LM January 2017

January 2017

2017

Illinois Superintendent of the Year

Also in this issue:  2017 brings hope and trepidation for public education

Red Bud superintendent becomes student foraday

In this month’s issue:

Plus:

 Message from IASA

Director Dr. Brent Clark P. 3

 CSI: Lessons in Leadership P. 17

Superintendents

 IASA News in Brief P. 20

of Distinction

 Call for Presentations, 2017 IASA Annual Conference P. 23  IASA Calendar of Events P. 24  Videos From the Districts P. 27

Sesser-Valier’s Henry lives out his calling P. 6

Saluting this year’s award winners P. 9

Superintendent shadowing: Living a day in the life of a student P. 14

NH-M holiday spirit: Welcome to Middletown! P. 19

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

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

Volume 5, Issue 1

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2017 brings hope and trepidation

As the calendar flips to 2017, those of us in public education view the new year with equal parts hope and trepidation. The hope is based on the fact that things can’t get much worse (can they?) in terms of the political impasse in Illinois. Also somewhat encouraging is the fact that Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed on a “grand bargain” package that includes tax hikes, pension reform, a two-year property tax freeze, unfunded mandate relief, and term limits. Who knows how that framework will fly in the House or with the governor. The stark reality is that our state will continue to deteriorate if the political leaders fail to reach a compromise that produces a budget and new revenues to help counter the daily fiscal hemorrhaging that is occurring.

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

Even against that backdrop, some good things are happening. Governor Bruce Rauner on January 6 signed into law Senate Bill 2912 (now Public Act 99-0920) , a measure that has the potential to help alleviate the critical shortage of substitute teachers in our state. Streamlining the licensure process and reciprocity with other states was one of the goals of Vision 20/20 and we appreciate the support of co-sponsors retiring Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) and Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) as well as Governor Rauner signing the bill into law. The new law creates a one-year grace period for retired teachers with lapsed licenses to immediately begin substitute teaching while they bring their license into good standing. It also allows educators who retire in mid- cycle of their license renewal to become substitute teachers instead of having their licenses lapse as they did before SB 2912 became law.

Additionally, this new law creates a provisional in-state endorsement to allow one additional year to pass the edTPA while continuing to be able to teach if the candidates have met all other requirements. Finally, SB 2912 cuts the license fee for substitute teachers in half, from $100 to $50. All of these provisions should help increase the pool of teachers and substitute teachers while maintaining our state’s high teaching standards in the classroom. SB 2912 also contains provisions for reciprocity across state lines, which should help deepen the candidate pool, especially for school districts in the border counties in Illinois—and 40 of our 102 counties are border counties. With the signing of SB 2912,

the process for educators licensed in other states will be streamlined, enabling ISBE to grant licenses based on comparable out-of-state licenses and also applying content-area tests from other states for out-of-state licensees seeking an Illinois license. I know of one case in the Metro East area where a school district found the perfect candidate—a principal in a St. Louis school, right across the Mississippi River—for a principal’s position but could not hire the person because he received his license in Missouri. Even though this person had excellent education, background and experience, the school district could not wait as long as it would have taken for the candidate to complete the process to get an Illinois license. This new law will alleviate that sort of problem by applying common sense to the situation and recognizing comparable out-of-state licenses for teachers and other educators.

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With this law now in place, we will continue to work with the General Assembly and Governor Rauner to try and achieve school funding reform using the Evidence-Based Model, another pivotal piece of the Vision 20/20 blueprint for the future of public education in Illinois. Of course, we also will continue to push for a FY18 PreK- 12 budget as well as mandated categorical payments. Unless those payments are made by the state many

school districts will be in worse shape than they were a year ago despite the General State Aid formula being funded. SAFE fund gets big boost The IASA School Administrators Foundation for Education (SAFE) got a big boost recently when the recently dissolved Northern Illinois University-Society of Educational Administrators (NIU-SEA) made a $10,000 contribution. “As our intention is to promote assistance for aspiring superintendents, we thought the Moon Scholarship would be a good venue for such a donation,” said Dr. Bruce Brown, the Executive Director of the North Cook Intermediate Service Center, and a representative of the NIU-SEA. The SAFE provides funding for the James V. and Dorothy B. Moon Scholarship Program. IASA annually awards the Moon Scholarships to aspiring superintendents or for current superintendents to pursue graduate study. We certainly appreciate that Dr. Brown and the other members of the NIU-SEA Board of Directors thought of SAFE as a recipient of their funds. We will put those funds to good use.

