3
IASA Conference shaping up
to be great leadership experience
We are really enthused
about our upcoming IASA
Conference, scheduled for
October 9-11 at the Crowne
Plaza in Springfield. Once
again, we have been
fortunate enough to bring in
a power-packed lineup of speakers that will
cover a great mix of timely topics that are
relevant to the challenges facing educators.
The theme of this issue of
Leadership
Matters
is our conference, the theme of which is
“Leadership Matters.” In this issue we have in-
depth profiles of our three keynote speakers,
author Jamie Vollmer, attorney Susan Relland
and veteran educator Jim Burgett. Their stories
are intriguing and interesting. For example:
A businessman who was one of public
education’s harshest critics, Vollmer now is
one of public schools’ most vocal supporters.
Find out how blueberry ice cream ended up
being a factor in his transformation.
Relland has spent her career working in the
arena of health and welfare benefit plan law,
and she was very involved in the
Congressional debate over the Affordable
Care Act. Her keen insights about the
controversial law and what school districts
need to be doing in order to comply are both
interesting and helpful in a practical way.
Many of you know Burgett from his years as
an award-winning school superintendent in
Illinois. That experience and his personality
have made him one of the most sought-after
education speakers in the country.
I encourage you to take a few minutes to
read more about these three keynote speakers
on the next few pages of this newsletter because
I think that will only whet your appetite to come
and hear their presentations at our conference.
Speaking of attending the conference, I want
to extend a special invitation to the new
superintendents around the state. I remember
when I first became a superintendent thinking I
should never be gone from my office, but I want
to let you know that this conference was
designed to provide the type of professional
development opportunity that makes the two-and
-a-half day commitment a good investment of
time for you and for your school district. In fact,
we have developed a special training strand just
for new superintendents that will complement
and build upon the New Superintendents’
Conference many of you attended last month.
The conference agenda also includes a
general session titled “Vision 20/20: Creating a
Vision for the Future of Education in Illinois” that
will discuss the impetus and motivation for this
important IASA initiative and provide an update
on its status. Key staff from the Illinois State
Board of Education (ISBE) will conduct a
discussion titled “The Big Picture” and include
topics such as school finance, licensure,
assessments and learning standards.
One new conference-related activity is the
IASA “Super” 5K Fun Run/Walk to be held at
6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 10. This activity
is designed for runners and walkers of all levels
and will be held on the beautiful Lost Bridge Trail
just a short distance from the hotel. Participants
will receive a special T-shirt. It sounds like a
great time with friends and colleagues, and a
wonderful way to start a productive day at the
conference.
I look forward to seeing you in October!
Message from the
Executive Director
Dr. Brent Clark
