational Leadership, Eastern Illinois University 1999- 2000, Educational Specialist Family : Wife: Julie, Children: Jerrod, Rachael, Caleb and Cole Dr. Vic Zimmerman IASA Region President - Abe Lincoln Name: Dr. Vic Zimmerman School district: Monticello CUSD 25 One thing you would like people to know about your school district: We are the Sages! Defined as wise men not spices – a tribute to our philosophy of a focus on academics. Years as educator: 26 High school: Paxton High School (not Paxton -Buckley-Loda) Colleges or Universities: University of Illinois BS, EdM, EdD Family: Wife Lori teaches 6 th grade, sons Luke, Ryan, and Noah

Favorite hobby: Family travel Favorite movie: The Usual Suspects

Favorite book: Tipping Point – anything Gladwell Favorite musical artist: Florida Georgia Line and REM One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: I’ve been to all 50 states Biggest concern about public education: Recruiting new teachers Most encouraging thing about public education: The daily smiling faces of students

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IASA News in Brief

Elgin’s Torres named winner of AASA’s Dr. Effie Jones Humanitarian Award

pursue equity and excellence for all students in our school system. We will continue to work hard to remove educational barriers and offer opportunity to learn for all students.” AASA recognized Torres for addressing persistent gaps in achievement by establishing an Office of Equity and Social Justice, the first of its kind in District U46. Other achievements toward equity include Torres’ creation of the Ten Boys mentorship initiative and the Superintendent Scholarship Program, in which Torres donated his own funds to provide financial assistance for students who are the first in their families to attend college. According to AASA, Jones dedicated her career to closing the academic, health and social gap for children, as well as increasing the number of women and minority school system leaders. She was profiled in the film “Women at the Top” for her work with women who aspired to become superintendents. In addition to Torres, 2014 recipients of the Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award include Margaret Grogan, a professor of education in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif.; and Caroline Hunter, a former chemist and retired school administrator in Cambridge, Mass.

Elgin District U46 Superintendent Dr. José M. Torres was named a recipient of the 2014 Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Torres is one of three educators from across the nation

who received the award at the recent AASA National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tennessee. The award honors leadership in educational equity and excellence and was named after the late Effie Hall Jones, an educator and AASA associate executive director, and a champion of women and minorities in educational leadership, according to a release from the district. “I am extremely humbled and honored to receive an award named after a true hero for equity and social justice,” said Torres. “I share Dr. Jones’ commitment to ensuring that we

Egyptian Region awards Presidential Citations The Egyptian Region of the IASA has issued Presidential Citations to Dr. Robert Buser, a retired professor from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and Larry Cornett, the chief executive officer of the Jefferson County YMCA. Each year, IASA encourages regions to present Presidential Citations to individuals who have made significant contributions to public education even though they may not be professional educators. Dr. Buser was cited for being involved in teaching, mentoring and supporting educational leaders for more than 40 years. Cornet was honored for promoting expansion of programs for students and collaborating with schools in Jefferson County.

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IASA News in Brief

Dunn named president of Southern Illinois University Former State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Randy Dunn has been named president of Southern Illinois University, succeeding Dr. Glenn

Poshard, who is retiring June 30. Dunn served as Illinois State Superintendent of Schools from 2004 to 2006, when he was named president of Murray State University. He currently is president of Youngstown State University in Ohio. Dunn previously was chairman of the Education Administration and Higher Education for SIU, and also has been a teacher, principal and school superintendent at schools in Illinois. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Teacher Education and a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Foundations from Illinois State University and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois.

Villa Grove teacher wins state VFW Citizenship Education Teacher Award

dedication and knowledge,” said Villa Grove District 302 Superintendent Dr. Mary Ann Manos, who nominated Osborne. “He has used several long-term projects to show students how important and valuable their freedom is.”

Villa Grove social studies teacher Kyle Osborne has been named winner of the state’s Smart/Maher VFW Citizenship Education Teacher Award for high school teachers. “Mr. Osborne is a wonderful teacher. He has impacted hundreds of young lives with his

Thurman named new superintendent at Riverton District 14 Lance Thurman has been named superintendent of schools at Riverton District 14 beginning July 1. Thurman, a high school principal in the Olympia School District, will succeed Interim Superintendent Fred Roberts.

In Memoriam

Former IASA member Martin E. Getty passed away Wednesday, February 26, 2014. He served in many capacities such as teacher, principal, superintendent and school business official before retiring in 2007.

Through the camera lens: A look into Illinois school districts Share a piece of your district with the rest of us! Leadership Matters invites you to send in photos from your day to day happenings out in the field. Beginning in January, we will highlight photos from IASA members each month. What would you like to share? Photos can be taken using a digital camera or your own mobile phone. Simply email the picture to mbuch@iasaedu.org along with identifying information including category, date, names if applicable, location and anything else you might want to add. Please make sure to list the school district and superintendent as well. If a student is included, please make sure you have a photo release on file.

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