Leadership Matters - April 2013

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Matters APR I L 2 0 1 3 I ASA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Leadership

In this month’s issue

Transportation & Education winning combination in Jasper County district P. 4

Don’t forget hardware & infrastructure when preparing for PARCC, P. 7

LeRoy’s ‘State of the Schools’ dinner whets appetite, P. 9

Stress and Illinois Superintendents P. 12

Additional Items

 IASA Calendar of Events, P. 6  AP Honor Roll award due to efforts of many, P. 13  Member News from the Regions, P. 14  Getting to Know your IASA Board members, P. 15  Classrooms First Commission initiatives result in consolidation legislation, P. 16  Call for presentations-49th Annual IASA Conference, P. 17

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

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

Volume 1, Issue 4

Message from the Executive Director: Public education facing ‘perfect storm’ of challenges

Marion and added three experienced field services directors to serve you.  Joined with our Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance partners in developing a two -pronged strategy to try and rein in the unfunded mandates situation, including a review of several mandates by the P-20 Council and an attempt to get the General Assembly to give school districts and locally elected school boards determine which unfunded mandates to implement.  Worked with State Superintendent Dr. Chris Koch to try and get relief on two major mandates, one involving Special Education class size limits and

I guess I could summarize the “State of the Association” by saying that despite facing unprecedented challenges to public education on all fronts, as an association we remain strong, united and determined to protect public schools, administrators, teachers and, the reason we go to work every day, the students in our state. We are confronted by what some might term a “perfect storm” of drastic budget cuts by a state that already ranks dead last in the nation for support of public education, more than 100 unfunded mandates, the most sweeping package of education reform measures in history, and a demand by the public and media for improved student performance despite the

ratios, and the mandate related to Certified School Nurses. The 45- day comment period for the Special Education mandate is open through April 22 and, if you have not already done so, please take the time to write or email ISBE on that subject. It is critical that we respond in force to support these amendments regarding one of the biggest unfunded mandates facing schools.  We still are hoping to get more school districts to fill out the budget survey that we had in

fact that poverty – perhaps the single biggest negative influence on a child’s education – has grown to affect almost half of our students. Borrowing from our dynamic Leadership Week

“ During these trying times, we must sharpen our focus and speak with one voice. The more difficult the challenges, the more disciplined we as leaders need to be. For our

generation of educational leaders, this is the ultimate battle. I know we are up to the task . ” IASA Executive Director, Dr. Brent Clark

keynote speaker, Dr. John Draper, most of us didn’t know all of that would be on the menu when we chose

the March edition of Leadership Matters . This information will be used during our budget negotiations with the General Assembly. If you have not done so, I would encourage you to fill out the survey, which can be accessed here . During these trying times, we must sharpen our focus and speak with one voice. The more difficult the challenges, the more disciplined we as leaders need to be. For our generation of educational leaders, this is the ultimate battle. I know we are up to the task. Ready to defend pensions As members already know, more than a year ago we put on retainer an attorney widely considered to be one of the top experts regarding the Illinois pension issue. In fact, retired judge Gino L. DiVito also was retained by the judges’ association to represent them. His opinion has been that most everything we have seen proposed so far is unconstitutional, including unilaterally reducing COLAs, increasing retirement age and capping pensionable salaries. We will continue to work with DiVito as this process plays out, but rest assured that we are ready to contest pension provisions that are unconstitutional.

education as our profession. And we can’t change our order; we must meet these challenges head-on. But, as I stated in my “State of the Association” address at the IASA Annual Meeting, leadership will get us through these difficult times. I laid out to members in attendance the framework for our “Vision 20/20” initiative to develop a long-range blueprint for public education in Illinois. Not only do we want to share our vision and alternative plans with the political and educational leaders in our state, but this project also will provide IASA with a blueprint going forward. Each IASA Region is in the process of nominating a representative to the “Vision 20/20” project, and I will follow up with a second appointment from each Region. If this is something that interests you, and if you have the availability during the next 15 months, please let your Region President know. In an attempt to provide even more and better service to our members during these trying times, we have:  Opened field services offices in Schaumburg and

Transportation & Education winning combination in Jasper County district By Michael Chamness

