Leadership Matters September 2013 .pub

Matters SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 3 I ASA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Leadership

In this month’s issue

Additional Items

 Reasons to attend the Annual Conference P. 10  Annual Conference—News in Brief P. 11  Annual Conference schedule P. 12  SIU Education Law and Labor Conference P. 15  Principal Evaluation Tool P. 17  Update on ISBE Rules— Certified School Nurse P. 20  AASA urges responses to proposed changes in E- Rate program P. 21  Pay IPAC dues online at the IASA Conference P. 21  Joint Educational Support Professionals Conference P. 22  Coaching for Leaders Program offered P. 23  ISDLAF+ Update P. 23  Video Library Update P. 23  IASA Annual Meeting Notice P. 23  IASA News in Brief P. 24  SB 7 Performance Rankings File available P. 25  Getting to know your IASA Board members P. 26  IASA Calendar of Events P. 27

Annual Conference Speakers—Vollmer, Relland, Burgett P. 4-9

Opportunities and challenges emerge from crisis situations P. 13

General Powell: ‘Empower people and then trust them’ P. 16

Levy, Truth in Taxation requirements and balloon levying P. 18

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 9

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IASA Conference shaping up to be great leadership experience We are really enthused

about our upcoming IASA Conference, scheduled for October 9-11 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. Once again, we have been fortunate enough to bring in

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

a power-packed lineup of speakers that will cover a great mix of timely topics that are relevant to the challenges facing educators. The theme of this issue of Leadership Matters is our conference, the theme of which is “Leadership Matters.” In this issue we have in- depth profiles of our three keynote speakers, author Jamie Vollmer, attorney Susan Relland and veteran educator Jim Burgett. Their stories are intriguing and interesting. For example:  A businessman who was one of public education’s harshest critics, Vollmer now is one of public schools’ most vocal supporters. Find out how blueberry ice cream ended up being a factor in his transformation.  Relland has spent her career working in the arena of health and welfare benefit plan law, and she was very involved in the Congressional debate over the Affordable Care Act. Her keen insights about the controversial law and what school districts need to be doing in order to comply are both interesting and helpful in a practical way.  Many of you know Burgett from his years as an award-winning school superintendent in Illinois. That experience and his personality have made him one of the most sought-after education speakers in the country. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read more about these three keynote speakers on the next few pages of this newsletter because I think that will only whet your appetite to come and hear their presentations at our conference. Speaking of attending the conference, I want to extend a special invitation to the new superintendents around the state. I remember when I first became a superintendent thinking I

should never be gone from my office, but I want to let you know that this conference was designed to provide the type of professional development opportunity that makes the two-and -a-half day commitment a good investment of time for you and for your school district. In fact, we have developed a special training strand just for new superintendents that will complement and build upon the New Superintendents’ Conference many of you attended last month. The conference agenda also includes a general session titled “Vision 20/20: Creating a Vision for the Future of Education in Illinois” that will discuss the impetus and motivation for this important IASA initiative and provide an update on its status. Key staff from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will conduct a discussion titled “The Big Picture” and include topics such as school finance, licensure, assessments and learning standards. One new conference-related activity is the IASA “Super” 5K Fun Run/Walk to be held at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 10. This activity is designed for runners and walkers of all levels and will be held on the beautiful Lost Bridge Trail just a short distance from the hotel. Participants will receive a special T-shirt. It sounds like a great time with friends and colleagues, and a wonderful way to start a productive day at the conference. I look forward to seeing you in October!

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Vollmer: From critic to public education advocate Keynote speaker recalls how blueberry ice cream helped change his perspective

By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the biblical bolt of lightning that converted Saul into Paul, but Jamie Vollmer’s transformation has been no less surprising to some. A businessman who once was a harsh critic of public schools, Vollmer has spent much of the past three decades promoting public education. An author and nationally known speaker, Vollmer will kick off the IASA Annual Conference in Springfield October 9 with a keynote address titled “Welcome to the Great Conversation: Building public support for public schools one community at a time.” It was a simple question by a teacher that gave Vollmer pause. He refers to it simply as “The Blueberry Story.” You see, Vollmer came to the public education reform discussion by an unusual route. It came following a career in law and another in manufacturing as president of the Iowa-based Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company whose claim to fame was producing blueberry ice cream that People magazine labeled “The Best Ice Cream in America.” President Ronald Reagan had served the ice cream to White House guests. Vollmer was giving his fire-and-brimstone speech about the failures of public education, including his usual three assumptions: 1) that public schools needed to change; 2) that educators were the problem; and 3) that public schools should be run like businesses. But this was his first time delivering the sermon to teachers. “If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!” he concluded. It was during the Q & A session that a teacher asked Vollmer what he would do if he found a substandard shipment of blueberries on the loading dock of his highly regarded ice cream company, one he already had confirmed used only “super-premium, nothing but Triple-A” ingredients. “Would you send them back?” the woman asked. Vollmer knew he had been trapped by his own logic. “We can never send back our blueberries,” the