“Finally, when I talk about hope despite all of the challenges facing public education in 2017, I am most encouraged by the way our superintendents tackle their responsibilities on a daily basis—with enthusiasm, purpose and being mindful of their awesome responsibilities to the schoolchildren in their communities.”

Alliance Leadership Summit set for Feb. 21-22 Registration is now open for the 2017 Alliance Leadership Summit to be held in Springfield. This will be the second biennial Summit that includes school administrators, school board members, school business officials and principals coming together to learn about and discuss timely issues of importance to public education in Illinois. The main topics of discussion this time around will be school funding reform, the public education budget and the implications of the possible “grand bargain” mentioned above. The Summit provides a unique opportunity for front-line educators and school board members to come together for a statewide strategy session. The 2015 Summit received very high marks from attendees and we would love to see you at the upcoming Summit! A real reason for hope Finally, when I talk about hope despite all of the challenges facing public education in 2017, I am most encouraged by the way our superintendents tackle their responsibilities on a daily basis—with enthusiasm, purpose and being mindful of their awesome responsibilities to the schoolchildren in their communities. Twenty-one have been chosen by their peers in the IASA regions as Superintendents of Distinction. They will be honored at a luncheon in Springfield on April 24 and they are listed on Pages 10-12 of this issue of Leadership Matters. Each honoree is deserving based on their accomplishments, but they would be the first to tell you that they are simply representative of the type of efforts and achievements going on all over our state. And that does give me hope that transcends politics.

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Sesser-Valier’sHenry livesout hiscalling 2017 Illinois Superintendent of the Year recognized for his ‘servant leadership’

By Mike Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Jason Henry has never forgotten the lessons he learned as a youngster attending a small country church in Southern Illinois. “That small church congregation taught me what it really means to love and care for my friends and neighbors, how we need to hold each other accountable, and how to work together as a team,” said Henry, superintendent of Sesser-Valier Community Unit District 196 who recently was named the 2017 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. “They helped set the pace of my life, and those values are front-and-center in our lives today.” Those who nominated Henry noted a lengthy list of accomplishments in his 12-year tenure as head of the Sesser-Valier district, but it was Henry’s vision, integrity and his “servant leadership” that really caught their attention. School Board President Carroll Kelly, himself a former longtime teacher, principal and high school Hall of Fame football coach, said: “Because of my background in education, I recognize quality educational leadership and the honor of Illinois Superintendent of the Year is very appropriately presented to Dr. Jason Henry. He has modeled how to attain worthy goals to Sesser-Valier students, teachers and staff members alike.” Some of those accomplishments in the school district under Henry’s guidance include:  Introducing a co- a regular education teacher in junior high and high school classrooms for English, language arts and math. That plan helped reduce the percentage of students identified as needing Individualized Educations Plans (IEPs) by a third, from 21 percent to 14 percent.  Partnering with Monsanto to introduce new STEM technology such as 3D modeling and z-Space workstations for students.  Implementing a new, privately-funded, four-year LIFE 101 curriculum that focuses on life skills such as personal financial management and budgeting. teaching program pairing a special education teacher with