IASA Director of Communications

The biggest educational tool in Jasper County just might be the yellow school bus. Measuring 462 square miles, Jasper County Community Unit District 1 covers more ground than any school district in Illinois. Working parents in the rural southeastern Illinois

communities that make up the district depend on the school buses to transport their children safely to and from school. Now factor in the state’s 42 percent cut in transportation funding for a district in which the buses travel more than 625,000 miles a school year. Against that backdrop, Jasper County Superintendent Dan Cox fully understands the importance not only of keeping the buses running on time, but keeping them running period. “The parents here are as emotionally attached to our bus drivers as they are our teachers,” Cox said. “They are the first people they see in the morning and the last people they see when they get off the bus. If the bus ride doesn’t go well, in a lot of ways the whole school day can be shot.” The district has some 1,400 pre-K through 12 th - grade students, and 77 percent of them ride the bus. The average ride is one hour, with the longest route being about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Those times reflect a 15-minute reduction thanks to extensive planning efforts by Cox and Chris Parr, the district’s transportation director. “Our goal is to pick the kids up as close to 7 a.m. as we can,” said Parr, noting that the bus pickup time used to be 6:45 a.m. “We believe the more sleep they get, the better they can perform as students.” Newton Elementary School, one of the four schools that compose the Jasper County district, is a national Blue Ribbon School, and the other three schools (Saint Marie Elementary, Jasper County Junior High and Newton High School) also are academic award- winners. It might sound odd to some for a transportation

With 462 square miles to cover, Jasper County Superintendent Dan Cox understands the importance of transportation.

director to be discussing student performance, but Cox has made Parr a full member of his leadership team. “Transportation plays such a big role in our district that we make sure Chris is at all of our administrative meetings,” said Cox, who is in his third school district. “He sees things differently than we do, and I think it also has helped him think like an educator.” Parr agreed that the regular interaction with school administrators is vitally important. “Being in the loop is a very big deal. It’s not a case of ‘that’s your problem.’ We understand that we’re in it together,” said Parr, who has been with the district 13 years, the first 10 as fleet supervisor before being named transportation director when Cox became superintendent. This year, Cox also added the buildings and grounds department to Parr’s duties as part of a streamlining process, but also in recognition of the job he has done with transportation. Despite all of the challenges – including the loss of about $1.5 million in state funding the past three years – the Jasper County District has an excellent safety record with only one fender-bender and no injuries the past three years while shaving 15 minutes off the time of their longest routes. The staff of bus drivers is remarkably stable, with 17 of the 24 drivers having been there at least 13 years. The drivers also do more than drive. They have in- service days where they received training on issues like bullying, dealing with autistic students and honing (Continued on page 5)

Transportation story ——————————————————

(Continued from page 4)

their emergency skills. They also assist in building a healthy team atmosphere by awarding an “Eagle” feather (Newton High’s team nickname is Eagles) to students who go above and beyond by doing things like helping a little kid get off the bus. No sooner than Cox and Parr were in their respective new positions in July of 2010, the state and federal budget cuts necessitated reorganization, going from using five school buildings to three. The bus routes also were reorganized using a “wagon-wheel” strategy starting at the farthest boundaries of the district to eliminate buses from having to zigzag throughout the district and having multiple buses traveling the same rural roads. Changing bus routes is a dicey proposition anywhere, but especially so in a district as geographically challenging as Jasper County. Past practice had included things like allowing parents to request that their kids attend a certain school, having the buses drop kids off at a babysitter’s house, and door-to-door service, including driving down private lanes of ¼ mile or longer – and having to pay for any damage the buses might do to the gravel lanes. So changes had to be made, including:  Going to a bus stop system instead of door-to-door pickup and delivery;  Dropping kids off at a babysitter’s house only if it was on an existing route;  No more driving down private lanes; and  Designing routes for full buses of 40 students instead of 30 riders “It was a leap of faith,” Cox said. “Sometimes it came down to habit or tradition versus efficiency. There were some long, tough discussions and I don’t know how many press releases we put out about transportation “ Being in the loop is a very big deal. It’s not a case of ‘that’s your

“ The parents here are as emotionally attached to our bus drivers as they are our teachers, They are the first people they see

in the morning and the last people they see when they get off the bus. If the bus ride doesn’t go well, in a lot of ways the whole school day can be shot . ” — Jasper County Superintendent Dan Cox

for kids.” The end result is a more efficient operation, with buses that are full, a reduction in the number of routes from 30 to 24, and the elimination of eight of the 11 shuttle buses that were being used to supplement the transportation routes. Transportation costs have been reduced by about 20 percent since 2007 (from $1.6 million to $1.3 million in 2012) despite the dramatic increase in fuel prices. The state’s 42 percent reduction in transportation funding means the planned 10-year rotation for the fleet of more than 55 buses now will be more like a 15- year rotation. The bottom line to older buses probably will be more repairs, but the good news is the district has its own mechanics. “A few weeks ago we had our first engine rebuild,” Parr said. “It cost us $3,000 in parts, but if we also had to pay someone outside to do the labor it would have cost another $8,000 to $10,000. There are some things we can’t do because we don’t have the right tools, but most repairs we can do ourselves.” One way to gauge just how important the bus transportation is in Newton and all of the rural communities that make up the Jasper County district is how well known Parr has become – partly because Cox has enough confidence in him to have him handle many media interviews regarding transportation. Another way is just to observe the after-school evacuation scene, with the buses lined up at the curb and local police cars, red-and-blue lights flashing, on the road to control traffic. The nearly 1,000 students who ride the buses are quickly loaded and on their way within a few minutes of the final bell, clearing the way for the students who live close enough to walk. “It really is a total community effort,” Cox said. “And that team approach is a very big part of why we can still be successful despite the budget cuts that have been so harmful to public education.”