Author and public education advocate Jamie Vollmer

veteran English teacher continued. “We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it’s not a business. It’s school!” The comparison of kids to blueberries wasn’t apples to apples, so to speak, but the point hit its mark with Vollmer. Vollmer’s evolution from spewing what he termed “empty business rhetoric” into the winner of the 2012 “Friend of Education” award from the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the “Learning and Liberty” award presented by the National School Public Relations Association was not completed during that one loaded blueberry question. “It was only a beginning because I had some deeply held convictions and people don’t give those up easily,” he said. “But it stopped my momentum. It made me understand that maybe this thing is not as simple as I thought.” Vollmer’s foray into public education came at the (Continued on page 5)

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Lincoln-Douglas debates. “Lincoln said, ‘…public sentiment is everything. With it nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently, he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed.’" That is why Vollmer thinks the timing is critical for educators – superintendents, faculty and staff alike -- 49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

From critic to supporter of public education ___________________________

(Continued from page 4)

invitation of former Iowa State Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Lepley back in the 1980s. Because of the ice cream company’s growing fame, Lepley recruited Vollmer to join the Iowa Business and Education Roundtable, a group that included the heads of such corporate giants as Alcoa and John Deere. Vollmer -- he of a 50-employee company -- became the group’s executive director and later formed his education advocacy firm, Jamie Vollmer, Inc. “I really had no intention of getting

to have positive, ongoing discussions about public education, building support one community at a time. Vollmer’s talk at the conference dovetails perfectly with IASA’s “Vision 20/20” initiative to develop a roadmap for public education in Illinois. “Like I said earlier, the moral and practical have become the same thing. Not only do people need to know that supporting the local schools is the right thing to do, they need to know it’s the right thing for them, too -- including the 75 percent of taxpayers who don’t have children in school,” Vollmer said. “When communities support their schools,

“ We have reached a point where the

so deeply involved. I got my sleeve caught in the machine. It just may be the most important enterprise of our time,” said Vollmer, reflecting on his past 30-plus years of writing and talking about public education. One of Vollmer’s books, Schools Cannot Do It Alone, was cited as one of the top 10 education books of 2010. Vollmer’s website prominently displays this quote: “Public education is a miracle. And this is its most hopeful time.” “It’s not just hyperbole,” he said. “What I mean by that quote is that we

moral imperative and the practical need to educate every child are now the same thing because our once highly forgiving economy is gone. ” —Jamie Vollmer

good things start to happen in those communities… property values go up, businesses are attracted, people want to live in those types of communities.” It is a perspective that Vollmer has gained from visiting hundreds of schools. He probably cannot eat blueberry ice cream without thinking about that English teacher who helped mold his sentiment about public education. He now says only one of his three original assumptions remain: the need for change, something schools cannot accomplish alone. “We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society,” Vollmer said. “But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America.”

have never been in this place before, where we are required to do everything we can do to unfold the potential in every student. It used to be that not every student needed a degree to make a good living, but that agro-industrial economy doesn’t exist anymore. “We have reached a point where the moral imperative and the practical need to educate every child are now the same thing because our once highly forgiving economy is gone.” Vollmer said his message at the IASA Conference will focus on harnessing the power represented by the education leaders throughout the state. “The power of the people in that room and the power of the people that they manage equal an army that can alter public perception and reaction,” Vollmer said. “There are all sorts of enemies to public education. I was the living embodiment of that. It is fitting that I will be talking in Springfield, Illinois, because Abraham Lincoln had a great quote about public sentiment back in 1858 during one of the

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Relland helps school districts translate Affordable Care Act to action plans Speaker has spent career in employee benefits arena, was involved in debate

By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications The year was 2010, the topic was the Affordable Care Act, and Susan Relland’s words were prescient. As an attorney who had been heavily involved in the Congressional debate regarding the politically charged issue commonly referred to in the media as “Obamacare,” Relland understood that as tough as the law was to get passed, implementation would be even more difficult. law is not on the page. People are not appreciating how much of this law we won’t know for a long time.” “So much of this

Susan Relland, vice president of American Fidelity Assurance Company, will be one of the keynote speakers at the IASA Annual Conference.

