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New law lowers compulsory school attendance age to six next year
Some Illinois school districts could see an influx of new kindergarten and first grade students under a law recently signed by Governor Quinn. Senate Bill 1307, passed in the final days of spring session, will lower the compulsory attendance age from seven to six starting in the 2014-15 school year.
Children turning six whose birthdays fall on or before Sep. 1 st will be required to register for school (or an alternative equivalent education program) during the coming year.
The lowering of the minimum age requirement was spurred by a Chicago Tribune investigative report on truancy and absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools. The series revealed that 18 percent of Chicago kindergarten and first grade students were classified as chronically truant during the 2010-11 school year. The Chicago mayor, Chicago Teachers Union , and other groups advocated the lower enrollment age as a way to increase truancy enforcement within the city.
Advocates said lowering the minimum age will give school authorities an additional tool to hold parents accountable. If parents fail in this , they face the possibility of truancy related consequences.
While the new law puts Illinois in line with 25 other states that set their compulsory minimum age at six (14 states say age seven), it doesn’t come without increased costs. Some estimates suggest the change could result in a $28 million expense for Illinois schools during the first year.
It is difficult to determine final costs until next year’s enrollment figures are calculated. The state does not know how many students would now begin at six, instead of seven, or where they would enroll. Essentially, that means it is too early to determine which districts may experience higher costs, or even what those may amount to.
One fast-growing central Illinois district said they do not expect to see much change in enrollment. “We find that most of our families register students when their children turn five, or at the latest six,” said a spokesperson for McLean County Unit District 5 in Normal. “We have quite a few wanting to register their children early at the age of four,” she noted.
Most students in Illinois are enrolled in school by the age of five. A majority of those have already attended early education programs prior to that. While most districts won’t see much, if any change in kindergarten and first grade enrollment, the uncertainty still must be considered, particularly if added funding does not accompany such a change.
This is the primary reason the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance opposed the legislation, taking a hard line against unfunded mandates that further strain school budgets. As a spokesperson for the Alliance said, “It’s a laudable goal, but one that schools simply cannot bear.” Other education groups such as ED-RED and SCOPE cited similar reasons for opposition, while many homeschool groups opposed the bill because it weakened parental choice.
As board members know, crafting a budget for the upcoming year is already a difficult task. That job is made even more challenging when a number of unfunded mandates and potentially costly variables are added to the equation. Any spike in enrollment in these lower grades does create the potential for higher, unplanned costs for the district. Schools are already receiving their funding from the state on a pro-rated basis of less than ninety cents on the dollar. Adding more student’s means those resources might be stretched even further.
Because it is not known which schools will experience an increase in enrollment, it is impossible to pin-point the increased expense to various schools due to different funding methods for individual districts. Districts with higher truancy rates tend to be in low income areas, meaning newly enrolled students may be eligible for poverty grant claims.
Officials explained that while those students may bring additional funding for some schools, the overall pool of money available for low-income students will be depleted quicker at a time when available funds for poverty grants have fallen short. There may be some districts that are experiencing faster growth amongst younger student populations, making these schools more prone to adverse impacts of the age change, for instance in the form of overcrowded classrooms. Transportation expenses and school food services could also see increased costs as a result of serving a larger student population.
Conference panel sessions will meet mandated training
School board members will have yet another chance to complete their mandatory Professional Development Leadership Training (PDLT) at the 2013 Joint Annual Conference.
The training requirements of the state law can be met simply by attending three discussion panels (one in each of three designated categories) and then documenting that training prior to the end of the conference. Here’s how it works:
The conference program lists 11 accredited panels by title and time slot in each of three categories: 1) Education Law and Fiduciary Duty; 2) PERA and Labor Law; and 3) Financial Oversight and Accountability.
The panels that meet the Education Law and Fiduciary Duty category are:
The 11 panel sessions are color-coded in the printed program to match the color coding by category on the attendance sheet.
To get credit for the mandatory training, board members must first pick up a PDLT Mandatory Training Attendance Sheet. This form will only be available at the conference registration desk at the Hyatt East Tower or the IASB information desk at the Sheraton.