problem.’ We understand that we’re in it together. ” — Chris Parr, Jasper County Transportation Director, talking about being included in the district’s administrative meetings.

that first year. It seemed like we were on a speaking circuit. The underlying theme that kept us going was doing what is right

April 2013

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Calendar Index

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IASA Event

Legislative Event

Professional Development Event

May 2013

Click on a color-coded date to open a link for more information about the event.

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Don’t forget hardware & infrastructure when preparing for PARCC assessment

systems (O/S) are on the recommended list. Generally, PARCC recommends Windows 7, Mac O/S 10.7 and several versions of Android O/S, Chrome or Linux. Currently, Windows XP is an option, but not a recommended one. Beyond the issues with PARCC, Microsoft will not support Windows XP after April 2014. Additionally, these systems will have to be able to be “locked down” to remove student access from e- mail browsing the web, taking screen captures, etc. Your IT staff should start discussing now how to work through those issues. Some of those features are core to the operating system and may be difficult to limit without significant work on the part of the IT staff or potentially purchasing third-party software to lock down some of those functions. It may be easier in some cases to create “test specific user profiles” for the assessment, but that may require students to manage two sets of IDs and passwords. This is easier said than done with third- graders much less with sophomores.

As the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment looms in front of us, I hear a great deal of talk about raising standards, creating a more rigorous curriculum and in many other ways preparing for the Common Core State Standards that will be tested by PARCC and Smarter Balanced. I believe that many of us are working hard to ensure our teaching staff is provided the necessary curriculum development to prepare our students for the rigors of these new exams. I am not sure that most districts realize the potential need to improve their hardware and infrastructure in order to accommodate the bandwidth Dr. Steven Baule Superintendent North Boone District 200

requirements of the testing process. Of course, preparing students for the test is of primary importance, but each district will need to ensure that they have the necessary hardware and a robust enough infrastructure to ensure that the students will have a hassle-free testing experience, that their scores will be representative of their achievements and not reflective of a poor testing environment. Matthew Kinzie, the chief technology

The point is that someone needs to be investigating this lock-down issue within the specific technology milieu of each district well before we start using the PARCC to measure student achievement. The other software issue is that secure browsers will need to be installed in order to actually administer the PARCC assessments. At the time of publication, PARCC hasn’t yet identified what

browsers will be acceptable.  Network Bandwidth: Bandwidth is potentially the most important consideration for successfully administering the PARCC assessment. Even the most well-engineered technology initiative can be brought to its knees if the necessary bandwidth isn’t considered as part of the planning. The bandwidth requirements for PARCC haven’t been finalized, but the current recommendations for external (Internet) access are 100 kbps per student or 1 Mbps per 100 students. Other recommendations floated include requiring up to 1 Gbps per 1000 students and staff. For internal networking between schools, the recommendation is for 10 Gbps per 1000 (Continued on page 8)

officer for the San Francisco Unified School District, stated “online delivery is predicated on a wonderful idea, but it is an unfunded mandate. We don’t see any funding for technology to implement online assessments.” Illinois is in a similar situation in that there is no funding allocated for building out the necessary technology infrastructure for the PARCC assessment, although State Superintendent Dr. Chris Koch has proposed a modest matching grant program in his FY2014 draft budget. Federal e-rate money may also be available for some of the connectivity development. From a technology standpoint, there are some facets related to the soon-to-be mandated testing that will need to be considered, including:  Software: The first and potentially the easiest is to ensure your desktop, laptop and/or tablet operating

Preparing for PARCC ——————————————————

(Continued from page 7)

students and staff by 2017. These are based upon the recommendations of the State Educational Technology Directors’ Association. Remember, these bandwidth requirements appear to be for the PARCC assessment, so districts will have to determine what additional bandwidth requirements each will have simultaneous to the exams being given. For instance, the e-mail system needs X bandwidth, the student information system needs Y and file services require Z. Each district’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) should be able to provide an analysis of current bandwidth uses. Also, as a district migrates to more cloud-based resources, bandwidth requirements will increase. One of the best bandwidth calculators available is School 2.0’s Bandwidth Calculator available at: www.etoolkit.org/edtoolkit/bandwidth_calculator/ PARCC just released a good capacity planning tool in March 2013, which is listed at the end of article as well. Another piece that hasn’t been widely discussed is that the original version of PARCC will be replaced by a more multimedia-rich version about 2017. So the initial version is only planned to be used for a couple of years. The more multimedia resources (videos, interactive pages, sound files, etc.), the more bandwidth required for each student. As many web filter and firewall devices are scaled based upon potential bandwidth, districts should review those devices and ensure that they will still function properly at the new increased bandwidths.