‘B.’ There are a lot of different levers districts can pull to create a strategy that will work for them.” For example, she cited the Free Rider Penalty portion of the law, which requires “large” employers (50 or more full-time employees) to provide “adequate” and “affordable” health coverage for their full-time employees (those working 30 or more hours per week) no later than January 1, 2015. “The law says you can credit a substitute teacher with just the hours they actually work instead of a full day if you keep the proper service records. Otherwise (Continued on page 7)

Relland will be a keynote speaker at the IASA Annual Conference to be held October 9-11 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. She will address the challenges facing school districts as they attempt to comply with the complex health care act. Her advice to school administrators? “They need to start looking at a strategy sooner rather than later,” said Relland, now a vice president of American Fidelity Assurance Company in Oklahoma City. “It’s not as simple as choosing ‘A’ or

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Relland helps school districts with Affordable Care Act ___________________________

The so-called “Gang of Six” in the Senate (three Democrats and three Republicans) that had been working on a bipartisan plan fell apart at the 11 th hour and pressure from powerful lobbying groups representing the pharmaceutical companies and medical associations complicated the task. “It was so hard to get agreement even at a very high level and it would become almost impossible if they started to get down in the weeds on any particular issue. They had to keep it as simple as possible,” said Relland. “The statute itself is more than 2,000 pages with more than 1,500 places where Congress laid out a short rule and basically said ‘details to come.’ That meant agencies would have to come up with rules and there literally are thousands of pages of regulations.” Relland attained her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and her law degree from Tulane. She has spent the last 15 years helping employers in the arena of health and welfare benefit plan law. Her role in the Affordable Care Act process was to work with Congressional staffers regarding the technical aspects of the bill and communicate potential unintended consequences. “I represented employers,” said Relland, who at the time was an attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Miller & Chevalier and previously had been the health policy legal counsel for the American Benefits Council and a consultant for Ernst and Young. “My role was to try and translate the bill into plain English and let the Congressional staffers know how the plan would really work out in the field.” Even though it’s been three years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Relland’s warning still remains viable. “There’s still much we don’t know,” she said. “There are no final regulations yet for the Free Rider Penalty, and there are other open questions. Will the exchanges be successful? How many people will use them? Is the act even fiscally sustainable?” Relland’s presentation at the IASA Conference will focus on breaking down the requirements facing school districts between now and 2015 and helping attendees create their own action plans.

“( School districts) need to start looking at a strategy sooner rather than later, It’s not as simple as choosing ‘A’ or ‘B.’

There are a lot of different levers districts can pull to create a strategy that will work for them. ”

— Susan Relland, Vice President for American Fidelity Assurance Company

(Continued from page 6)

you have to credit them with eight hours for the day. That can be the difference for the substitute teacher qualifying for these benefits as a full-time employee,” Relland said. “One catch is that a district with a calendar year plan using a 12-month measurement period ideally would start capturing that data by October 1, 2013. Districts with non-calendar years need to start even earlier. For example, a district with a July 1 plan year needs to offer adequate/affordable coverage to 95% of full-time employees by the July 1, 2014 plan year or hold a second, mid-year open enrollment for coverage to take effect January 1, 2015 when the penalties start to apply." That’s just one example of attempting to navigate the twists and turns in the Affordable Care Act. Relland said the law was intentionally “broad and high-level” because of a combination of the time constraints involved and the lack of bipartisan political will. “From a practical standpoint, you can only pass a controversial law like this in the first 12 to 18 months a president in office because of the politics surrounding the mid-term Congressional elections at the end of the second year and the next presidential campaign that begins after that,” she said. “Also, the Democrats at the time had a full sweep – control of the presidency, the Senate and the House – and that was going to be their best chance to pass it.”

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Burgett receives gift of inspiration, passes it on Teacher, guidance counselor helped put speaker on path to become successful educator By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Jim Burgett can trace his success as an educator to a teacher and a guidance counselor who both went above and beyond their job descriptions. One inspired him to become a teacher; the other may have saved his life. Compassion was the key characteristic in both. “As a sixth-grader I was inspired by a teacher who literally changed my life. His name was Mr. Ruggles and he was what I wanted to become,” Burgett recalled about his days at Cumberland Grade School in Des Plaines. “I was a good student and well-liked, but I had this back life that included an alcoholic father and parents that didn’t get along. I was a kid in need and Mr. Ruggles had a way of making every single person in class feel like they were worthy. He had compassion and understanding for kids, and I had total respect for everything he did.” A couple of years later, Burgett’s “ This is one of the most

