Leadership Matters - January 2013

Leadership

Matters

J ANUARY 2 0 1 3 I ASA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Dr. Jane L. Westerhold 2013 Illinois Superintendent of the Year

Also inside: • Education reform is killing education • Top 10 strategies for communicating with legislators • News from the IASA Regions

In this month’s issue

Click the thumbnails to go directly to

the article or click the corner of each page to flip through the newsletter.

Leadership Week preview P. 6

New Years Resolution: PD for staff P. 10

Legally Speaking: evaluation tool for PERA P. 13

News from the IASA Regions P. 11

Message from the IASA President P. 15

IASA interactive calendar P. 8

Superintendent of the Year Profile P. 4

Getting to know your IASA Board Members P. 16

Tip from the Field P. 12

Top 10 strategies for communicating with legislators P. 9

Education reform is killing education P. 5

Survey of the month: Truancy A standing feature of Leadership Matters will be a very brief survey of the month on a current topic of interest. We will share the results in the following month’s newsletter and pose another question. This months’ topic is truancy, which has become a hot topic in Illinois because of a Chicago Tribune investigative series about rampant truancy and excessive absences in Chicago schools. State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) got legislation approved to form the “Truancy in Chicago Public Schools Task Force.” While the focus is on Chicago schools, truancy is an

IASA Newsletter Editor Michael Chamness mchamness@iasaedu.org

Assistant Editor Mary Ellen Buch mbuch@iasaedu.org

issue of concern for everyone in public education. The two multiple-choice questions this month are:

IASA 2648 Beechler Court Springfield, IL 62703-7305 217.753.2213 800 Woodfield Road, Ste. F109 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4717 847.466.5075

1. How serious an issue is truancy in your district as defined by the number of chronic truants or excessive absences? 2. How does your district deal with the issue of truancy?

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

There also is space for you to offer any comments or suggestions you might have (name optional) regarding the issue of truancy. We encourage you to click on the “Survey” blackboard link above and take five minutes or so to participate. Thank you for your participation, and we also would welcome any suggestions for a survey topic for any of the upcoming issues of our newsletter.

Cover photo by Robert Levy (www.robertlevyphoto.com)

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A message from Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

please send those to mchamness@iasaedu.org . • A monthly tip from one of our new Field Services Directors based on their experience and topics raised by their visits with current superintendents. • Profiles of IASA Board members each month,

We are pleased to introduce a completely revamped, rebranded newsletter called Leadership Matters. It will be a monthly newsletter as opposed to the sporadic installments of the former E-News & Notes. If there are breaking items that we need to communicate to you quickly, we will send you a direct email as we currently do. Capitol Watch, professional development announcements and other news will continue to be sent in timely fashion. We have been searching for the right vehicle to better connect and get information to our members, and I really think we are on the right track – a nice way to kick off 2013! Probably the first thing you will notice is that this looks more like a magazine than a newsletter. While we hope you find the graphic design to be pleasing to the eye, we also hope you notice that the newsletter is fresh and contains content you will find interesting and useful. Each month we will have a cover story, and we are kicking off this newsletter with an in-depth profile of the 2013 Illinois Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Jane Westerhold of Des Plaines Consolidated Community District 62. By interviewing others, as well as Dr. Westerhold, certain leadership traits emerged, characteristics that make a superintendent successful. Inside you will find stories such as a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution from Rich Voltz’s professional development perspective, a primer from Diane Hendren for what promises to be a challenging spring session of the General Assembly, and a column written by guest attorneys lined up by Sara Boucek in order to give our members a variety of legal views on current hot topics. Also, standing items in Leadership Matters include: • An interactive 60-day calendar, color-coded to make it easy to find professional development classes, important legislative events or IASA events • News items about superintendents from the 21 IASA regions, something we think is worth reviving. If you have any items of interest,

including some regular information, but also information to give you a deeper look at their outside interests and their viewpoints on issues affecting public education. • A brief survey each month on a hot topic. This month’s survey is about the truancy issue that was the subject of a compelling Chicago Tribune series. State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia introduced legislation to form the “Truancy in Chicago Public Schools Task Force,” and while the issue is about Chicago right now, it certainly is a topic of interest to all of us in public education. If you would take a moment to answer the two questions – as well as offering us your narrative opinion if you wish – that would give us some statewide information that the task force might find helpful. Please click here to go to the page containing the survey questions. I think everyone will agree that this is an improvement in our newsletter, one that we hope will give us an even stronger monthly connection with you going forward. If you like the newsletter, please let your colleagues know that they might want to take a look at the new product. Finally, we welcome suggestions on how to make the product even better. Whether it’s a newsletter like Leadership Matters or any other part of our operation, the goal remains to serve you, our members. Thank you for your support of IASA, and best wishes for a happy and productive New Year -- one in which we once again live up to our vision of “Maximum Educational Success for All Students.”