The form must be completed and signed by the participant and returned to the Hyatt conference registration desk during conference hours, 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, or 8 to 11:45 a.m. Sunday.
Or it can be returned to the IASB Information Desk, Sheraton, one floor above the main lobby, 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Note: IASB will not issue certificates for this conference-based training after the close of the 2013 Joint Annual Conference.
Completing the one-page attendance sheet requires participants to place their initials beside the names of the panels they attended, and sign the sheet and fill in their name, the name of the district, their badge number (starting with “20”), and their county and zip code.
Those who complete the paperwork will receive a Certificate of Completion for PDLT training. A $15 processing fee will be charged.
For more information about the PDLT training at conference, contact: Judy Williams at IASB, ext 110 .
ISAT shows growth in learning over past five years, but one-year drop as expected
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released 2013 state average test scores Sep. 10 showing Illinois elementary school students have demonstrated growth in learning over the five-year trend under new performance levels. As expected following the State Board’s move in January to raise performance levels on the 2013 Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), however, the number of students meeting and exceeding state standards dropped.
All districts in the state were warned in January by ISBE officials that their students’ scores would see a substantial drop, even if their students actually made gains from the year before in real terms.
The state maintains the higher performance levels provide a more accurate and earlier indication of how prepared students are for college and career and the new standards better align with the expectations for 11th graders who take the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE), including the ACT. The ACT is a commonly used standard for measuring college and career readiness.
“By raising the ISAT cut scores in reading and math, we’ve seen the expected drop in student performance, but this drop does not reflect on students as a group or individuals – we raised the bar on performance levels,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “We needed to raise our expectations at the elementary level so that students are on track for high school and eventually prepared to succeed in college, career and daily life. As we map student performance over time on the new performance levels we’re seeing steady growth.”
Students in third through eighth grades last March took the ISAT in reading and mathematics, which were subject to the raised performance levels, while fourth and seventh graders were also tested in science, which did not see a change in performance expectations as new science standards have not yet been approved. Students in 11th grade last April took the PSAE, which tests students in math, reading and science.
The statewide composite score for students meeting and exceeding standards on the ISAT dropped, going from 82.1 in 2012 to 61.9 in 2013. This decline is very similar to the projections Superintendent Koch and board members made in January when they announced the higher cut scores.
Analysis of previous ISAT composite scores for reading and math alone under the new cut scores shows that students demonstrated significant growth over the past five years, increasing overall performance on ISAT reading from 54.8 in 2009 to 59 in 2013. Analysis on ISAT math scores during that same five-year timeline shows an increase from 55.3 in 2009 to 58.7 in 2013. The overall composite math and reading score increased from 55.1 in 2009 to 58.8 in 2013.
The ISAT science composite score – not impacted by the raised cut scores – went from 79.8 in 2012 to 80.0 in 2013.
The composite score for the PSAE, given to 11th graders, increased from 51.3 in 2012 to 51.9 in 2013. Performance level cut scores for the PSAE were not raised as the test includes the ACT.
Prior to raising the cut scores, a disconnect existed between the ISAT and the higher expectations of the PSAE with 82 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards on the ISAT statewide in 2012 while only 51 percent met or exceeded standards on the PSAE that same year. Educators have wanted to remedy that disconnect by raising expectations earlier to provide a more accurate indication of whether a student is on track for post-secondary success.
“We appreciate the coherence and clarity that the Illinois State Board of Education is bringing to the need for schools to focus on college and career readiness, and specifically the help and support that the Common Core State Standards provide as far as curricular direction and focus is concerned,’’ said Dr. Eric Twadell, Superintendent of Adlai Stevenson High School District 125.
Lieutenant governor’s office conducting survey about state education services and functions aiding schools
A survey request about services from the state was recently distributed to board presidents of all Illinois school districts. The State Service Evaluation Survey is being conducted by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office in order to gather feedback on the need for and quality of the services provided by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Regional Offices of Education.