biggest one being coping with things you can’t control. He taught me more than he ever knew.” Fast forward several years and Burgett was telling this story while conducting an Administrators’ Academy. A man in the back raised his hand and with some emotion in his voice said that the counselor Burgett was talking about was his father, and one reason “Dr. Ben” was able to spot and help with Burgett’s struggles was that he himself had survived a similar situation as a child. Boosted by that teacher and counselor, Burgett went on to have an accomplished 38-year career as a teacher, principal and superintendent, being named the Illinois Superintendent of the Year in 2001, and also attaining such honors as the Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education, the Administrator of the Year by the Illinois Association of Educational Office Professionals, and being named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Former superintendent Jim Burgett is now a hit on the speaking circuit.

challenging yet opportunistic times ever in public education. With all of the current technology, it’s our job to get kids excited about their educational opportunities, to go from doom to zoom. ” — Jim Burgett

parents were separated and he was a scared and confused 13- year-old about to enter Maine Township West High School, with its intimidatingly

large, 4,500-student population. Enter a guidance counselor the students called “Dr. Ben” because his last name was so difficult to spell or pronounce. “He probably saved my life. I was having a very, very difficult time and I was really contemplating some serious options, one of them being suicide,” Burgett said. “That first meeting was just the normal meeting to plan out the class schedule and stuff, but he asked certain questions, honed in on something and had me come back. He gave me skills, the

(Continued on page 9)

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school superintendent, all Burgett really ever wanted to be was a teacher. In fact, he continued to teach a class when he became a principal, and he even taught a class he titled “Love, Trust and Success” to high school sophomores when he first became a superintendent at the Elizabeth (now River Ridge) 49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Burgett receives gift of inspiration, passes it on ___________________________

(Continued from page 8)

International. He also has authored books including What Every Superintendent and Principal Needs to

Know , The Perfect School , and Teachers Change Lives 24/7: 150 ways to do it right . An inspirational speaker who talks about practical ways to improve schools, Burgett was selected to be the keynote speaker to close the upcoming IASA Annual Conference on October 11. Registration is now open for the October 9- 11 conference at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. Burgett said he will focus on six main items in his presentation titled “Leadership in Challenging Times: Back to the Basics.” The first of those items is transferring ownership of education financing to staff and the community. “Superintendents need to know that the financial crisis now facing schools is

School District. When he became superintendent at Highland, the district was too big for him to continue to teach a class. “I never wanted to be a principal and I never wanted to be a superintendent,” Burgett said. “It was only after a couple of years of being a principal that I learned you could affect the lives of more children by affecting teachers. Then as a superintendent you can affect the principals and teachers. By using your ability to hire, train, evaluate and fire, you can make the system better.” Burgett has a couple of guiding principles. One is a work ethic of doing more and being nicer. Another is to “get over it” regarding moral problems associated with these tough times of leaner budgets

“ We are in these jobs for the reason of making a difference for kids

and to provide them the best educational

opportunities within the parameters we’re given. The same time you are looking at eliminating the negatives, you cannot let them take you off track. It’s about looking into the faces of kids and giving them motivation, excitement about learning and inspiration. ” — Former teacher, principal, award- winning superintendent turned author and speaker Jim Burgett will be the final keynote speaker of the IASA Conference

not their fault, and that it should not distract them from their vision,” Burgett said. “They need to understand it and work within their political and personal spheres to address it, but their main focus needs to remain on their vision to educate children. “This is one of the most challenging yet opportunistic times ever in public education. With all of the current technology, it’s our job to get kids excited about their educational opportunities, to go from doom to zoom.” The other main items Burgett plans to talk about include having a mission, cultivating the board of education, being visible and persistent, eliminating the weakest links, and balancing expectations with compassion. The six steps are what he said “separates the weak from the strong.” Interestingly enough given his success as a

and higher expectations.

“I spoke in Wisconsin after the teachers had their right to bargain taken away. It was all doomsday and blah, blah, blah,” Burgett said. “We are in these jobs for the reason of making a difference for kids and to provide them the best educational opportunities within the parameters we’re given. The same time you are looking at eliminating the negatives, you cannot let them take you off track. It’s about looking into the faces of kids and giving them motivation, excitement about learning and inspiration.” Those words are spoken by a person who received inspiration from a guidance counselor and a teacher that turned a life around and helped create an educator who has spent his career passing the same gift on to another generation of students.