 Implementing the “Shaping, Planning, Leading” project to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the school district.  Helping the Sesser-Valier Elementary School achieve designation as a federal Blue Ribbon school. Neighboring Pinckneyville Superintendent Timothy O’Leary, in his nominating letter, wrote about one of the Sesser-Valier schools becoming a demonstration school for the Illinois IASA President Derek Hutchins, left, presents the 2017 Illinois Superintendent of the Year award to Dr. Jason Henry of Sesser-Valier Community Unit District 196 federal funding coupled with increasing poverty levels in a rural school district,” O’Leary wrote. “Dr. Henry definitely balances being a wise steward of the district’s financial resources while meeting the community’s needs.” Henry also has earned the respect of his teachers and staff, including union leadership in his school district. Stephanie White, co-President of the Sesser-Valier Education Association, said: "Dr. Henry’s decisions are based on the best interests of our students, faculty, and staff. He is invested in the district's educators and supportive of their work. Dr. Henry works closely with the Sesser-Valier Education Association to promote an encouraging and connected school climate." —Dr. Jason Henry, Illinois Superintendent of the Year Aspire Program. “This is quite an accomplishment while facing decreasing student enrollment, reduced state and

“That small church congregation taught me what it really means to love and care for my friends and neighbors, how we need to hold each other accountable, and how to work together as a team.”

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Illinois Superintendent of the Year Dr. Jason Henry visits with Sesser-Valier kindergarten students and teacher Kristie Spotanski

Henry has been an educator for 22 years, starting as a high school math teacher before becoming an elementary and junior high principal. He then served as superintendent of the Zeigler-Royalton District for two years before being named superintendent of the Sesser- Valier district in 2005. Kelly pointed to Henry’s background as a math teacher as one reason the Sesser-Valier district has stayed afloat financially despite steep cuts in state aid the past several years. “Our school district has not appeared on the state’s dreaded ‘watch list’ mostly due to his careful planning,” said the board president. “Having a background in math has given him an edge in keeping our district in healthy financial condition. He has stayed abreast of all of the state’s financial shortfalls and other money issues.” In holding true to those country church values instilled in him years ago, Henry humbly deflected the honor of being selected Illinois Superintendent of the Year. “The award isn’t really about me or my work. It’s about the phenomenal team of people that make up the Sesser -Valier school district who work faithfully day after day to help children and adults with learning and with life,” Henry said. “The success of the school district is a direct

result of the students, parents, staff members and community members, all of whom recognize that our school is a close-knit family that cares for the individual, places emphasis on people above things and performs as a high-functioning team. Our people understand what’s truly important in life, and that drives what we do. It’s indescribably enjoyable to be part of that kind of team.” Henry cited the strong, experienced school board that “understands servant leadership, entrusts its teammates to do the work and leads with positivity and hopefulness.” He also mentioned his colleagues in the Egyptian Region of IASA for “leading our schools districts to be better today than they were yesterday,” and mentors such as Pinckneyville’s O’Leary and Du Quoin’s Dr. Gary Kelly, longtime superintendents he described as educational “giants who lavishly poured their knowledge and experience to me in extraordinary ways over the last 20-plus years.” He credited his parents for his pursuit of a career in education. “My parents, Pat & Jane Henry, both retired teachers, raised my sister, also a public school teacher, and me to consider our education as a privilege and to treat others

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with respect and grace. They raised us to seek, understand, and carry out our calling in life—what God requires of us—as the only way that we could ever experience genuine, life-long satisfaction,” he said. “As a 19-year-old student at the University of Illinois, I knew without any doubt that teaching and

parents to help build relationships with both school children and parents in an extraordinary way. “Being a public school administrator or teacher is not merely a job that a person goes to each day. It’s about living a lifestyle—modeling an example— toward which both children and adults in our

learning in the public school system was my calling. Since that time, I’ve learned that Mom and Dad were right, that real satisfaction in life was possible if I carried out my life’s calling.” He attained his University of Illinois and his Master’s and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University- Carbondale. Given the fact he had his long-term career mapped out at age 19 as well as his attention to detail and his obvious management skills, it might come as something of a surprise to learn that Henry met his wife of 15 years, Kerri, on a blind date. “We are both Type A personalities and lack spontaneity, so this is usually pretty undergraduate degree from the

community can aspire. We are tremendously humbled at the

thought of that level of responsibility, and we are very grateful for our colleagues and friends who share that same view of being educators.” For some, being recognized as a state Superintendent of the Year might symbolize a career-capping achievement—time to take a breath and look back on a successful career. For Henry, it serves more as motivation to continue to excel. In his acceptance remarks at the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago in late November, Henry told the audience: “Boys and girls, men and women, families, organizations, churches, and communities are counting on us to set

“Being a public school administrator or teacher is not merely a job that a person goes to each day. It’s about living a lifestyle—modeling an example—toward which both children and adults in our community can aspire.”