Brent Clark

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Westerhold driven by desire to educate all children By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Jane L. Beyer Westerhold vividly remembers being a 26-year-old rookie principal at a school where 85 percent of the students qualified for the free or reduced lunch program. During the winter months a second-grader named Sean would knock on her office window each day before the building was open and she would let him in to warm up. “He would often pull out a dried-up biscuit for breakfast,” she recalled. “I think about him to this day. I don’t want kids to feel like we have not done all we can to help them. Children like Sean need us; they need good public schools.” Westerhold has dedicated her 35-year career in public education to providing educational opportunities for all students, efforts that culminated in her recently being named the Illinois Superintendent of the Year. In her eighth year as superintendent at Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62, Westerhold has overseen several major improvements, including reducing by half the so- called poverty achievement gap from 28 to 14 Name: Jane L. Beyer Westerhold School district: Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62 One thing you would like people to know about your school district: Our district is one of the best-kept secrets in the Chicago suburban area. IASA Region: Cook North Years on IASA Board: 4 years Years as educator: 35 High School: Staunton High School Colleges or Universities: Illinois State University, 1972- 1975; Southern Illinois University -Edwardsville, B.S. 1977 and M.S. 1980; St. Louis University, 1984 - 1990; Loyola University Chicago, Ed.D. 2001 Family: Married to Dr. Kenneth L. Cull (also a superintendent); daughter Emily Jane Westerhold (27) married to Sebastian Rymarz (28) living in San Francisco (I was Sebastian’s principal from 1st through 5th grade); stepdaughter Jami married to Dr. Andrew Patrick with one daughter, Melis (4) and living in Abu Dhabi; stepson Ian married to Heather with 3 children, Stone (5), Brooklyn (2) and Savannah (2 months) living in Chicago Favorite hobby: Cooking and entertaining, diningwithjane daily digital newspaper, have blogged personal restaurant reviews, serious cookbook collection, and hundreds of cooking magazines free to anyone who wants them.

Dr. Westerhold and her husband, Dr. Kenneth Cull

percent despite the fact that the percentage of low -income students in the district rose from 28 to 45 percent during the eight years. Other notable achievements include: • Overseeing the successful completion of a “Master Plan” that included a $109 million school facilities upgrade and the opening last year of a new Early Learning Center. (Continued on page 17) Favorite movie: I don’t like to pick favorite movies. If I had to name one that I watch every year and never get tired of, it would be “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In fact, Emily gave me a picture of the Bailey family that hangs in our living room every holiday season. Favorite book: I prefer non-fiction and do not have one favorite. I am a serious audio book geek. I have just finished How Children Succeed by Paul Tough and The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. Favorite musical artist: I have over 6000 songs on my iTunes and could never pick a favorite. My father is a musician so I grew up surrounded by music. Playing the piano and other instruments went with learning to read. One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: Between my first and second year of teaching, I wanted to make extra money to join a club. I was hired as an electrician apprentice and helped wire the lights in the Famous Barr Department Store in Alton Square Mall. Biggest concern about public education: How to meet the needs of the growing population of students living below the poverty line. Most encouraging thing about public education: As Horace Mann stated in 1846, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” This is as true today as it was then. We continue to provide opportunities for children who would not otherwise have a chance.

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Education reform is killing education

By Dr. Kevin O’Mara Superintendent Argo Community District 217

are compliant with the hurtful federal and state mandates. Teachers and local leaders know their communities and know their students best. They should be the ones setting the bar. I know our teachers, and they take great pride in what they teach and how they instruct. I’ve been working with teachers and teachers’ unions for 25 years in public education and I have never, not once, had a poor teacher defended by the unions. They are the experts; let them be empowered to decide, under the local school board’s direction, what is taught and how the lessons are taught. They want what is best for the students. What’s more, they know how to make sure each child learns to the best of their ability. To the outside groups, know this: We don’t run factories. We help students learn. We aren’t against standards, but one size does not fit all. The many professional educators that work under extremely difficult circumstances do so because they love what they do and they know how to do it. Stay out of their way and give them the resources they need. Only then will real school reform take place.

