Leadership Matters - April 2013

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

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

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

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

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

“If you

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

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

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

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

ISDLAF+ March 2013 Monthly Update

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

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