—Dr. Jason Henry, with wife Kerri and son Jack

surprising to our friends and colleagues,” he acknowledged. The couple welcomed their first child, Jack, who will be 1-year-old in March. Henry characterizes being a school superintendent a “family-based calling” in which Kerri and Jack are active partners. “Kerri is my best friend, my most-trusted advisor, and my reality check. Kerri has embraced her role as the wife of a school superintendent, and has worked alongside me the whole time, even when, at times, it would have been much easier and more comfortable to stay back behind-the-scenes. She’s already assimilating Jack to his role, as well, raising him as a ‘school kid’ and using our role as new

the pace and show them the way to true satisfaction and peace. Edmund Burke, an Irish statesman in the 1700s, once said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ In the Bible, James 4:17 addresses this truth more firmly: ‘If you know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that, for you, is evil.’ This room is filled today with men and women who know the right things to do in our schools and communities. My challenge for you today—Do it! “My commitment to you is simple—to do the best I can in any way I can to lead our school children with positivity, hopefulness, excellence, and with class.”

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Superintendents of Distinction

Saluting this year’s award winners

The third annual IASA Superintendents of Distinction have been selected by their regions and are pictured in the following pages. The winners were selected by their peers based on the same four criteria that are used in the AASA Superintendent of the Year competition: leadership for learning, communication, professionalism and community Involvement. The winners will be honored April 24 at a luncheon in Springfield along with honorees from the Illinois Principals Association. State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith will be in attendance as the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) helps to coordinate the event. The 2017 Superintendents of Distinction are considered nominated for next fall’s Illinois Superintendent of the Year competition should they choose to fill out that nomination form. Others from around the state also may be nominated for that statewide award.

The awards and the luncheon are being sponsored by Horace Mann.

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Superintendents of Distinction

Jilinda (Jill) Larson Tri-City CUSD 1 Abe Lincoln

Kyle R. Ganson Colona District 190 Blackhawk

Dr. David R. Schuler Township High School District 214 Cook North

Dr. Darryl Taylor Lincoln Elementary School District 156 Cook South

Dr. John Asplund Farmington Central District 265 CIV

Dr. Michael L. Kuzniewski J. S. Morton District 201 Cook West

Cliff McClure Paxton-Buckley-Loda

CUSD 10 Corn Belt

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Superintendents of Distinction

Dr. Gwynne Kell Winfield District 34 Du Page

Dr. Jason D. Henry Sesser-Valier CUSD 196 Egyptian

Dr. Donald D. Owen Urbana District 116 Illini

Rich Well Vandalia CUSD 203 Kaskaskia

Dr. Dan Oest Richmond-Burton CHSD 157/ Nippersink SD 2 Kishwaukee

Julie A. Schmidt Kildeer Countryside District 96 Lake

Thomas D. Mahoney Oregon District 220 Northwest

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Superintendents of Distinction

Dr. Gina Segobiano Columbia CUSD 4 Southwestern

Leslie Varble Century District 100 Shawnee

Dr. James (Jim) E. Carlson Seneca High School District 160 Starved Rock

Dr. Scott Goselin Bradley District 61 Three Rivers

Dr. Kerry L. Cox Carrollton CUSD 1 Two Rivers

Timothy Buss Wabash CUSD 348 Wabash Valley

K. Scot Reynolds Spoon River Valley CUSD 4 Western

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Superintendent shadowing: Living a day in the life of a student