State law (105 ILCS 5/2-3.112) requires this annual survey about the nature and quality of state services being delivered to school districts. By statute a service evaluation committee under the lieutenant governor’s direction is impaneled each year, composed of seven members, including representatives of IASB and the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
This year the survey is being conducted in partnership with Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy, which annually surveys district superintendents regarding current education issues.
Board presidents are being asked, with the assistance of superintendents, to complete the survey, which can be accessed online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ilserviceevaluation.
Specifically, the president of the board of education is authorized to “cause the evaluation form to be completed,” but the committee agrees that the superintendent is probably the most knowledgeable about these services.
“Completion of this survey is obviously optional; however, each district’s input is important,” explained Roger Eddy, IASB Executive Director, in an email sent to board presidents on Sep. 4 urging them to participate.
This year’s survey opened Sep. 2 and will close Nov. 1. The results will be tallied and Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon will submit a written report of the results to the governor, the legislature, ISBE, and ROEs by Dec. 15.
National Schools Foundation conference Nov. 19-20
November is when most public school leaders in Illinois know to pencil in their annual professional development activity, otherwise known as the Joint Annual Conference. But did you know that this year another major education conference is scheduled for the same week, in the same hotel and city?
The event is the 2013 Annual ASFA Conference, and it is scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 19-20, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
The American Schools Foundation Alliance (ASFA) is a not-for-profit organization with a mission “to build a nationwide community of school and education foundations, and to serve those foundations by providing essential and timely information through resources, tools and guidance to advance public education in the United States.”
Tuesday events include sessions on corporate philanthropy, recruiting foundation board members, funding programs, charitable donation law, social media use, and fundraising. Wednesday events include sessions on science education grants, campaigning, donor solicitation tactics, and turning donors into advocates.
Housing blocks have been secured at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and Palmer House Hilton. Individual conference registration fee is $270 and discounts are offered to ASFA members. More information is available by visiting the Alliance website: http://www.asfalliance.org/conferences/2013asfaconference.html, or by emailing dyen@asfalliance.org, or by calling 877/655-2777.
Board members told ‘thanks for lending a hand’ in many ways
To say “thanks for lending a hand” (this year’s theme) to the nearly 6,000 elected school board members in Illinois, Nov. 15, 2013, has been designated as “School Board Members Day” throughout the state. Many local school districts see this as an opportunity to build community awareness and understanding about the crucial role an elected board of education assumes in a representative democracy.
This day of observance offers an opportunity to build a stronger relationship between school board members and the community. That is why IASB is encouraging appropriate district personnel to contact their community leaders, business partners and local civic groups to join in recognition efforts.
By working with the community, districts can assure that these dedicated public servants are recognized for their board policy and governance work on behalf of children, parents and families.
Materials to help districts organize their activities include the following 2013 recognition materials: memo from IASB’s executive director; news release for local media; tip sheet of suggested activities; letter to community groups; sample article for district newsletters and other publications; sample marquees; Public Service Announcements ( PSAs); 2013 Illinois School Facts; education quotes; proclamation for use by local government groups; printable logos; and certificates for district presentation to board members (provided in a fillable form to personalize and print directly from the IASB website).
For more information, contact Linda Dawson at ext. 1104, or ldawson@iasb.com. Information about the observance is available online at: https://www.iasb.com/sbmd.cfm.
Supervisors, others need training to prevent employee harassment liability
Developments in School Law
by Melinda Selbee
The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided two cases that are relevant for school leaders. Vance v. Ball State University, No. 11-556 ( U.S. Sup. Ct. 6/24/13), clarifies when an employer will be liable under Title VII for the harassment of an employee by a supervisor. Before describing the holding in this case, a review of the law prohibiting harassment in the workplace is helpful.
Title VII prohibits harassment in the workplace because of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. An employer is liable for an employee’s harassment if the employer was negligent with respect to the offensive behavior. An employer is negligent if it knew or reasonably should have known about the harassment but fails to take remedial action. This rule is used to evaluate employer liability when a co-worker harasses the victim.
The rule changes when the harassing employee is the victim’s supervisor and the employer may be held vicariously liable for the supervisor’s actions. If the supervisor’s harassment results in a tangible employment action, the employer is strictly liable. A tangible employment action is a “significant change in employment status, such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits.” But if no tangible employment action is taken, the employer may escape liability by exercising reasonable care to prevent and correct harassment.
