Leadership Matters September 2013 .pub

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

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

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!

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