8 / 29
State Superintendent hopes
to build upon foundation
of deeper relationships with districts
State Superintendent Dr. Tony
Smith visits with schoolchildren
on one of his visits to districts
By Mike Chamness
IASA Director of Communications
When Dr. Tony Smith looks back on his first two years as
Illinois State Superintendent, what is foremost on Smith’s
mind are the relationship building blocks he feels have been
put in place.
“I’m proud of building a strong
relationship with the State Board that
is focused first on the well-being of
kids,” said Smith, who became Illinois
schools chief in April of 2015. “Good
schools are instrumental in creating
healthy communities. Fair access to
high-quality education is something
every kid deserves.
“I’m also proud of building better and
deeper relationships with individual
districts and with private, public and
philanthropic organizations. We
are becoming more of an advocacy
agency, speaking out for better
funding and more equity.”
Drawing on his own experiences as a school district
superintendent, Smith is committed to ensuring superintendents
have support they need to serve communities well.
“When I was a district superintendent, I had to be in great
relationship with my principals. I understood their importance
as agents of change and stability,” he said.
“What I learned was that I had to make our
district’s central office more of a service
center for them. The same is true at ISBE for
superintendents.
“Building relationships is a continuous
process in which we must respond to the
varied and changing needs of our districts.
There are times when ISBE cannot waive a
mandate or does not have the resources to
fulfill every request. When that’s the case, I
want to say, ‘I hear you, here is the context,
and let’s find another way to get you the
support you need.’“
Going forward, Smith said he wants to use
the working relationships he has been able
to forge as a foundation upon which to build.
8
If every year we
give everything we’ve
got, Illinois can become
the first state where
each and every student
in our care consistently
reaches their full
potential.
—State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith
“
”