Where to go to find additional information:

SETDA’s The Broadband Imperative http://www.setda.org/web/guest/bbbriefing

PARCC Technology Readiness Tool http://www.techreadiness.net

FAQs about the same http://www.techreadiness.org/f/ Frequently_Asked_Questions_04302012.pdf

PARCC Capacity Planning Tool http://www.parcconline.org/assessment- administration-guidance

The ISBE PARCC Readiness page http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/elearning/ html/parcc-tech-tool.htm

Appneta’s How Much Bandwidth do you need? http://www.appneta.com/2013/01/25/how- much-bandwidth-do-i-really-need/ Bandwidth Pool’s Bandwidth Calculator (a really general calculator – but a place to start) https://www.bandwidthpool.com/#/bandwidth -calculator/

LeRoy’s ‘State of the Schools’ dinner whets appetite By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications “Where’s the beef?” Remember those Wendy’s TV ads that became a national catchphrase? price tag on the communication it generates with our community. It’s about laying a foundation,” said Morrell, who probably qualifies as an expert to talk about return on investment considering his day job is that of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). “I remember being invited to attend this dinner before I became a school board member. I thought I’d check it out; I came away saying ‘Wow! There’s something good going on here.’ LeRoy Superintendent Gary Tipsord briefs crowd of more than 100 during his “State of the Schools” presentation.

Well, in LeRoy citizens show up for the annual “State of the Schools” dinner not only for the rib eye steaks (pork chops and chicken also are on the menu), but also for the real meat of the evening -- an overview of what is going on in their school district. An idea that LeRoy Superintendent Gary Tipsord initiated six years ago, the “State of the Schools” dinner attracted a crowd of more than 100 that filled the school cafeteria on a recent snowy Friday night. John Morrell, a member of the LeRoy Community Unit School District 2 School Board, said the value of the evening far exceeded the free meal offered by the school district. “We may have spent $500 tops, but you can’t put a

“A school district is an anchor in a small community,” added Morrell, who moved his family to the McLean County community of about 3,500 six years ago and was elected to the school board two years ago. “For people to give up a Friday night means they are involved.” The attendees also included a visiting school superintendent, Jon Kilgore of Pontiac Township District 90, who along with a teacher and parent drove (Continued on page 10)

LeRoy ‘State of the Schools’ story ——————————————————

(Continued from page 9)

more than 40 miles to Le Roy to scout out the dinner. “I thought it was an excellent way to collaborate in an organized manner and share a consistent message and vision,” said Kilgore a few days later. “We have tried things like a ‘community café’ event where people could come in and ask questions, but we were not getting the turnout we had hoped. With the dinner and the RSVP there seems to be a better hook and maybe people are more committed to show up.”

“ You don’t view your child as a test score and neither do we...Our goal is that when your child walks across the stage with their diploma they are ready to enter into a competitive world with a 21st-century education.”

— Superintendent Gary Tipsord, LeRoy Community District 2, speaking to community members at the ‘State of the Schools’ dinner.

Kilgore said that he was impressed enough that he plans to get a group together to craft something similar that would work in Pontiac -- presumably including a good meal. Speaking of the good food, the steaks, chops and chicken breasts were grilled by firefighters from the Le Roy Community Fire Protection District (who had to grill and run when they received an emergency call to respond to a car accident). Student Council members were the servers. While dessert was being served, Tipsord gave a 30-minute overview broken down by four categories: student achievement, facilities, finances and community relations. He shared some good academic news: LeRoy Junior High has received the

“You don’t view your child as a test score and neither do we,” he said. “At work today, were any of you given four options and asked to choose the best one? (No one raised their hand.) Our goal is that when your child walks across the stage with their diploma they are ready to enter into a competitive world with a 21 st -century education.” He added that the school district is working with area businesses, including a partnership with State Farm, to make sure the school curriculum is aligned to help students be successful not only in college, but also in the business world. Tipsord also talked about a three-year, $3.85 million plan to renovate facilities in a way that matches the district’s educational objectives, including school security upgrades like modernized single access points mixed with common-sense protocols. He described the district’s financial approach as one of “managed deficit spending,” defined as using some of the district’s financial reserves for capital projects that reinvest in the schools’ infrastructure, but stopping short of endangering the fiscal future of the district. “We know where the responsible line is and we will not exceed that point when it comes to using our reserves,” he promised. In the area of community involvement, Tipsord said that the district has expanded the use of social media, but that he and the board wanted to maintain face-to- face communication as the top priority. “The tougher things get financially, the more we need to inform you,” he said, adding that all information would be available on the district’s website as well as limited use of Twitter and Facebook that he labeled “uni-directional.” “We are going to push information to you, but we are deleting all comments that are posted. So far, all the comments have been positive, but if we only