The last bastion of communities choosing how their communities will be reflective of the local residents is coming close to ending. While here in Illinois we still have locally elected school boards, their efficacy at advocating for their own children is almost wholly stifled by outside damaging influences. Groups like Stand for Children, the Civic Committee and Advance Illinois, with their associated large political contributions, have set the bar for “reform” as an avenue for damaging what our founding fathers envisioned for neighborhood schools. The Illinois General Assembly -- at least those members who have been receptive to the dollars and associated influence -- has passed mandate after mandate that now require all public schools to hold to arbitrary and ultimately damaging statutes and rules. These mandates siphon dollars and associated resources away from local school boards to allow for compliance. What have we lost? We’ve lost the one thing that could help educate young people throughout the state: teachers setting curriculum, teachers setting instructional standards, teachers helping students in ways that are directly targeted to their individual needs. The Illinois State Board of Education has ceased being an advocate for our youth; they now are simply compliance officers for the large and growing statutes embedded in the Illinois School Code and federal Department of Education rules. They have school boards sign off on efforts to gain federal dollars (remember the Race to the Top debacle?) while ensuring that school leaders waste their time filling out form after form to make sure that local schools

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Headline

Click logo to register for Leadership Week Leadership Week to feature dynamic speakers

The IASA’s first-ever Leadership Week will be held February 26-28 at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield and will offer attendees the opportunity to hear some dynamic presentations as well as participate in Legislative Advocacy Day in the state capitol. The General Assembly will be in session. There is no registration fee, and active and retired members can register by simply clicking on the Leadership Week logo on this page. Leadership Week is being co-sponsored by American Fidelity Assurance Company and SMART Technologies, Inc. Breakfast will be provided at 8:30 a.m. on Day One of Leadership Week. Attendees are on their own for all other meals and for housing.

Alabama Schools (CLAS), a statewide non-profit group representing school administrators. After serving nine years as executive director of CLAS, Dr. Draper was named CEO of the Educational Research Service, a national, non- profit research company based in Washington, D.C., where he served until becoming president of Cambridge Strategic Services, an organization that guides school leaders in building proactive plans for the future. “Education is, by nature, much too reactive,” Dr. Draper says. “We must become fully engaged in determining the future of public schools in America.” The presentation will discuss how to empower teachers to improve their practice in an era that is primarily focused on measuring their competence. Dr. Frontier will provide examples of the five components of supervisory systems that build teacher expertise as described in the book he co-authored titled “Effective Supervision: Supporting the Art & Science of Teaching.” Frontier began his career in education as a middle school teacher in Milwaukee and also served as an assistant high school principal in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, where he later was the district’s director of curriculum and instruction for nine years. At Cardinal Stritch University, Dr. Frontier teaches courses in curriculum development, organizational learning, research methods and statistics. (Continued on page 7) Dr. Anthony C. Frontier, associate professor in Doctoral Leadership Studies at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, who will make a presentation titled “Beyond Judgment: Supervision that Develops Teacher Expertise.”

The lineup of speakers includes:

Cambridge Strategic Services President Dr. John Draper , who will make a presentation titled “Crucial Conversations about America’s Schools” on Tuesday, February 26, the first day of Leadership Week.

Dr. Drapers’ presentation is based on the book by the same name that he co-authored. In his presentation he will take apart some of the myths about failing public schools. He will separate fact from fiction regarding such issues as dropouts, achievement gaps, pay-for- performance, charter schools, standardized test scores and international testing. The son of two teachers and the product of public schools, Dr. Draper began his career in education as a middle school science and math teacher in Alabama. He also served as a middle school and high school principal before being tapped to lead the Council for Leaders in

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Leadership Week ———————–——————————————————————

Plans, education and training for faculty and students, school safety drills and threat assessments. As Director of IEMA, Monken has overseen the state’s response and recovery efforts to such disasters as the 2011 Blizzard, the record

(Continued from page 6)

State of Education Dr. Christopher Koch , who will deliver a keynote address on Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Koch will discuss current issues facing public education in Illinois, including the state education budget for the 2013- Superintendent

Midwest 2011 floods and the devastating tornado that struck Harrisburg and Ridgeway. Prior to being named Director of IEMA two years ago, Monken served for two years as Acting Director of the Illinois State Police.

14 school year. Prior to Dr. Koch’s keynote address, the Illinois State Board of Education will present a session that will include Assistant Superintendent for Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Linda Tomlinson, General Counsel Nicci Bazer, Division Administrator for Funding and Disbursements Tim Imler, Division Administrator for School Business Services Deb Vespa, and Jason Hall, Senior Policy Advisor. The IASA Annual Business Meeting also will be held on the first day, with IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark giving his “State of the Association” address and a Treasurer’s Update by Dr. Jane L. Westerhold. Those in attendance also will be asked to vote on by-law changes, including a proposal to merge the IASA Legislative and Resolutions/Position Statements Committees into a combined Governmental Relations and Advisory Committee. Click here to watch a six-minute video by IASA President Dr. Kathryn J. Robbins discussing the proposal. Also, the IASA will formally recognize Dr. Westerhold for being selected the 2013 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. Day Two, Wednesday, February 27, will be devoted to presentations on school safety and pension issues as well as a Legislative Advocacy Day for meeting with members of the General Assembly, attending committee hearings and observing sessions of the House and/or Senate. Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Jonathon Monken will begin Day Two with a 45-minute presentation titled “School Safety Improvements.” Monken’s presentation will encompass IEMA’s Ready School initiative, and will cover such things as a review of existing Emergency Operations Day Two: School Safety, Pensions, and Legislative Advocacy Day

Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability will make a presentation on the pension situation. Martire recently wrote a column titled “Blame ‘Pension

Ramp’ for state’s liability,” and will explain why the state is facing a debt crisis, not a pension crisis. Martire’s presentation will be followed by a legislative briefing by IASA Chief of Staff and Director of Governmental Relations Diane Hendren. For those members planning to meet with their legislators in Springfield that day, please contact the offices of those legislators and schedule time in advance to meet with them given their hectic schedules when they are in session in Springfield. Day Two will conclude with a Legislative Reception, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Statehouse Inn, located across the street from the state capitol complex. Members are encouraged to extend an invitation to their legislators to attend the reception. Day Three: IASA Committees, Board of Directors to meet The final day of Leadership Week, Thursday, February 28, will involve meetings of the various IASA Committees for members who serve on those committees and also will include a meeting of the IASA Board of Directors. From 9 —11a.m., the Membership and Communications Committee, the Professional Development Committee, the Legislative Committee, and the Region Presidents Committee will meet. The IASA Board of Directors will meet from 11:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.

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Top 10 strategies for communicating with legislators

Diane Hendren, Chief of Staff / Director of Governmental Relations

As we enter into what promises to be another difficult and challenging legislative session, I thought it might be a good time to talk about our relationship with our legislators. Drawing not only on my years of working with legislators, but also from advice I have gathered from many sources, I would like to offer “Top 10 Strategies” for effective communications with our elected officials: Know your issue. IASA has produced information on the major issues, and that information can be found by clicking on the “Hot Items” icon on our website ( www.iasaedu.org ). We currently have information on there like a pension reform scorecard and talking points and sample spreadsheet about the cost shift and cash reserve issue. Keep your message simple and have a one-page fact sheet to leave with your legislator. 1 2

in one meeting, and legislators probably won’t either. Educating them is the key. Be positive in your communications with legislators. People invest in success, so showcase things that are going well. Get to know your legislators in person and communicate with them regularly. Put them on your district mailing list, invite them to tour your buildings and set up regular meetings in their district offices to discuss education issues when they are out of session and have more time to focus on education. Communicate during session by phone or in writing, including email. Your goal is to develop a relationship where they will pick up the phone and call you to solicit your opinion on issues involving public education. them to do something for us, if you have a legislator who has demonstrated a strong commitment to education, you can help them stay in office by attending one of their fundraisers or events. When session is over, a thank you for representing the school districts, staff, parents and students always will be well received. Recognizing them at board meetings for the real and meaningful things they have done to help the district is another way to foster good relationships. 8 7 9 Developing a working relationship with your legislator is a two-way street. Instead of always asking

Focus your message on the effect on children because they are the most important group when it comes

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to education.

Recognize that there usually are other viewpoints on an issue. Learn what they are and develop a rebuttal to advocate your position while showing respect for the other viewpoints. Be firm in your positions, but don’t be argumentative. 4 5

Don’t give up. Perseverance is important, and the relationship with a legislator usually is a long-term

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Remember, the final legislative outcome seldom is perfect. Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.

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commitment. A superintendent probably didn’t learn everything about school finance

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New Year’s resolution: How about professional development for staff?

Dr. Richard Voltz, Assoc. Director of Professional Development

As we ring in 2013, it’s already time to start planning for the 2013-14 school year, so I

Lessons Learned From Five Case Studies in Five

would offer for your consideration one over- arching resolution for the New Year: Develop a professional development plan for your staff. The challenges facing superintendents at this time of year are pretty daunting, including such things as: • Making school finance predictions • Determining staffing and student enrollment levels • Making facility renovation or building plans • Trying to figure out how to cut transportation costs • Starting or tweaking a district strategic plan • Finalizing curriculum plans for the coming year • Determining how you will communicate the ISBE Climate Survey results to your Board and community • Planning how to deal with some prospective new school board members, and a whole variety of other issues. But don’t forget about professional development. It can lay the foundation for addressing the issues facing school districts. Full implementation of the teacher performance evaluation process is right around the corner, and I believe that this implementation could be the most challenging personnel and collective bargaining processes you will deal with in your entire career. There already have been more strikes and strike threats this school year than in the last several years, probably because of two main factors: lack of money at the district level, and conversation about changing the teacher performance evaluation system. This will only get more contentious as we get closer to the 2016 deadline for full implementation. The Illinois Education Research Council and the University of Chicago recently released a study titled “Designing and Implementing the Next Generation of Teacher Evaluation Systems:

Illinois Districts.” This research study pointed out four specific challenges. Those challenges and our recommendations to address them include: 1. Cultivating Buy-In and Understanding: Bring in an outside consultant to start a process to train your teachers on the Danielson Frameworks for Teaching. You could do this training with your own staff, but we have found that an outside consultant’s training often is received better than in-house training. IASA offers this as a service to school districts as does the Consortium for Educational Change (CEC). In addition to training for teachers, IASA offers the services of a consultant to sit down with the district Joint Committee as you discuss implementing and approving the teacher evaluation plan and process. 2. Using Evaluations for Instructional Improvement: IASA offers a workshop titled “Coaching for Evaluative Purposes.” Administrators need training in conducting reflective and coaching conversations with personnel they supervise. Principals will need to conduct these conversations with teachers, and superintendents will need to conduct conversations with principals. IASA will provide this training by a master coach with workshops scheduled to begin in the spring of 2013 and continue through the summer. 3. Reducing the Burden on Principals: IASA plans to offer a one-day training seminar on incorporating lessons learned from the Wallace Foundation on effective use of principal time. 4. Incorporating Student Growth into Teacher Evaluation Systems: IASA is teaming up with the Value Added Research Center (VARC) and the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools (IARSS) to offer training for student growth and to also develop a plan of action for your school district. This training will consist of a half-day introduction into the (Continued on page 15)

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Member news from the Regions

F. David Marshall passed away August 30, 2012. Mr. Marshall retired as superintendent from Porta District on June 30, 2004. Dr. Jane L. Westerhold was

Abe Lincoln

Southwestern

Superintendents Matt Stines (Grant 110), John Bute (Central 104), Dr. Darcy Benway (O'Fallon HS 203), Dr. Craig Fiegel (Mascoutah 19), Mark Halwachs (High Mount 116), Jennifer Filyaw ( Shiloh 85), Peggy Burke (Whiteside 115), Dr. Todd Koehl (O'Fallon 90), and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kyle Freeman (Mascoutah 19) all rang bells for the Salvation Army on December 8 at the Fairview Heights Mall. The Belleville News- Democrat did a story . Ohio Community District 505 on June 30, 2005. Steve Stein will become the superintendent of on July 1, 2013. Stein currently is superintendent at Mokena School District 159. Arden Wills passed away January 2, 2013. Mr. Wills retired from South Wilmington Elementary School District. Bart Arthur became superintendent of Galesburg Community Unit District 205 on January 2. Arthur had been serving as assistant superintendent. He replaced Dr. Gene Denisar , who retired. Three Rivers Western Peotone Community School District 207U Starved Rock Forrest R. Koenen passed away November 12, 2012. Mr. Koenen retired as superintendent from

advantages for a superintendent to live in the school district. Donald Owen will become superintendent of Urbana School District 116 on July 1, 2013. A veteran of 23 years in the Urbana District, Owen currently serves as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. He will be replacing Dr. Preston L. Williams , who is retiring at the end of the school year. Dr. Richard L. superintendent of ROE #04 on June 30, 2011. Dr. Lisa Hichens will become superintendent of Batavia Public School District 101 on July 1, 2013. Dr. Hichens currently is principal at Batavia High School. She will be replacing Dr. Jack Barshinger , who is retiring from the post he has held the past seven years. Dr. Ehren Jarrett will become superintendent of Rockford School District 205 on July 1, 2013. Dr. Jarrett currently is assistant superintendent in the Rockford district. He will be replacing Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Willis . Kishwaukee Fairgrieves passed away November 4, 2012. Dr. Fairgrieves retired as regional

recently recognized by the Illinois House of Representatives for her selection as the 2013 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. The recognition was offered by Rep. David Harris (R- Mt. Prospect). Dr. Andrew Wise will become superintendent of the Olympia CU 16 on July 1, 2013. Dr. Wise currently is the district’s business and operations manager and previously was a principal in the district. He replaces Superintendent Brad K. Hutchison , who is retiring at the end of the school year. Superintendent Hutchison also serves on the IASA Board of Directors. Josh Olsen will become Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Resources in Olympia School District 16 on July 1, 2013. Olsen currently is superintendent at Fieldcrest CU 6. Corn Belt Cook North

James M. Acklin , superintendent of St. Joseph-Ogden

School District 305, wrote an article that was published in the November 2012 issue of School Illini

Dr. Sam McGowen passed away

Administrator, the monthly magazine published by the

November 21, 2012. Dr. McGowen retired as superintendent from Mascoutah District on June 30, 2012. Southwestern

American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Acklin’s article was titled “Living Inside the District” and discussed the

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Halftime…..How does your game plan look for the second half of the season?