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

“For me the most important reason for attending the IASA Conference is the opportunity to communicate and network with other

“Now more than ever in my career, I have found it vital to network with colleagues at functions such as the IASA Conference. The conference provides an opportunity for me to share ideas with peers who are experiencing the same types of challenges that I face in my district.

superintendents. When we realize that we all are affected by many of the same issues, we feel better about reaching out to our colleagues. It is also important to try to reach out to our legislators, so going to Springfield provides that opportunity to meet with them one on one.” Dr. Robert Lupo, Ridgewood 234

In addition, the outstanding professional development experiences make it a timely and valuable learning experience.” Dr. Tom Bertrand, Rochester 3A

“I attend to make sure that I am prepared to face the many challenges that I will face during the upcoming school year because of the timely and comprehensive choice of topics the

“The IASA Conference provides school leaders the latest, most up to date information regarding school programs and operations from across the State of Illinois, and the Country. In addition, IASA brings in vendors displaying and demonstrating services and supplies

critical to running a school district. Finally, the opportunity to network with colleagues from around the State helps bring it all together for me. Hope to see you there!” Ron Jacobs, Riverdale 100

sessions, keynotes and featured speakers. I can customize my conference days to meet my most pressing needs. I also absolutely look forward to the opportunity to network with my colleagues from around the state and our outstanding IASA staff.” Dan Marenda, La Salle 122

“It is my opinion that the number one reason for people to attend the IASA conference, should be so that they may engage in professional development put on by professionals, for

“When a person attends any type of conference, their first hope is that the sessions are relevant, informational, and perhaps even invigorating. However,

professionals. The second reason to attend is for individuals to begin to develop collegial relationships that can last a lifetime.” Jay Plese, Wilmington 209U

in my 20 years of attending administrator conferences, I have found that networking

with my colleagues in a relaxed setting where we can discuss best practices as well as commonalities in our everyday experiences, has developed me more as a person and as a professional than any seminar I have ever attended. Our IASA Conference is the perfect place to receive that “charge to our batteries” that we all need to remind us why we have chosen to make a difference in our future and to help us reflect on the best ways to make it happen.” Dr. Steve Webb, Goreville 1

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49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

Conference News in Brief

General Session: Update on Vision 20/20 Initiative ECRA President Dr. John Gatta will join Dr. Clark and members from the Vision 20/20 work groups for a panel discussion titled “IASA Vision 20/20: Creating a Vision for the Future of Education in Illinois.” They will discuss the impetus and motivation for the initiative as well as the process, research and information gathered so far for the statewide project.

Breakout Sessions Pick a topic that’s timely and important for Illinois educators and we’ve got it covered for the IASA Annual Conference. We have put together an exciting lineup of breakout sessions designed to give you the information and tools necessary to meet the new demands and challenges in public education. Breakout sessions will focus on principal and teacher evaluations, 1:1 devices, social media in the schools and school safety. In addition, there will be breakout sessions each day designed specifically for new superintendents.

ISBE presents “The Big Picture” Key staff from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will conduct a panel discussion titled “The Big Picture” regarding school finance, licensure, assessments and learning standards. Panelists also will be available to respond to questions on a variety of topics.

IASA adds 5K ‘Super’ Fun Run/Walk to menu of networking activities IASA is excited to include a new feature at this year's annual conference - a 'Super' 5K Fun Run/Walk to be held on Thursday morning October 10 at 6:30 a.m.! The run/walk is designed for runners and walkers of all levels and will begin and end at the Lost Bridge Trail. Come join your friends and colleagues for this event at our annual conference (and receive a "First Annual T-Shirt"). There is no cost to attend the event. Attendees are invited to participate in the 2013 Illinois Association of School Administrators golf and tennis tournaments. The golf tournament will be held at Panther Creek Golf Club in Springfield, Illinois, on Wednesday, October 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cost to participate is $90/player or $360/team. The tennis tournament will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 9th at the Washington Park Tennis Center. There is no cost to participate in the tennis tournament but each player should bring one new can of tennis balls. Click here for additional information on the golf and tennis tournaments. The Crowne Plaza Ballroom will be the site of the late night President’s Reception on Thursday evening, giving members an opportunity to network with each other.

Sponsors and Exhibitors Be sure to take a moment and visit the sponsors and exhibitors and thank them for their continued strong support. Click here to view a full list.