“We may have spent $500 tops, but you can’t

state’s Academic Excellence Award three years running, and the district met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards that are virtually unattainable for most school districts under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program.

put a price tag on the communication it generates with our community .” — Board member John Morrell, Jr.

Tipsord then told about ISAT test score standards being raised by the state for third- through eighth- graders, the net result being that as many as 30 percent of students statewide who met the standards last year would not meet this year’s standards with those same scores. He used an analogy about a high jumper who actually improves but cannot clear a bar that has been raised even higher.

(Continued on page 11)

LeRoy ‘State of the Schools’ story ——————————————————

“It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2012-13 school year at LeRoy Elementary School, a learning environment that strives on Dedicated Educators, Active Community Support, and Self- Regulated Learners…We pledge to you our passion for the individual security, safety and success of every

(Continued from page 10)

deleted the negative ones that wouldn’t be right,” he explained. “If you have a problem, question or concern about something we are doing, then please come and talk with us. We’ll listen. As a community, these are our kids, our schools and our decisions to make.” Tipsord said that each

student…it is a great pleasure to work with such a talented and dedicated staff in a school where parents are so supportive of our efforts. Children are precious gifts. We take our responsibility seriously -- to develop academically strong, self- regulated learners who demonstrate respect and become highly productive citizens in our community.” “Honestly, the state of our schools is pretty good. There are some really cool things happening in this district,” Tipsord told the crowd. “We believe very, very much in what we are doing.”

participant should focus on tthree areas as “take-aways” for the evening’s event:  Giving every student every chance to succeed  What will it look like?  How are we going to do it from a financial standpoint? After Tipsord’s overview, circulated through breakout sessions that went into more detail on the financial, building and student categories before regrouping for a question-and-answer session. It wasn’t a scientific survey, attendees were

“If you

don’t have top- of-the-line schools, what does

a small community have to sell? Good schools are what bring people with kids to town .” —LeRoy Mayor Steve Dean

Apparently, the community also believes in what the school district is doing. There are no contested races in the upcoming school board election. In fact, there are no contested races at all in LeRoy this time around, including for mayor or city council. Mayor Steve Dean -- another person who grew up in LeRoy, moved away and then came back – said having great schools is a big part of the formula for success in a town like LeRoy, which was founded in 1835 and is one of only a few communities in McLean County to survive from that time period. “If you don’t have top-of-the-line schools, what does a small community have to sell?” Dean said. “Good schools are what bring people with kids to town. “This can be the biggest in-fighting town you’ve ever seen in your life, but the town is solidly behind the schools,” the mayor continued. “Many of our people sleep here but work in Champaign or Bloomington. They may not be engaged in the city, but they are engaged in the schools.”

but several people at the event had a similar story: they grew up in LeRoy, moved away and decided to come back based at least in part on the reputation of the schools. The principal of LeRoy Elementary School, Erin Conn, was one of those people. She, her husband and two school-age children moved back six years ago from Hannibal, Missouri. “The principal’s job came open and it was our one chance to get back here and we took it,” Conn said. Conn’s “Principal’s Message” on the school district’s website probably contains several clues as to why the family moved back even though it meant her husband would have to commute more than an hour to Springfield for his new job location. In part, Conn’s message said:

ISDLAF+ March 2013 Monthly Update

Click here to view the March 2013 ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Emmert Dannenberg, statewide marketing director/ ISDLAF+ at 815.592.6948. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com .

Stress and Illinois superintendents Challenges facing superintendents today are numerous, complicated, and potenƟally debilitaƟng. In 2000, superintendents reported that their jobs were more reflects the percepƟons of Illinois superintendents toward these factors. When taken in context with the survey quesƟon: my job as superintendent is stressful , an unmistakable picture of the factors that cause stress for superintendents is presented, as well as the overwhelming response (94.3 percent) that the job is stressful. Dr. Curt Simonson is the Superintendent of Tri‐Valley CUSD 3 in Downs. He was previously the Superintendent of Liberty CUSD 2 in Liberty and was the Principal of Pikeland Community School in PiƩsfield for 10 years. His career started in PiƩsfield, where he also taught American History and coached for 17 years. He has spent 36 years as an educator in three school districts. This arƟcle is a brief summary of his December 2012 doctoral dissertaƟon Ɵtled “The

complex and difficult than a decade earlier. Superintendents cited the increased complexiƟes of No Child LeŌ Behind , shrinking federal dollars, special educaƟon, state funding issues, state test scores, and state standards as areas that inhibited superintendent

RelaƟonship of Stress and the Physical Wellness of Illinois Superintendents.” The full dissertaƟon can be accessed by clicking here .