By Dr. Gary Zabilka IASA Field Services Director

sure by next season? Regardless, now is the time to have that conversation and make sure everyone is on the same page moving forward. Financial Review: How is our bank book looking at this point of the season? Have we spent about half of our anticipated expenditures for the

As a practicing school administrator, I would often compare the school year to an athletic season — marking the

year, or are we way beyond that? Is there a reason for being way beyond that, or do we need to hold back during the second half of the season? How are our revenues doing? Are they coming in as projected, or are we possibly having a better “season” than we anticipated? Either way, make sure you plan to adjust accordingly. Personal Reflection: How is the Head Coach (Superintendent) holding up after enduring the first half of the season? Are you doing those things you need to do to keep yourself healthy, while modeling that for the rest of your team? Are you taking the time to reflect on the behaviors,

quarters and the half of the school year to a quarter and half of an entire athletic

Editor’s Note: “Tip from the Field” will be a standing monthly column. IASA’s three Field Services Directors, Dr. Gary Zabilka (Northeastern Super Region), Dr. Nick Osborne (Southern Super Region) and Dr. Bill Phillips (Northcentral Super Region) will write the column on a rotating basis.

season. As such, January becomes halftime for all schools — some as soon as they come back from Winter Break, others in just a couple of weeks. Halftime in a season is typically marked by the All-Star break when the season stops for a couple of days and gives one the opportunity to analyze and reflect on how the first half of the season went, and begin to think ahead to the rest of the season. Depending on how things are going, one may even step up one’s thinking for the season ahead (the next school

strategies, and people on your team to be able to ensure that all are operating to their optimum, and then be able to respond accordingly? As the Head Coach, you must continually do those things necessary to lead your team effectively — that’s why you are the Head Coach! We can continue with this metaphor and question how responsive the fan base (the community) is to our team, how our fields (facilities) are holding up, or even how our team’s “owners” (Board of Education) are doing at mid- season, but I believe you can see these and other important correlations we can make. Most importantly, however, is to remember that January is the beginning of the second half of the year, and it will serve you well to realistically review the first half of the year before giving it all you have for a successful second half. Good luck, and give it your best!

year, to continue the metaphor). Let’s take a look at a couple of specific areas that we might consider during “halftime.” Game Plan: How well is our game plan going? Are the district goals that we have in place being implemented, or have we varied from our plan or lost focus? Halftime is a great time to say “time out”; we need to get back to our game plan and focus on those things we know we need to be focused on for the second half of the season. Player Update: How is our team holding up at this point in the season? Have we been available to them to support them and make sure they are still healthy and focused on the game plan? Do we need to have a conversation or dialogue with any of our players who may be struggling so far this season? Worst-case scenario, do we need to consider a change for our team, either for the second half, or for

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Legally Speaking: Professional development plans as evaluation tool This White Paper addresses a new evaluation tool that school districts are required to use under recent changes to the Illinois School Code: the “professional development plan.” School districts are required to implement professional development plans under the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA), which was enacted January 15, 2010. 2009 Ill. Laws 8655-8675 P.A. 96-861 (S.B. 315). Along with two laws enacted shortly thereafter, known as Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 1197, PERA transformed the way school districts handle teacher evaluations. Senate Bill 7, Pub. Act 97- 0008 (June 13, 2011); House Bill 1197, Pub. Act 97-0007 (June 13, 2011). Under PERA, schools must rate teachers under the now familiar standards of “excellent,” “proficient,” “needs improvement,” or “unsatisfactory.” Within 30 school days after evaluating a teacher as “needs improvement,” a “professional development plan” must be developed for the teacher. 105 ILCS 5/24A-5(h). The plan must be developed by the teacher’s evaluator, in consultation with the teacher; must take into account the teacher’s ongoing professional responsibilities, including his or her regular teaching assignments; and must be directed to the areas that need improvement and any supports that the district will provide to address the areas identified as needing improvement. Id. The professional development plan is in contrast to the “remediation plan” that PERA requires be implemented within 30 days after evaluating a teacher as “unsatisfactory.” See 105 ILCS 5/24A-5(i). The following chart distinguishes the features of the professional development plan and the remediation plan:

This article was co-authored by Shelli L. Anderson and Dana Fattore Crumley, partners in Franczek Radelet P.C., a Chica- go law firm that specializes in labor law. Ms. Anderson and Ms. Crumley both represent school districts with respect to general education law. Ms. An- derson’s emphasis is on em- ployment and labor matters, while Ms. Crumley’s ‘s empha- sis is employment and person- nel matters, special education, student discipline, and school board policy and governance. This article was co- authored by Shelli L. Anderson and D na Fatt e Crumley, partners in Franczek Radelet P.C., a Chicago law firm that specializes in education law. Both Ms. Anderson and Ms. Crumley work extensively with Illinois school districts on a broad array of teacher personnel matters, includin t acher evaluation, discipline, dismissal, and fitness for duty issues. Anderson Crumley

Feature

Professional Development Plan

Remediation Plan

When must plan be imple- mented? Who creates the plan?