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013  8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Early Bird Academies - School of Professional Development-Administrators’ Academy Credit Courses  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration Open  4:30 – 5:45 p.m. Opening Ceremony - First General Session Speaker: Jamie Vollmer, President of Vollmer, Inc. Welcome to the Great Conversation: Building public support for public schools one community at a time.  6:00 – 7:30 p.m. IASA Welcoming Reception 49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions  1:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Third General Session Speaker: Susan Relland, Vice President of American Fidelity Assurance Company Health Care Reform: What You Need to Do From Now to 2015  4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ISBE - The Big Picture High School District Organization Meeting (HSDO) 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Meeting (AIRSS)  5:00 – 6:00 p.m. ISAL Alumni Reunion  6:00 p.m. Hospitality Suites Open  9:00 – 11:00 p.m. President’s Reception – Hosted by President Steve Webb, Superintendent of Goreville Comm Unit #1 Friday, October 11, 2013  7:00 a.m. – Noon Registration Open  8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions IASA Past Presidents Meeting  9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Closing General Session (Brunch Buffet) Speaker: Jim Burgett, Veteran Educator and former superintendent Leadership in Challenging Times: Back to the Basics  11:30 a.m. Adjournment

Thursday, October 10, 2013  6:30 a.m. – 5K ‘Super’ Fun Run/Walk  7:00 – 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast for all attendees (complimentary)  7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open  8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions  9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open—Lunch available inside the Exhibit Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for all conference attendees (complimentary)  9:15 – 11:00 a.m. Second General Session Presented by: Dr. Brent Clark, IASA Executive Director; Dr. John Gatta, President and Chief Operating Officer of ECRA; and a representative from each workgroup IASA Vision 20/20: Creating a Vision of the Future of Education in Illinois  11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch available inside the Exhibit Hall for all conference attendees (complimentary)

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Opportunities and challenges emerge from crisis situations

understatement) and immediate connection to the outside world. Facebook was the platform of choice. (This also speaks to how many people outside of our world are continually logged into and updating social media.) The immediacy in communicating our lockdown to parents, media and others was astounding -- and required that quick and accurate information be disseminated by a school official. Because of the size of our district, that school official is me.

By Dr. Lindsey Hall, Superintendent Morton Comm Unit 709

As we all know from our work as leaders in public schools, every day brings unexpected happenings, pleasant surprises, unusual circumstances and problems to solve. On May 21, Morton High School received a threat of violence from a student. Upon assessment of that threat by our school resource officer, the school was placed on hard lock down. The district office and administration were

 Before traveling to Morton High School, I consulted with my secretary about notifying my board members that there was an emergency situation there. I have four board members with children at MHS so I personally and quickly called those people. Others were texted, per our protocol. The message was simple: I told them what I knew at the time, which wasn’t much, and followed with the assurance that we would follow up with more information. Some information is better than no information.  Upon my arrival at the high school, I received a briefing from the administration and law enforcement. The school had been on lockdown for approximately 10 minutes. This was ample time for outgoing communication to burn

notified, and we were in full implementation of our crisis plan. Thankfully, the situation was brought to closure within an hour and 15 minutes from the discovery of the threat. The student admitted to communicating the threat, was arrested, and some partial sense of normalcy was restored to the remainder of the educational setting, which included final exams for our underclassmen. In hindsight and upon reflection of this incident, I learned

“The immediacy in communicating our lockdown to parents, media and others was astounding -- and required that quick and accurate

information be disseminated by a school official. Because of the size of our district, that school official is me.” — Dr. Lindsey Hall, superintendent at Morton Comm Unit 709

up the network. Immediately, I composed a message to parents telling them that a threat of violence had been made, the school was on lockdown, there was not an imminent threat of violence, and that as updates became available, those would be communicated to them. We utilized our “phone blast” and “email blast” system to accomplish this. I feel that a key piece of information that I included in this initial communication was this: “I respectfully request that at this time you do not come to Morton High School. You will not be allowed into the building.” No parents showed up. (Continued on page 14)

several things that I thought might be valuable to share with others in terms of communicating both during and after the event. No matter how prepared one might be for a crisis or emergency situation, my experiences have only reinforced the concept that every instance can serve as a learning experience. Here are my insights:  We knew that word would get out about our lockdown via Twitter, email, Instagram, Facebook, texting, etc. No matter how much we wanted to believe our “no cell-phone policy” in classrooms was enforced and effective, many of our students not only had their phones with them, but the 4G network provides for fast (that’s an

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Crisis situations story continued _________________________

2,000 parents of high school students, that’s pretty good. In addition, we received numerous positive posts on Facebook thanking the district for our ongoing communication throughout the incident, and our quick response.  An area of improvement we will work on if there is need in the future: letting our other building administrators and our transportation department know what was happening sooner. We should have done this more quickly than we did. Lesson learned. We are also considering if we

