Leadership Matters - October 2014

We can spark a great fire for educating kids the right way

personal meetings to discuss Vision 20/20. One briefing will occur at our upcoming IASA Annual Conference, scheduled for October 8-10. If you have not already registered, I would encourage you to do so as we have lined up an incredible list of speakers. The Vision 20/20 briefing will be at our final general session on October 10. We also will be holding a special preview of Vision 20/20 on October 15, from 1-3 p.m. at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights. To RSVP for that special preview, please click here. There is no cost, but registration is required. Following the formal kickoff at the Triple-I Joint Annual

The cover story for this issue of Leadership Matters not only highlights an outstanding example of a superintendent communicating with his community, but it also dovetails perfectly with our upcoming Vision 20/20 campaign to chart a course for public education in Illinois. As I read Peru Superintendent Mark Cross’ letter to parents in

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

“We have one big advantage over any reform group regardless of the amounts of money they pour into political campaigns. We have an army on the ground in every community in the state. And it is going to take superintendents, principals, lighting the Vision 20/20 fire in their own communities. If we light enough fires at home, Vision 20/20 will spread like, well, a wildfire – which is how Mark’s letter took off.” business officials and school board members

his district, I was struck by his sincerity in standing up for what he believes is best for the children in his district. That’s why I think his letter resonated so well not only in his community but throughout the country. The story and Mark’s letter are well worth reading in this newsletter. The reason I link Mark’s letter to Vision 20/20 is that it illustrates the sort of grassroots approach that will be the key to implementing our plan for public education in Illinois. We have one big advantage over any reform group regardless of the amounts of money they pour into political campaigns. We have an army on the ground in every community in the state. And it is going to take superintendents, principals, business officials and

Conference, we have scheduled special meetings in each of our three Super Regions. At these meetings, we will go into detail about the plan itself, discuss our strategy to move from introducing the plan to advocating for the plan, and provide public talking points. Those special meetings do not require registration and will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon on the following dates and locations: December 8 in the Performing Arts Center at the Naperville North High School campus, 899 Mill Street in Naperville; December 9 at Sugar Creek Elementary School, 200 North Towanda Avenue in Normal; and  

 December 10 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 222 Potomac Boulevard in Mt. Vernon. I am really enthused about Vision 20/20 and our potential to change public education in Illinois in a way that fulfills our promise to the more than 2 million children in our state who depend on us to live up to our vision statement “Maximum Educational Success for All Students.” Vision 20/20 will succeed only with your help as we work at a grassroots level to spread our message, build consensus and demand action across the state community by community. I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming Vision 20/20 meetings!

school board members lighting the Vision 20/20 fire in their own communities. If we light enough fires at home, Vision 20/20 will spread like, well, a wildfire – which is how Mark’s letter took off. Speaking of Vision 20/20, the coalition of partners has firmed up a strategy for the rollout and for the launch of the Vision 20/20 public campaign and it’s already operational. The formal kickoff will be November 21 at the first general session of the Triple-I Joint Annual Conference in Chicago. However, between now and mid-November we will be holding more than 40 regional, divisional and

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