Jonathan Tallman, Superintendent of Red Bud District 132, spent a day going back to high school, and this column tells about his experiences and what he learned that day from shadowing a student.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to be a student in your own district? After watching a PBS story on Assistant Principal, Karen Ritter, who shadowed a student at East Leyden High School, I thought that gaining that perspective for my own district would be insightful. As a district, we have always focused on what is best for students, and all decisions we make are derived from that premise. To truly gain the perspective of one of our own students by walking in his or her shoes for a day would give us a realistic look into our district. As a superintendent, I visit classrooms often. However, as an administrator, I have the ability to get up, move around, and even leave the classroom whenever I feel like it. Our students do not have that same ability. To begin this journey, I shared the PBS story on the East Leyden assistant principal with my building administrators, explaining that I thought this experience would be valuable for our district--and that I would be willing to go first.

I started the process by asking my guidance counselor for the name of one high school student with a “typical” class schedule--one with no remedial courses or advanced courses. Once selected, I called the student to my office and discussed my proposal. I then called his parents to explain the purpose of the shadowing, asking both the student and the parents to keep the plan amongst us. I had shared with my staff that I would be doing this, but I thought that if I didn’t share the specific date, I could truly experience a typical day in the life of a Red Bud Musketeer. Utilizing a pre-shadowing list of questions developed from the PBS video, the following areas were assessed before and after the shadowing experience: climate, high expectations, relevance, students as active learners, student engagement, and student voice. I also used WeVideo to record myself the morning of shadowing to share my thoughts and pre-assessment of those areas before the experience.

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“The one experience that is the furthest from where we are— and probably the one perspective that is the most important— if we truly want to ground all of our decisions based on what is best for students, is the perspective of the student. Gaining that perspective by shadowing a student for a day is an invaluable experience and the most reliable means of gaining that perspective...”

As I got ready for school that morning, I put on jeans and a polo, and as I packed my backpack with my PE uniform for the day, I reflected on how nervous I was to be back “in school” as an actual student in my own district. That morning, my student came to the office to pick me up for the day, and we proceeded to his first hour class. Our schedule for the day included: Biology, Drafting, Geometry, English, Driver Ed, PE and Global Studies. During classes, I took notes, participated in class discussions, played a mean game of dodgeball, and even went to lunch and tried my hand in “Flip the Bottle,” a game that has provided much frustration for building administrators everywhere. Throughout the day, I took various opportunities to ask students questions with regard to their experience as a student in our district. As expected, they were very honest, truly appreciating someone listening. What I heard was enlightening because it shed light on what was working—and what wasn’t. To be honest, I experienced some great learning experiences in the classroom...as well as some experiences that I knew needed immediate attention. By the end of the day, it was 3:15, and I had experienced exactly what it was like to be a student in my high school. I was exhausted, impressed, and excited about what I learned throughout the course of the day. I once again recorded myself in a post-reflection, assessing the same areas as in my pre-assessment and how my perceptions were either confirmed by my experience or

changed. I also had a conversation that afternoon with my building administrators about some immediate areas that could be addressed as well as some long-term areas for consideration. Through this experience I learned:  The day is long, and there are NO breaks outside of lunch.  Traveling from one subject to the next is mentally exhausting.  PE can be a dreadful experience for some students at any age. It is absolutely a necessity to put in measures to alleviate that feeling for every student.  Teachers typically wrap up units before a three-day weekend, which means a typical student has large projects and tests all on one day.  Give students at any age a voice. Our students are honest about their experience as a student in your buildings. Ask them anything and they will tell you! As superintendents, we have experienced, at one time or another, every level within our educational system, beginning with being a student ourselves and then progressing through the ranks of the educational system. The one experience that is the furthest from where we are—and probably the one perspective that is the most important—if we truly want to ground all of our decisions based on what is best for students, is the perspective of the student. Gaining that perspective by shadowing a student for a day is an invaluable experience and the most reliable means of gaining that perspective.