Illinois superintendents were also asked the methods that they uƟlized to manage stress. The top five methods of managing stress were: family acƟviƟes (88.7%), walking (68.9%), prayer (68.5%), watching television (64.0%), and eaƟng (53.7%). The methods in bold print are acƟve methods of managing stress and the others are passive methods of managing stress. In short, those Causes of Stress

performance. Due to the stressors that resulted from these challenges, quesƟons were raised of the effect on a superintendent’s life, health, and job performance. At an Illinois AssociaƟon of School Administrators (IASA) division meeƟng in Spring 2010, IASA ExecuƟve Director Dr. Brent Clark stated, “There is no job worth your life.” He suggested that, “In these Ɵmes you need to reach out and network, share your concerns, thoughts, and observaƟons with your peers.” Illinois superintendents had seen three suicides and three fatal heart aƩacks from July through April of that school year. AddiƟonally, research showed that high levels of debilitaƟng stress were criƟcal to superintendent personal and professional success, and even their survival. In the summer of 2012, a study Ɵtled “The RelaƟonship of Stress and the Physical Wellness of Illinois Superintendents” was conducted. The results of this study showed a definite link between superintendent stress and physical wellness. Data from this study indicated that an overwhelming majority of responding superintendents (94.3%) believed that their job was extremely stressful. Research on stress proved that leŌ unchecked, stress resulted in heart disease, high blood pressure, heart aƩack, cancer, obesity, and stroke. Illinois superintendents also were asked to idenƟfy the factors that caused stress in their lives. The following table

that used acƟve methods of stress management had far fewer concerns for the above menƟoned health issues, while those using passive methods of stress management had greater concern for the same health issues. One of the key findings from this study reflected that the most effecƟve way of managing stress in the workplace was through acƟve methods of stress management.

Changing state and federal regulaƟons (WC) Inadequate school finance (WC) Time required by the job (WC) Insignificant demands (WC) RelaƟons with the union during collecƟve bargaining (PR) NCLB/Race to the Top/ ESEA (WC) RelaƟons with the board of educaƟon (PR) Student test scores (WC) Demands of special interest groups (WC)

92.0%

86.6%

82.0%

77.0%

71.7%

71.0%

68.4%

67.4%

66.0%

* WC = Working condiƟons; PR = Professional RelaƟons; EC = EvaluaƟon and Contract

AP Honor Roll award due to efforts of many

The mission of Olympia Community Unit District 16 is to challenge each student to achieve personal success. One way the District is striving to meet its mission is through the vigorous Advanced Placement program (AP). Recently, Olympia High School was recognized as an Advanced Placement Honor Roll School. OHS is one of 539 school districts in the nation – and one of 22 in Illinois – to be recognized this year by the College Board with a place on its

3rd Annual AP District Honor Roll Batavia District 101 Central School District 301

Community High School District 128 Community High School District 155 Community Unit School District 200 Diocese of Joliet

By Brad K. Hutchison Superintendent Olympia Community Unit District 16

Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Geneva Community Unit School District 304 Huntley Consolidated School District 158 Indian Prairie School District 204 Kaneland Community Unit School District 302

third annual AP Honor Roll. The Olympia Honor Roll award was based upon examination of three years of AP data: 2010, 2011, and 2012, data from all students who took AP Examinations. According to Jennifer McDonnell, Senior Director, K-12 Services for the College Board’s Midwestern Regional Office, inclusion on the 3rd Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on increase in participation of AP examinations by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts and at least 11 percent in small districts along with several other factors. The dedication of our students, parents, AP teachers and the academic departments in providing rigorous coursework to a growing population of students is commendable. “Our teachers and students should be commended for their willingness to accept this level of personal challenge with regard to this rigorous level of teaching and learning, which is comparable to a college level curriculum,” said OHS Principal Dr. Lance Thurman. “It’s important to note that AP courses at OHS are consistently made available to students with a wide range of ability, and that every student in the AP curriculum is required to sit for the AP examination.” Mathematics Department Chair Sara Kleinschmidt agreed. “All of our AP teachers have high expectations for students in the challenging AP curriculum. Olympia students have worked diligently to meet the high AP expectations which resulted in receiving this distinguished award,” Kleinschmidt said. “Particularly satisfying, and what separates Olympia from other schools, is our inclusion of students of all ability levels into our AP classes.” Student response to the opportunity to enroll in the