To determine liability under Title VII, therefore, an important fact is whether a harasser is a supervisor or simply a co-worker. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which is second only to the U.S. Supreme Court in federal court jurisdiction over Illinois, had held that the qualifying factor to be a supervisor is the power to hire, fire, demote, promote, transfer, or discipline the victim. Other circuit courts had used a more vague approach that tied supervisor status to the authority to exercise significant direction over the victim’s work.
The Supreme Court found the Seventh Circuit’s definition persuasive. It held that an employer may be vicariously liable under Title VII only when the employer authorized the employee to take tangible employment actions against the victim.
Note, however, this is not the rule for vicarious liability under the Illinois Human Rights Act. This state law imposes strict liability on the employer, whether or not the employer knew of the offending conduct, when an employee is sexually harassed by supervisory personnel regardless of whether the harasser has any authority over the complainant. Sangamon County Sheriff’s Dept. v. Ill. Human Rights Com’n, 908 N.E.2d 39 ( Ill. 2009).
The second case on workplace discrimination is University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, No. 12-484 (U.S. Sup. Ct. 6/24/12). It is important to attorneys who litigate retaliation claims brought under Title VII. For employers, however, it does not change the law on equal employment opportunities.
This decision addresses the causation rules for proving wrongful employer conduct under Title VII. A person charging wrongful employer conduct must prove causation, that is, some link between the adverse employment action (e.g., dismissal) and the employer’s alleged wrongful conduct (e.g., discrimination on the basis of gender).
The high court found the causation rules are different for the two categories of wrongful employer conduct. The first is status-based discrimination which refers to discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. For status-based discrimination claims, the Court held liability is established if the plaintiff shows that a discriminatory motive was one of the employer’s reasons for taking adverse action, even if the employer had other, lawful motives.
The second category is retaliation because an employee opposed, complained of, or sought remedies for, unlawful workplace discrimination. Retaliation claims require a more difficult causation test. To prove wrongful retaliation, a claimant must prove that “but-for” an employer’s discriminatory motive, it would not have taken the adverse employment action. An employer will be able to defend a retaliation claim by identifying a valid business reason for taking action that adversely affected someone’s employment even if the employer had other discriminatory motivations.
Next steps. School leaders need to identify which of its employees qualify as supervisors for purposes of creating potential vicarious liability for harassing workplace conduct. These individuals need extra training on discrimination and workplace harassment. A nondiscrimination coordinator and complaint manager - one person may do both duties - should also have current training. The board’s attorney is an excellent resource for this training. School leaders also should check that relevant policies are current and being disseminated. The PRESS policies are 5:10, Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment and 5:20, Workplace Harassment Prohibited. Finally, school leaders must be committed to taking corrective action to stop workplace discrimination and harassment.
Top school designs chosen in ‘EEE’ awards competition
Winning school designs will be on display at the 2013 Joint Annual Conference, including those earning awards in the Invitational Exhibition of Educational Environments, sponsored by IASB Service Associates.
The awards were made by a blind jury pool of architects and superintendents on Sep. 12 at IASB offices in Springfield. This year’s jury chose two Award of Distinction winners (the top winners), three Awards of Merit and three Honorable Mentions. Awards will be presented to the winning school districts and their architects Friday, Nov. 22, at the Joint Annual Conference. All 18 projects entered in the competition will be displayed throughout the three-day conference.
The winners this year are:
Award of Merit
Honorable Mention
Criteria for award submissions included: program/challenge met, how the facility meets 21st century education environmental needs; design; unique energy efficiency or green features; and safety (including passive security design and traffic patterns). To be eligible to win this year, construction projects had to be completed in time for occupancy with the start of school this fall.
At the conclusion of this year’s conference, all of the projects on display will be added to the School Design Data File. A service developed by IASB for its Service Associates organization, it is available for use by IASB member school districts and their architectural firms. The file currently consists of a detailed computer database on over 450 design projects involving Illinois public schools. A description of the 2012 winners can be viewed at: https://www.iasb.com/jac12/eeewinners.cfm .