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IllinoisCSI: Lessons in leadership It is so exciting to see your

through this data-informed examination can districts determine school improvement goals and create objectives to achieve these goals. Districts must then strategically monitor the implementation of their plan by identifying the specific data on student performance and teaching practice they want to collect, as well as the tools to collect and analyze these data. The role of the district leadership team is to deeply implement its district or school continuous improvement plan and ensure that horizontal and vertical communication structures are in place to monitor and enhance each step in the plan, shown graphically below. Our data show that this leadership approach is a winning strategy for our team. Ninety-three percent of the districts receiving our coaching supports participate in our District Leadership Team Learning Network, Research Forums, and Principals Institutes, which have helped them make enhancements to their district improvement plans since the original design of their plans. They have put in place research-based tools and collected in our internal evaluation. Because of the communication, feedback, and monitoring of their plans, our districts are now working to ensure the alignment and strategic design of their plans. This process exemplifies how a continuous improvement process is not just a plan written on paper—it can come to life as part of the culture and climate of excellence in a district. We look forward to continuing to “team up” with our districts toward the goal of delivering an education system that meets the professional needs of educators and benefits all students to manifest our vision of high-performing districts, high- achieving students. processes and adopted a data culture to run their systems more efficiently based on data and feedback

team win! When you know their story—the hard work of team- building, the hours of practice to perfect their craft, and overcoming failure and defeat along the way—seeing them win is even more gratifying. The Illinois Center for School Improvement (Illinois CSI) was created by the Illinois State Board of Education and American Institutes for Research to provide intensive support to districts with

Betheny Lyke, Ed.D. Executive Director Center for School Improvement

underperforming schools. In the past 4 years, our “team” of Illinois CSI staff members has been happy to share the winning strategies we have learned in

our work with school districts in efforts to transform systems to deliver a better education for students. The heart of what we do is support an Intentional System of Continuous Improvement— we assist districts as they engage in a long -term process of improving teaching and increasing student achievement. The continuous

improvement planning cycle includes prioritizing needs, planning for directed improvement, implementing a focused plan, monitoring the progress of adult practices and student performance, and evaluating the results. Paramount to our work in transforming education systems are the collaborative leadership structures that infuse rich data and include feedback loops at every level to monitor effectiveness of district and school improvement plans. We have learned valuable lessons along the way. For instance, we have seen that a superintendent’s vision comes to life through a focused plan, such as a strategic plan or district continuous improvement plan. This focused plan must be informed by examining data from a needs assessment to prioritize the areas needing the greatest improvement. Only

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NH-M holiday spirit: Welcome to Middletown! Seeking to turn a negative event into a positive one, the faculty, staff and students of New Holland-Middletown Elementary School District 88 offered a service to their community that truly welcomes you to Middletown!

After the village’s “Welcome to Middletown” sign was vandalized and stolen earlier ithis fall, select students in grades 5th through 8th decided to replace the sign on the village’s north entrance. Over a series of two afternoons of staying after school and painting, a new sign

Todd Dugan Superintendent New Holland- Middletown District 88

spacing, but more importantly, how critical it is for communities to be comprised of those willing to selflessly serve, as the students of NH-M did on two autumn afternoons. True to community fashion, as soon as the sign was erected, Middletown village officials contacted the school in order to arrange for some way to express their gratitude to the students for their dedication and service to the community The new sign, now in school colors, can be viewed when entering the village from the New Holland-Middletown Blacktop, and serves as an example of how school spirit coupled with civic pride can make their community a better place to live. Second graders at New Holland-Middletown Elementary School work on painting a new welcome sign to replace the sign that was vandalized in Middletown

was crafted, this time in school colors. As is typical in this western Logan County community, the rest of the community was quickly mobilized to assist the students with their goal. Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols’ office offered to provide the paint, while Alexander Lumber Company in Lincoln donated the lumber to the students’ service project. As the sign was planned, students sought the help of NH-M Music/Art teacher Sarah Rheaume, who also stayed with the students after school and helped guide the project to completion. Over the course of the community service, students not only learned about measuring and cutting dimensions of lumber, painting, and measuring letter