Lake Park High School District 108 Leyden High School District 212 McLean County Unit District 5

Monticello Community Unit School District 25 Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 Olympia Community Unit School District 16 St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Sycamore School District 427 Triad Community School Unit District 2 Valley View 365 Unified School District Warren Township High School District 121

Olympia AP program has been very positive. OHS Senior Jarrod Nicholas recently shared that “Both AP classes I am currently enrolled in, AP Literature and AP Calculus, have surpassed my expectations. My teachers push me not only to do my work, but explore new concepts and think for myself. While it would be great to achieve a high score on the tests in May to earn some college credit, the true benefit of AP classes is working with other students who aspire to go beyond the traditional classroom." The District is very pleased with the consistent and ongoing efforts of our AP students and their teachers. A highlight of this award is that it provides evidence of increased access and increased rigor over time – three full years. It is highly encouraging to have AP teachers write letters of recommendation and create pathways for students to access these rigorous courses and be successful, as opposed to promoting only a certain profile of student in order to enhance the subject score roster average. Creating an educational setting which promotes equal access to academic rigor is helping to fulfill the Olympia Mission.

Southwestern Member news from the Regions ber News from the Regions Why isn’t my district in the news? If you would like to see news from your region included in Leadership Matters, simply email the information to mchamness@iasaedu.org and we will add it to News from the Regions.

Michael Miller has been named Superintendent of Henry Senachwine District 5 beginning

Dr. Patrick Twomey has been named Superintendent of Macomb Community School District 185

Duane Bryant of Dix passed away March 20, 2013. He was formerly superintendent at Rome School District

Starved Rock

Western

Egyptian

beginning July 1. Twomey, who currently is superintendent in Havana Unit District 126, will replace Dr. Alene Reuschel, who is retiring. Chad Willis has been named the first Superintendent of the newly consolidated Abingdon-Avon District 276 beginning July 1. Willis currently is the principal of Cuba Middle-Senior High, a position he has held the past six years. Voters in Abingdon and Avon overwhelmingly approved forming the consolidated district in the November 2012 election.

July 1. Miller, who currently is the curriculum director in the district, will replace Dr. Larry Carlton , who is retiring.

in Dix.

John Mullett has been named

Dr. Omar Castillo has been named Superintendent of Mokena District 159 beginning July 1.

Superintendent of Litchfield District 12 beginning July 1. Mullet currently is Superintendent of Breese District 12. He will replace Chad Allison, who will become Superintendent of Illinois Valley Central Unit District 321. Kaskaskia

Three Rivers

Castillo, who currently is assistant superintendent in Addison School District 4, will replace Steve Stein, who is leaving to become superintendent of Peotone District 207U.

Lyle D. Ozment of Pittsburg, IL passed away March 16, 2013. He retired from Crab Orchard District in 2004.

Shawnee

12 Illinois schools win ‘Breakfast Challenge’ Twelve Illinois schools recently were announced as winners in the Illinois School Breakfast Challenge. The schools shared $36,000 in cash prizes, and were recognized for considerably increasing their daily participation in breakfast at the school. At the awards presentation at the Executive Mansion, Governor Quinn discussed the link between a good breakfast and school achievement. “No child should start their day with an empty stomach. We are closing the ‘breakfast gap.’ The Illinois School Breakfast Challenge is helping thousands of students at hundreds of schools meet their nutritional needs, improve their focus in class and develop healthy habits for life,” the governor said. The Illinois State Board of Education, the Midwest Dairy Council, and the Illinois No Kids Hungry Campaign are proud to sponsor the 2012-2013 Illinois School Breakfast Challenge.

Getting to know your IASA Board Members

Favorite book: Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin Favorite musical artist: John Lennon

Dr. Mark Hansen Northwest

School district: Eastland CUSD 308 One thing you would like people to know about your school district: We are in year 2 of a 1:1 computer initiative for grades 9-12; we will be expanding to include grades 4-8 in 2013-14. Years on IASA Board: 1 Years as educator: 28 High school: Manlius High School (now part of Bureau Valley Schools) Colleges or Universities: B.S. from University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana; M.S, Ed.S and Ed.D from Western Illinois University Family : Wife – Dawn, daughter – Whitney (22), son – Austin (17) Favorite hobby: reading/writing Favorite movie: Hoosiers

Favorite movie: Any James Bond movie Favorite book: Living Above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles R. Swindoll Favorite musical artist: Paul Baloche One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: I play piano/keyboard in a variety of church music groups. Biggest concern about public education: The perceived need, demand & implementation of school reform are outpacing the actual need for change and are distracting teachers from teaching & students from learning. Most encouraging thing about public education: Watching a child “get it” (e.g. learn to read, master a new math concept, etc.) for the very first time, knowing that dedicated & compassionate teachers’ & parents’ efforts were successful. One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: My high school graduating class had 24 students Biggest concern about public education: My dual concerns would be: 1) the increased tendency to scapegoat public education/educators and 2) the push for “reform” from uninformed external advocates Most encouraging thing about public education: Education is growing/becoming more of a professional learning community characterized by a culture of continuous growth; this is a positive change since I began in 1986.