School officials and architects may use this service by calling the IASB Communications Department, ext. 1105. Or email a query to jnelson@iasb.com.
Registration to open soon for 2014 NSBA convention next April in New Orleans
Registration and housing for the National School Boards Association’s 2014 Annual Conference, to be held April 5-7 in New Orleans, is set to open Oct. 23.
Registration fees are $895 (or $725 for National Connection members). After Jan. 8, the registration fee will go up to $945 and $755, respectively. When registering nine or more people, the ninth and subsequent registrations receive a discount of $125 off the cost of the registration fee.
The 74 th annual conference will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans. Pre-conference workshops will be held on Friday, April 4.
The conference will feature general sessions, panel sessions, pre-conference workshops, exhibits, school architectural displays, and other activities.
Housing information is scheduled to be posted soon. Information about the conference will be posted online at: http://annualconference.nsba.org/.
Technology panels to be led by Apple, Inc. iPad expert
A representative from Apple, Inc., who has been making presentations at division meetings this fall on trends in education, including the use of technology like iPads, will talk on the same general topic in a Saturday panel at the Joint Annual Conference.
The topic will be developed in a two-part panel in consecutive sessions.
Barry Sevett , education development executive, Apple Education Transforming Learning, will lead the panel presentation. At the Western Division meeting in Macomb on Sep.24 and at the Central Illinois Valley Division meeting in Eureka on Sep. 26, Sevett spoke about how the challenges of today require schools to inspire and empower every student, regardless of ability level, learning style, background, language or disability, to achieve and thrive in school and build the skills they’ll need to succeed in life.
To create 21 st century learning environments that provide engaging, empowering and personalized learning experiences, educators and school boards must take into account how today’s students learn, what their expectations are for their learning, and what tools and resources are available to help us meet their unique needs, Sevett said.
In Apple’s conference panel — a late addition to the conference program — he’ll explore trends that are shaping education today, share examples of how state-of-the-art technology tools, like iPads and other mobile devices, support the transformation of teaching and learning, and examine best practices for one-to-one learning.
Building your own planner makes Joint Annual Conference attendance easier
The Joint Annual Conference is six weeks away and participants have two tools to begin planning how they will spend their time at the three-day event.
A Conference Preview has been posted that outlines the entire schedule of activities. The Preview includes dates, times, titles, and descriptions of all courses and panel sessions, workshops, and special events such as the board secretaries’ training.
The Preview is on the IASB public website at: https://www.iasb.com/jac13/pdfs/conferencepreview.pdf .
In addition, IASB members can build their own personal planner online to fill in, download, print out, and take to Chicago. This online tool will be posted in early November on IASB’s Members-Only website at http://members.iasb.com. Once logged in, users should click on the annual conference tab across the top.
The calendar will show all conference events by day and type, listing them in chronological order. Users check a box for each desired event. The calendar does allow users to select multiple events at conflicting times, and print the document for their personal use.
The Members-Only website is available free to any IASB member district superintendent, board member or secretary. Access to the site requires registration, using a seven-digit Member ID number and last name. Member ID numbers appear on mailing labels of all materials sent to IASB members, and begin with a “2.”
After signing in, users are asked to set up an account, using their choice of e-mail address and password. Registration is only required once.
Questions about all of this can be directed to ext. 1105 or 1131.
This year’s event will be the 81 st Joint Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators and Illinois Association of School Business Officials. More than 11,000 members and guests are expected to attend.
More information about the conference, including registration, housing, and other features of the 2013 conference can be found online at: https://www.iasb.com/jac13/.
Conference ‘wrap up’ panel, news releases help explain value
IASB has developed a discussion panel and sample news releases to help participants at the Joint Annual Conference effectively share and report what they saw, did and learned.
On Sunday morning at 8 a.m., a roundtable discussion entitled, “Wrap It Up and Take It Home,” will walk participants through their own conference experience and explain how to share the information and resources they obtained with colleagues, staff and the community.