Within 30 days after the completion of the evaluation The evaluator, in consultation with the teacher

Within 30 days after the completion of the evaluation

The district

How long must the plan be?

Not specified

90 school days of remediation in the class- room, unless an applicable collective bar- gaining agreement provides for a shorter duration The teacher, an evaluator, and a consulting teacher

Who must participate in the plan? Must the teacher’s ongoing professional responsibilities, including his or her teaching assignments, be consid- ered? What must the plan address?

The teacher and an evaluator

Yes

No

The areas that need improvement and any supports that the district will pro- vide to address the areas identified as needing improvement

The deficiencies that must be corrected

Must evaluations be complet- ed during and after the plan?

Not specified

Yes – a mid-point and final evaluation dur- ing and at the end of the remediation plan, immediately following receipt of a remedia- tion plan Within 10 days after the conclusion of the respective remediation plan

When must subsequent eval- uations under the plan be issued? Who must conduct evalua- tions under the plan?

Not specified

Not specified

The evaluator

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Legally Speaking ———————–————————————

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Although the law is silent on what exactly must be included in a professional development plan, these are the elements that should be included based on best practice and what the statute does provide: • Date the plan was developed • Description of each identified area that needs improvement • Explanation of the behavior and/or outcomes that must be observed for the identified area to be considered improved • Deadline for improving the identified area • Description of the supports that will be provided by the district to assist the teacher with addressing each area that needs improvement • Deadline for completion of entire professional development plan • Description for how the plan’s completion and the teacher’s improvement in the identified areas will be assessed (e.g. summative evaluation) The length of the plan should match the deficiency being addressed by the plan. For example, if the plan is focused on classroom management deficiencies, a teacher may only need 30 days to demonstrate improvement. If the plan addresses a teacher’s deficiency in knowledge of the content area being taught, however, a teacher may require 60 days to complete professional development and demonstrate improvement in content knowledge. At the designated deadline for the plan’s completion, a summative evaluation of the teacher should occur to assess whether the identified areas have sufficiently improved. The description of the deficiencies being addressed by the plan should be specific enough to provide the teacher with sufficient notice of the areas that need improvement. For example, if the teacher must improve his or her delivery of instruction, the plan should specify what specifically within the area of instruction must be improved, such as providing differentiated instruction during math lessons. Supports provided by the district will vary depending on the areas being addressed by the plan, and may include professional development, observations of “master teachers,” mentor teachers, required reading and trainings, and review of lesson plans. For example, if a teacher needs improvement in his or her classroom management skills, the components of the plan might include the following:

Area that needs improvement

Description of deficiency

Behavior/ outcomes to be observed Students consist- ently on-task dur- ing class instruc- tion, group and independent work Consistent articu- lation and imple- mentation of classroom expec- tations and con- sequences.

Districts supports

Deadline for completion

Classroom Management

Students frequently off- task during class in- struction, group and independent work Consequences for vio- lations of classroom expectations not con- sistently applied Expectations for group activities not articulated

Opportunity to observe master teacher Book: “Mastering the Art of Effec- tive Classroom Management”

30 days from the date the plan was developed Summative evaluation to take place within 2 weeks after the deadline for the plan’s completion

In addition to these components, the plan should include the performance standards the teacher must meet to successfully complete the plan move back to a “proficient” rating. A teacher who does not complete the professional development plan successfully may be moved to an unsatisfactory rating at the next summative evaluation. As with all teacher evaluation issues that could lead to dismissal, it is advisable to consult with the District’s attorney regarding the development and implementation of a professional development plan.

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Message from IASA President Dr. Robbins

Happy New Year! If you are reading this edition of the newly revamped IASA newsletter Leadership Matters, it means that the Mayan calendar doomsday prediction of the world ending on December 21, 2012 was wrong. Phew! The good news is we all woke up on December 22. The bad news is that we didn’t escape whatever problems and worries we faced on December 21. They are all still with us as we begin 2013.