Dr. Jason Henry Egyptian School district: Sesser- Valier CUSD 196 One thing you would like people to know about your

school district: Sesser-Valier is a family- oriented district, making it a great place to live & work.

Years on IASA Board: 4 Years as educator: 18

High school: Johnston City (IL) High School Colleges or Universities: University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; Southern Illinois University- Carbondale Family: Kerri (Wife) Favorite hobby: Working with my dad on our family’s small beef cattle operation.

Classrooms First Commission initiatives result in consolidation legislation

The reorganization method for “coop high schools” has been altered to allow unit or high school districts to reorganize if each of the districts has a high school enrollment of fewer than 600 students. The same previous requirement of these districts being contiguous also was dropped from this legislation. Therefore, non-contiguous districts can now utilize the cooperative high school reorganization method. Probably the most important change is in the dissolution method of reorganization. Currently, if a district has a population of fewer than 5,000 residents, the Board of Education can petition the Regional Board of Trustees, or by a citizen petition with a majority of signatures, to dissolve the district. In dissolution, the Regional Board of Trustees is empowered to annex all or part of the district to a neighboring district(s) in its own discretion. This is the only reorganization method in which there is no vote of the populace and this “automatic feature” can only be overridden with a citizen petition opposing the

The first reorganization bill to reach the legislature based upon the Classroom First Commission has come forth with the sponsorship of the Lieutenant Governor and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The two parallel bills with the same wording are Senate Bill 1877, sponsored by Sen. Andy Manar (D- Bunker Hill), and House Bill 2267, sponsored by Rep. Jehan Gordon (D- Peoria).

Dr. Bill Phillips IASA Field

Services Director

Keep in mind that the essential features of this new legislation still are not mandatory and require the consent and approval of the populace or the school board. The intent seems to be a widening of reorganization options for districts by removing some of the existing requirements and including an enrollment factor for the “automatic dissolution” of a district that voluntarily chooses this method of reorganization.

dissolution received within 45 days by the Regional Board of School Trustees with a majority of signatures of district residents. The new feature of this legislation now includes an enrollment factor of 750. This legislation would allow this automatic form of dissolution, which would not

These bills have a lot of traction and should pass through the legislature without much opposition. Essentially, these bills give districts more options to choose from, and change a few time-honored procedures and requirements. For example, requiring districts to be contiguous, or touching at some point on a common

include a vote of the populace, to be utilized by a district with a student population of fewer than 750 students. This change would still include the possibility of overriding the board petition with a petition of a majority of district voters opposing this dissolution. Another item in the bill related to reorganization is to allow for a delayed reorganization date in certain circumstances when a new facility is required until construction funding is available. This would allow reorganizations needing a new facility to hold a referendum vote, but delay the effective date of the reorganization until construction funding is available for a period of up to five years. A delayed reorganization is often in the best interests of districts considering reorganization due to the considerable number of issues that districts need to work through in the process of merging school districts.

boundary, has been eliminated by this legislation. Districts may utilize annexation, which is controlled by the Regional Board of Trustees, or combination, which is controlled by the Regional Office of Education (ROE) and the State Superintendent, to reorganize with several caveats. Elementary, high school and unit districts all are included in this legislation. The first requirement is that district offices for districts reorganizing must be within 30 miles of each other. This distance restriction seems reasonable even though it seems that districts reorganizing at that distance may have transportation and logistical issues to solve. The other requirement is that all districts that are contiguous with the districts utilizing this method of reorganization but are not interested in participating in the reorganization must document their non-interest through a vote of its school board and then inform the Regional Board of Trustees by letter containing approved minutes that record the school board vote.

Call for presentations-49th Annual IASA Conference

The Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) is soliciting breakout session proposals for the 49th Annual IASA Conference, scheduled on October 9-11, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield. This is an opportunity to share your best practices on educational issues with your colleagues. Past sessions have addressed topics such as: assessments; technology; short- term borrowing solutions for schools; retirement planning for school professionals; violence prevention programs; curriculum alignment; hiring and evaluation of personnel; legal updates and school district reorganization. We look forward to reviewing what you have to offer!

Click here to download the Proposal form. For additional information, contact Cherry Middleton at 217.753.2213 or cmiddleton@iasaedu.org .

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