Leadership Matters February 2014

So what goes into a school-closing decision anyway?

By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

As I was going through my normal morning routine of checking on more than 20 online newspapers to compile IASA’s Daily News Briefs content for our website, I recently came across an interesting story in the Champaign News-Gazette. The newspaper had printed a blog written by Urbana District 116 Superintendent Dr. Donald Owen detailing the decision process he used to call off school during one of January’s polar vortexes. The story struck me as interesting from a few perspectives. First, I always had wondered how superintendents made that decision when there wasn’t something obvious like a foot of snow. I also was intrigued by the fact a school superintendent communicating with the public would make headlines. Is it really that rare? Finally, I was curious about the feedback Dr. Owen had received. Here, reprinted with his permission, is Dr. Owen’s blog about closing school during one of those frigid days. By clicking here you can also read the responses from the public at the end of his blog; most of them were from appreciative parents, and a few said they never had really understood what went into those types of decisions. In a future edition of Leadership Matters , we will explore the topic of school superintendents reaching out to communicate with their communities in a variety of ways. Included will be a column by Dr. Owen about why he started his blog, what topics he blogs about, and how he handles public feedback to his blogs. In the meantime, here is his blog from January 22:

View from Here I am an educator and educational leader who is passionate about public education, equity, and excellence. This blog represents my thoughts on educational leadership in the context of a small urban community committed to educational excellence. The posts are my own and do not constitute policy or administrative function in my district.

Dr. Donald Owen

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