(Continued from page 13)

 Next, I worked with our District Communications Coordinator to compose a press release for our district webpage and district Facebook page. It was simple and concise. It was updated as the situation changed.  The two secretaries in the Morton HS office were amazing, but they needed a script for the numerous parents (and others) who were calling the school to see what was happening. This was

an important step to take and a worthy investment of a few short minutes of time. The script was like our other information -- simple and

need to let neighbors of our high school (or any building) know if/when a school is on lockdown- and pondering the best way to accomplish that task.  It’s important to be cognizant of the emotional toll a threat of violence and hard lockdown has on students, staff and parents. This incident ended with the optimal outcome -- no injuries or fatalities. However, we

concise, telling what we knew at the time. Support staff need to know that the administration has their back.

did allow our students to go home the rest of the day. Few took that option, but it was the gesture that was appreciated. These things scare kids -- and their moms and dads, and our employees. Don’t downplay or minimize their reactions, even if it’s not how we feel.  Thank those that were key to bringing the incident to closure and who were instrumental in handling the crisis -- especially those people whose jobs don’t “normally” entail dealing with crisis situations. In closing, my big takeaway was the need for one specific, designated person to coordinate and handle communications during an incident such as this one. This might seem obvious, but the multilayered, multifaceted dimension to staying a step ahead of the messages the kids and others are sending out requires that the communication effort be coordinated, not disjointed. The use of all of the tools in the communications toolbox proved to be essential in this situation. In any situation, the absence of providing factual information means the vacuum will be filled in a variety of ways -- mostly with inaccurate rumors and speculation.

 Approximately 15-20 minutes after the lockdown commenced, the local media outlets began to call the main office at our high school. They had been alerted to the situation by parents. I answered their questions with the facts as they stood at that time, and encouraged them to watch our webpage and Facebook for updates. I believe and found that it’s better to talk to the media, even if only briefly, and fill them in with what you know at the time.  Throughout the incident, the status of the lockdown changed from “hard” to “soft,” then the incident was over and the school was released from lockdown. We communicated those changes in status via phone blast, emails, and updates on our district webpage and Facebook page.  After the incident was completely over, an email and phone blast was sent to parents with a simple summary/conclusion of the incident. This provided closure and let parents know how the incident was resolved. One parent called me wanting (insisting upon) more information --most of which was confidential. Out of more than

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Leadership Thoughts

General Powell: ‘Empower people and then trust them’

rank of four-star general. “Leadership is about followership. Great leaders invest in followers. People are not widgets. The old adage ‘Take care of your troops and they will take care of you’ is true.” Powell said that trust is the “glue and lubricant” of successful organizations. “Always empower people within their zone of operation, and then trust them,” said Powell, who is founder of the not-for-profit America’s Promise Alliance and also the

I had the privilege recently to attend the Global Leadership Summit sponsored by the Willow Creek Association. The live summit was held in South Barrington and attended by some 8,000 people, and it also was beamed by satellite to 170,000 attendees in 525 cities across some 100 countries. The globally known speakers

Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service at his alma mater, the City College of New York. He talked about a meeting he requested with President Ronald Reagan when he was serving as Reagan’s National Security Advisor. He said he wanted to brief Reagan on a problem he was having. He said Reagan sat in his rocking chair in the oval office as Powell went into great detail, but Powell noticed that the president was

Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

“People think generals run around saying ‘That’s an order!’ I never once have said that, Leadership is about

came from all walks of life -- a general, an attorney, a sociologist, a psychologist, professors, researchers, best- selling authors, CEOs, pastors, and even an Emmy award- winning TV producer – and they all talked about leadership through their respective prisms. The information they shared was transformational, things I wish I had heard 30 years ago, things that would have been helpful in both my professional and personal life. In an attempt to share some of that information, we are

followership. Great leaders invest in followers. People are not widgets. The old adage ‘Take care of your troops and they will take care of you’ is true.”