When we come to work each morning, those worries involve education reform, pension reform, evaluation systems, achievement gaps, labor disputes, school board elections, budget woes, students’ home lives, and so on. When we get home each night, those problems might include health issues, marital discord, aging parents, rebellious children, financial struggles . . . the list is endless, and it could all easily become overwhelming. So how do we get up every day to do our jobs, tend to our students, our staff members, our Board members, our colleagues, our friends, and our families, with no guarantee that 2013 will be any easier than 2012? Where do we find the resolve to keep fighting the good fight? More importantly, how do we as leaders model traits we want our employees and students to have, like resilience, a positive spirit, strength and courage in the face of adversity, grace under pressure? Quite simply, I think it’s a choice we make every day. We all know that life doesn’t magically get better if today’s problems are solved; new challenges will inevitably replace the old ones. The key to coping with it all is choosing how we react. Bottom line, it’s our choice the extent to which we allow our current set of problems to define our level of happiness and satisfaction. We control our choice. And the act of choosing is empowering. So as 2013 begins, I choose to make the same New Year’s resolutions I make every year: • to provide the best possible educational opportunities for my students, • to provide the best possible working environment for my staff members, • to model positive traits and strength of character for my students and staff, • and, most importantly, to choose happiness and gratitude in my professional and personal life. Dr. Kathryn Robbins

Whatever your own resolutions may be for 2013, I wish you a Happy New Year!

Voltz Column ———————–—————————————————————————

I will be a regular contributor to this new monthly newsletter, but I also write a weekly “New Superintendents’ Update” that has gotten positive

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various student growth models including advantages and disadvantages of each. The second part of this training will be a two-day workshop designed for a team of educators from your school district to develop a plan to bring back to your district for implementation of student growth for principal and teacher evaluation. Despite the difficult challenges facing public education, you as the educational leaders in your district and your community still have the ability to chart the best possible course for your students. Professional development can be a major asset in developing and implementing a plan, and IASA is committed to serving you in that way.

feedback from veteran superintendents. If you would like to receive them on a regular basis, you can click here to sign up. You can also view my Educational Leadership Thoughts on my blog at http://richvoltz.edublogs.org Best wishes for a successful 2013!

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Getting to know your IASA Board Members Dr. Kathryn J. Robbins, IASA President School district: Leyden High School District 212 Dr. Steve Webb, IASA President-elect School district: Goreville Community Unit School District 1

One thing you would like people to know about your school district: We gave each of our 3,500 students a Google Chromebook this year. Between the universal access to technology and the web and the use of Google Docs, the transformation in teaching and learning that has taken place in just the first four months is stunning. IASA Region: West Cook Years on IASA Board: 8 Years as educator: 33 High school: Rockford Guilford High School, Class of 1972 Colleges or Universities: B.S. in Business Education, Northern Illinois University, 1976; M.S. in Educational Leadership, National Louis University, 1984; Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Loyola University, 1994 Family: Husband Mike, daughter Allyson Voss, son-in- law Jared Voss, 15-month old granddaughter Lyla Favorite hobby: I love cleaning and organizing - it relaxes me! Favorite movie: The Godfather I Favorite book: I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb Favorite musical artist: Earth, Wind and Fire One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: I’ve jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and have always wanted to be a race car driver Biggest concern about public education: The takeover of public education by big business interests who (1) care more about money than about students, (2) think the success of students and their schools should be measured and defined by a test score, and (3) think there is a one-size-fits-all solution to educational issues. Most encouraging thing about public education: the resilience of teachers who continue to be everyday heroes for their students despite the unrelenting attacks on their profession, and the creativity, optimism and character of students

One thing you would like people to know about your school district: Goreville CUSD 1, a small rural school

located in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest, is generally recognized for our consistently competitive extra-curricular programs, but most recently we were named a “Showcase School District” by SMART Technologies due to our progressive technology deployment. IASA Region: Shawnee Years on IASA Board: 6 Years as educator: 20 High school: Goreville High School, Class of 1987 Colleges or Universities: Associates in Science, John A. Logan College, 1989; B.A. in Biology/ Secondary Education, McKendree University, 1992; M.S. in Educational Administration, Southern Illinois University- Carbondale, 1996; Ph. D., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, 2006 . Family: Married to Angie Webb for 20 years. Children - Nate (18), Alison (17), Braden (13), and Kanon (9). We live on a 55-acre cattle and horse farm in rural Tunnel Hill. My dad was a teacher and administrator for Goreville Schools for 31 years. Favorite hobby: Watching my children play sports. Favorite movie: Red Dawn (the original) Favorite book: Bible Favorite musical artist: Alabama One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: I am an auxiliary police officer. Biggest concern about public education: The intrusion of state and federal government on local decision-making. Most encouraging thing about public education: I am encouraged that the years of rhetoric against public education has actually indicated the importance of greater local control and although the goals of most of the rhetoric might have been to advocate for vouchers and Charter Schools, I believe their message clearly substantiates the need for less government interference, which will certainly help public education move forward.

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