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Superintendents continue to battle
‘perfect storm’ in public education
Later this month, on April
21, there will be a luncheon at
the Executive Mansion in
Springfield to honor
“Superintendents of
Distinction” from the IASA
regions. Twenty school
superintendents, selected by
their peers, will be recognized.
But that number just as easily
could have been 200, 400 or
800.
In my nine-year tenure at IASA, I have never
seen such a stressful, adverse environment for
schools and their leaders. Unprecedented budget
cuts, more unfunded mandates and constantly
moving educational targets are just a few of the
things that have caused a “perfect storm” for public
education. Yet, the public in most communities is
hardly aware of the looming storm clouds. Why?
Because school superintendents, their staff and
teachers continue to plow ahead to provide the
best possible educational opportunities for their
students.
It’s called leadership, and it’s the most valuable
commodity in times like this.
Lee Iacocca, who was let go as president of
Ford Motor Company and then revived the
Chrysler Corporation before retiring, once said “In
times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best
to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy
into something positive.”
That’s exactly what superintendents have been
doing, and we look forward to joining ISBE and the
Illinois Principals Association (IPA) to honor a
representative handful of educational leaders on
April 21.
Speaking of educational leaders, a package of
stories in this issue of
Leadership Matters
discusses the need for more minority
administrators in our state and highlights the great
work that Hazel Crest Superintendent Dr. Sheila
Harrison-Williams and Round Lake Superintendent
Dr. Connie Collins have been doing to further that
cause.
Increasing the number of minority teachers is a
fundamental need, and Vision 20/20 proposes a
teacher student loan forgiveness program to try
and ensure a more diverse teaching population,
which, in turn, would create a more diverse pool of
candidates for school administrator positions. The
plan calls for the state to appropriate funds to
expand teacher student loan forgiveness for
minority teachers, those in underserved content
areas and for those willing to teach in underserved
parts of the state.
Time to reach out to legislators
Some parts of Vision 20/20 are beginning to
move through the legislative process in Springfield,
including bills regarding the evidence-based
funding model, relief from some unfunded
mandates, adding current educators to the State
Board, licensure reciprocity, a differentiated
accountability model and a joint purchasing pool.
You can access the bill numbers and more
information by clicking
here .Legislators began a two-week spring break
March 30 and will be back in their home districts
until the General Assembly reconvenes on April
14. This is a great time to reach out to your
legislators, get some undivided attention and
discuss the Vision 20/20 bills as well as the school
funding issue.
We have never been so close to changing the
public education policy in our state as we are now
with Vision 20/20. The last 18 months have been
spent with front-line educators from all over the
state carefully crafting the blueprint for the future of
public education in Illinois. The movement now
shifts to the grassroots campaign. Taking back the
conversation regarding public education comes
down to convincing one legislator at a time and
you, as the educational leader in your community,
are the lynchpin.
Thank you for all you continue to do, against all
odds, to “Fulfill the Promise of Public Education”
for the children of Illinois!
Message from the
Executive Director
Dr. Brent Clark