— General Colin Powell, who served in leadership positions for four presidents

including a monthly “Leadership Thought” in our newsletter. This month’s thought comes from the message delivered by Gen. Colin Powell, who served as a senior level advisor to four presidents in the roles of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor and the country’s 65 th U.S. Secretary of State. “People think generals run around saying ‘That’s an order!’ I never once have said that,” said Powell, who served 35 years in the U.S Army and rose to the

looking past him. “So I talked faster and louder,” he recalled. “But President Reagan wasn’t really paying a lot of attention. Finally, he stood up, walked over to the window and said ‘Colin, look, the squirrels ate the nuts I left for them in the Rose Garden.’ “ Powell said he walked back to his office on the other end of the White House and reflected on what (Continued on page 17)

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(Continued from page 16)

In his book It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership , Powell lists his 13 rules: 1) It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. (“That’s not a prediction; it’s an aspiration and you need to infect your people with it.”) 2) Get mad, but then get over it. (“Fear freezes organizations.”) 3) Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. 4) It can be done. 5) Be careful what you choose: You may get it. 6) Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. 7) You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours. 8) Check small things. 9) Share credit. 10) Remain calm. Be kind. 11) Have a vision. Be demanding. 12) Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. 13) Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Leadership Thoughts

he had just experienced. “President Reagan was a great leader,” Powell said. “What he was telling me was that he was willing to sit there and listen to me as long as I wanted to talk, but that it was my problem. It did not rise to the level of being the president’s problem. He hired me because I was qualified and capable and he wasn’t going to micromanage me or tell me how to solve my problem.” He said that “simple themes constantly repeated” are valuable leadership tools. One of the main simple themes he said he relied on as a leader was: “Show people they are important. Invest in followers.” ( Leadership Thoughts will be a monthly feature in the newsletter. If you would like to submit a column, please send it to mchamness@iasaedu.org.)

IASA offers two ways to acquire 2013-2014 Principal Evaluation Tool The IASA is pleased to announce that members once again have an

tool, and the addition of an informal observation form that can be used to share notes with those being evaluated. The tool can be acquired by attending one of the scheduled workshops, or you can submit a request to purchase the tool by submitting the form here or by visiting http://bit.ly/ iasaprincipalevaluationtool . The registration cost for the workshop is $200 and will be

opportunity to acquire the IASA Principal Evaluation Tool. There are now two methods for acquiring the 2013-2014 IASA Principal Evaluation Tool. IASA members can attend a three- hour workshop or members can purchase the tool outright.

facilitated by the developer of the tool, Dr. Don White, and Dr. Joe Pacha. The tool is included in the cost of the workshop. The price for purchasing the file online remains $100, the same as last year.

A listing of dates and registration information for the workshops can be found here . The evaluation tool has been updated with several new tips that will help users comply with the requirements of PERA, suggested improvements from users of last year’s

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Levy, Truth in Taxation requirements and balloon levying

notice as prescribed by law, in a newspaper of general local circulation. This notice is called the famous “black box” for its bold print and requirements for completion and publication in the newspaper. The first thing to remember is that the “aggregate levy” is the entire levy for each fund, except for Bond and Interest. Therefore, the aggregate levy requirement of 5 percent of the previous extension excludes any amount levied for Bond and Interest. The main issue to avoid in the publication of the “black box” is the last line of the required publication, which indicates the approximate percentage of the new levy from the previous levy. Districts that “balloon levy” in excess of 5 percent are required to print this ballooned percent in the public notice. It is difficult to explain to taxpayers the concept of “balloon levying” when it is printed clearly in the public notice in the newspaper. Lastly, what is “balloon levying”? This is the concept that a district needs to ask for more funds to be levied than it actually expects due to the timing of the levy requirement. The levy must be provided to the respective county clerk(s) on or before the last Tuesday in December. The problem is that the districts Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) is not known until the spring of the following year, making the district guess as to how much can be levied. Therefore, almost all districts have to estimate or “balloon” their levy amounts based on incomplete knowledge at the time of the levy. The levy process is certainly an important process for school districts, making it is necessary for district superintendents to keep these requirements in mind.

Each school district is required to certify annually and return to the respective county clerk, on or before the last Tuesday in December, its Certificate of Tax Levy. This Certificate of Tax Levy is a single page document that lists twice the amounts requested to be levied for the next year. There is one item that districts need to be very careful in completing nearing the signature part of the form. This

Dr. William Phillips IASA Field Services Director

is the inquiry as to how many bond issues are outstanding for the district. There have been instances in which the incorrect number was provided or no number at all. This could result in the County Clerk levying an incorrect amount or no amount for the payment of the bonds. The schedule of principal and interest on bonds that have been sold should have been provided to the county clerk at the completion of the sale of the bonds. This schedule of principal and interest is utilized by county clerks in determining how much to levy to pay these principal and interest payments. The Truth in Taxation Act (35 ILCS 200/18-55) affects all units of local government. The requirements for this Act include publishing information: “at least 20 days prior to the adoption of its aggregate levy , for the current year exclusive of election costs.” Any district proposing to increase its aggregate levy more than 105 percent of its prior year’s extension, exclusive of election costs, must publish a

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