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IASA News in Brief

In Memoriam Former school Superintendent Dr. Jesse James passed away December 21, 2016 in Laurie, Missouri. Jesse spent most of his career in education as a public school district administrator. He served as Superintendent at Milton Pope School near Marseilles, Eagle Township near Streator, Odell Central Consolidated School District, Beardstown Community Unit School District, Rock Falls High School and Rogers City Area Schools in Rogers City, Michigan. He was the father-in-law of Riverdale Superintendent Ron Jacobs (Jennifer), who serves as a member of the IASA Board of Directors. Dr. Allen C. McCowan , retired IASA member, passed away on Friday, December 30, 2016. Dr. McCowan was a former administrator in Waterman, Lockport, Edwardsville, and Woodridge and most recently supervised student teachers through Eastern Illinois University. He was a United States Army Veteran.

Illini Bluffs students, faculty and staff participate in Community Christmas Basket Initiative Each year, the students and staff of Illini Bluffs School District 327 join forces with area churches, businesses and organizations to provide canned goods and money for Christmas baskets for families in need. The Illini Bluffs Community Christmas Basket Initiative was started nearly 30 years ago.

Illini Bluffs Superintendent Dr. Roger Alvey said students and staff raised nearly $2,400 and donated more than 8,000 items for the community Christmas baskets in 2016. The effort included students from every K-12 grade level as well as school organizations such as the student council, the wrestling, boys and girls basketball teams, the Drama Club, and the National Honor Society. In the end, the community and school effort provided 204 food baskets, 120 bags of food, 57 fruit baskets and 210 gifts.

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Central Illinois Valley superintendents ring bell for Salvation Army Several members of the IASA Central Illinois Valley Region participated in bell ringing for the Salvation Army on December 10, 2016 at Bass Pro Shoppes in East Peoria. Pictured above are Superintendent Byron Sondgeroth of North Pekin and Marquette Heights District 102, and Dr. Lindsey Hall of Morton District 709.

ISDLAF+ January 2017 Monthly Update

Click here to view the January 2017 ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Donald E. Weber, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations/ISDLAF+ at 630.657.6435. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com.

“I could not be more proud of the efforts of our students, staff and community volunteers,” said Alvey. “This is one of the most important things we do all year long. It doesn’t show up on the School Report Card and it doesn’t show up on student transcripts. It does, however, show up on the faces of those in need in the form of smiles and tears of gratitude. I am truly thankful to live in such a giving community and to lead such a giving student body, faculty and staff.

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IASA News in Brief

New Holland-Middletown educators sponsor free Christmas shopping

New Holland-Middletown fourth grade teacher Darcy O’Connor spearheaded an effort to secure a $1,000 grant from the IEA Schools and Community Outreach by Educators program. The program is designed to give educators in the first 10 years of their career the chance to apply for money for a service project. The service program O’Connor chose to do was a Christmas store that offered free Christmas shopping to families in the community. Nearly 30 children from the community had gifts chosen for them. “I wanted to give parents an opportunity to provide their children with a better Christmas, while still allowing them the freedom to choose their own gifts” O’Connor said. The grant was matched by the NH-M Community Supports Education group. Additional donations were also collected from other supporters of the event. Each family who participated received, per child, one

new outfit, one book, two toys, a blanket, a bag of toiletries, and a stocking with snacks. Parents were able to come to the school, select their items, and even wrap them while they were there. “It was great to see so many families from our community pitch in to help, but the best part was seeing how much help it could offer to families. Everyone was so appreciative, and they were able to leave here proud of their gifts,” O’Connor said of the event. “We’re thrilled another year of this wonderful program resulted in a range of ideas submitted by our members and we are so pleased with such creative effort,” said IEA President Cinda Klickna, who noted that 45 grants were awarded statewide. “We know that our educators are in the schools every day giving 100 percent, but there are unmet needs as well. So many of them wanted to do more. It’s in their nature. We were glad to help them make their ideas come to fruition.” SIU seeking presentations for 2017 Law & Leadership Conference The Southern Illinois Law & Leadership Conference committee is currently seeking presentations on an array of topics for the 2017 conference. This year’s theme is “Eclipsing the Past—Charting the Future of Public Education on All Levels.” Dr. Michelle Mangan, Associate Professor of Research from Concordia University, will be the keynote speaker. Presentations relating to both PreK-12 and Higher Education are encouraged. Please plan for 50 minute presentations. Click here to complete the form for presentations. The deadline for returning the form is February 3 to the following email: EAHELawLeadershipConf@gmail.com Previous presentations have focused on such topics as legal issues, community and institution partnership, consolidation, technology and education, and student success.

