Page 11 - Leadership Matters March 2013 issue.pub

11
Legislative Advocacy Day/
Reception
I hope some of you were able
to take the time to visit your
legislators in their offices on
Legislative Advocacy Day. This
may have been the most
beneficial part of Leadership
Week. We had many members
who were able to arrange
meetings with senators and
representatives and truly talk
about topics in a very friendly
environment for the legislators,
their offices. I found the
legislative reception to also be
very beneficial. I can certainly
tell you that I have not had the
opportunity before to meet and
speak to some of our Chicago
legislators, and that was quite
interesting.
Unfunded Mandates
We know everyone in the
state is extremely frustrated with
the unfunded mandates and
subsequent contracts that ISBE
is signing to carry out many of
these mandates. The School
Management Alliance (IASA/
IASB/IASBO/IPA) is working
diligently on a new and unique
strategy on this front. They are
attempting to work with the P-20
Council leadership to review a
number of mandates, while also
planning to work with the General Assembly on
legislation that would allow local school districts
through their Boards of Education the local flexibility
to opt out of mandates that they deem unnecessary
or not in the best interest of their district and
students.
The initial response from legislators on the issue
of allowing school districts to determine how to
implement unfunded mandates has been positive.
They wouldn’t have to be the ones to vote on
eliminating a mandate such as PE or Driver’s
Education. Those tough decisions would be up to the
locally elected Board of Education based on their
community’s needs. The way it should be!
The P-20 Council is an advisory body on
education for the General Assembly. Their support
could be very beneficial to this effort!
Please begin discussing this concept with your
legislators. This will only work if our local legislators
understand and support the idea of local boards
making decisions on what should be mandated.
Vision 20/20
Dr. Clark said in his “State of the Association”
address that IASA is embarking on an extensive
strategic planning process that we hope becomes a
true example of what Best Practices should look like
in Illinois and stopping our agenda from being
controlled by special interest groups with deep
(Continued from page 10)
(Continued on page 12)
IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark delivers his State of the
Association address in which he laid out the plans for Vision 20/20: An
Illinois plan produced by Illinois educators.
Leadership Week ———————————————–——————————————