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Call for Presentations

Mark Your Calendar! 2017 IASA Annual Conference Sept. 27-29, 2017

Click here for more information

Key Dates: Submission Deadline: May 12, 2017 Presenters Notified: Mid-July 2017 Questions: Contact Jodi Gillespie, Panel Coordinator,At 217/753-2213 or jgillespie@iasaedu.org

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January 2017

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IASA Annual Conference

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9 Session 99th GA

10 Session 99th GA

11 Session Inauguration 100th GA DuPage, Illinii, Northwest

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GA Session

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Corn Belt

Kaskaskia

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17 House Perfunctory

18 Senate Perfunctory

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20 House Perfunctory Lake, Cook N., Western, Three Rivers

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CIV

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GA Session State of the State Address

Senate Perfunctory

GA Session

GA Session

House Perfunctory Egyptian

Kishwaukee

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Senate Perfunctory

House Perfunctory

Click here to view the IASA Calendar of Events.

IASA Event

Region Meeting ( Contact your Region President for details )

Professional Development Event

Legislative Event

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February 2017

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

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Shawnee Region Mtg.

1 IASA-ASBE Advisory Board

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IASA Annual Conference

House Perfunctory

Cook S., Corn Belt

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6 House Perfunctory

7 Senate Session

8 GA Session

9 GA Session

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Southwestern, Lake, Kaskaskia

Cook W., Illini

Shawnee

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16 GA Session Membership/ Communications

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GA Session Governor’s Budget Address

GA Session

Committee, Professional Development Committee CIV

Western

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2017 Alliance Leadership Summit

House Session

House Session

Budget Committee

House Session Egyptian

IASA Board of Directors

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Senate Session nate Session

Click here to view the IASA Calendar of Events.

IASA Event

Region Meeting ( Contact your Region President for details )

Professional Development Event

Legislative Event

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Videos from the Districts

Redesigned Classrooms

AASA Collaborative thought leaders & practitioners visited Fremont School District 79 recently. The site visit focused on PK-12 college and career readiness, a review of redesigned classrooms and purposeful, student- driven learning.

Dr. Jill M. Gildea Superintendent Freemont District 79

A Real Thriller!

Students at Columbia Middle School recently were treated to a special Spirit Assembly when teachers and staff members danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller!” The choreography was great, led by CMS paraprofessional and coach Andrew Thompson. Dr. Gina Segobiano Superintendent Columbia CUSD 4

Send your school videos to mchamness@iasaedu.org . We want to highlight what’s going on in your school dis- tricts.

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Please share this announcement with other administrators you know who may be considering becoming a superintendent. Thank you! IASA Aspiring Superintendent Academy (ASA) July 10-14, 2017 in Springfield, IL

Have you ever wondered what you didn't learn in graduate school but you may need to know in order to be an effective leader? If you are thinking about becoming a school superintendent then #ASuperWeek in July 2017 is for you! The learning classes will be organized to provide for active learning as well as daily reflection time. In addition, there will be many simulations during the week for hands- on learning opportunities. Learning class topics include: School District Leadership Communication Strategies School District Operations Community Engagement Action Planning and Next Steps Additional information on ASA is available by clicking here. Completed applications must be submitted online by Friday, March 31, 2017 .

Feedback from 2016 participants:

"An amazing learning experience for anyone

who has thought about becoming a superintendent."

" A once in a lifetime, not to be missed opportunity to engage in the real work of a superintendent. Through presenters insights, mock situations and artifacts we created, I feel more prepared than ever for the role of

the Superintendent! And I'll always know who to call."

Space is limited so sign up today!

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