It is one of the topics included in the informal “Coffee and Conversations” roundtables on Sunday morning. The coffee is free and the sessions will be held in rooms on the Grand ballroom level of the Hyatt East Tower. They will conclude at 9:30 a.m., in time for attending the Third General Session.
IASB has also developed sample news releases to assist school board members and school district administrators that want to report on their 2013 conference experience, either in advance of the event or after returning home.
The news releases contain language to allow the district to specify who attended, how much the district spent, and how the conference fits into the district budget. They also explain the value of professional development and what participants are doing to improve their skills and knowledge in school board governance or district management.
These sample news releases are not prescriptive; rather, district officials are encouraged to edit or add their own comments or data to meet their own purpose and situation. Information is also available on how to effectively interview with local media.
Districts intending to use the news releases are also encouraged to include copies in the board meeting packet as part of the report agenda items at the board meeting that precedes the November conference.
Instructions and sample news releases are available on the IASB Members-Only website at: http://members.iasb.com.
Sponsorship program giving financial support to division dinner meetings
This year’s round of Illinois Association of School Boards’ fall division dinner meetings and other activities are sponsored by the following organizations:
• NextEra Energy Services – Premier Level Sponsor
• Comcast – Legacy Level Sponsor
• Forecast5 Analytics, Inc ./PMA Financial Network, Inc. – Legacy Level Sponsor
• Honeywell Building Solutions – Legacy Level Sponsor
• NaviGate Prepared – Legacy Level Sponsor
• WCSIT*ISDA – Legacy Level Sponsor
• First Midstate, Inc. – Century Level Sponsor
• Kings Financial Consulting, Inc. – Decade Level Sponsor
• Wight & Company – Division Meeting Sponsor
The sponsorship program provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to provide financial sponsorship to support and enhance all of these purposes: board member professional development, networking, peer recognition, association governance and learning about resources available from IASB.
For more information about division meeting sponsorship opportunities, please contact Cathy Talbert, associate executive director, field services and policy services, at 217/528-9688 or 630/629-3776, ext. 1234 or email ctalbert@ iasb.com.
Directors receive budget update showing positive FY 2013 end-of-year balance
The IASB board of directors received a budget update on Aug. 24 showing the Association ended the 2013 Fiscal Year in the black after being in the red for some years. Additional revenue from workshop sellouts in May enhanced the revenue picture, along with numerous reductions in expenses. “We will invest any freed-up money into upgrades in technology, communications and member services,”said Executive Director Roger Eddy.
The board of directors met Aug. 23-24 in Oak Brook for its quarterly meeting and annual retreat. The board heard reports from Executive Director Eddy and Association President Carolyne Brooks, among others.
Reports were added by the Illinois High School Association liaison Mark Harms ( Corn Belt), and resolutions committee chair Karen Fisher (Association vice president). Deputy Executive Director Ben Schwarm reported on legislative news.
Welcomed as the newest directors were Lisa Weitzel, of Ball-Chatham CUSD 5, representing the Abe Lincoln Division; Frank Mott, of Forest Park SD 91, representing the West Cook Division, Val Densmore, of Country Club Hills SD 160, representing the South Cook Division; and Rob Luttrrell, of Triad CUSD 2, representing the Southwestern Division.
The next board meeting will be Nov. 21 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago.
School board recognition earned by 10 more exemplary boards in 2013
Ten school boards are set to receive IASB School Board Governance Recognition this year, designed to acknowledge activities and behaviors that lead to excellence in local school governance in support of quality public education, the hallmarks of IASB’s mission statement.
All IASB member school boards are invited to apply for this recognition which covers a two-year period. Once such recognition is received, boards may apply for renewal every two years. The criteria are:
A. Adopting and communicating a written mission, vision and goals.
B. Having and implementing a superintendent evaluation process that culminates in a formal annual superintendent evaluation.
C. Conducting regular policy reviews and maintaining a current and updated policy manual.
D. Connecting with the community on issues of importance to the district.
E. Implementing an orientation process for newly seated board members that minimally includes an overview of the district and board processes and involves both the superintendent and veteran board members.
F. Having an agreed-upon, written and published code of conduct.
G. Having an agreed-upon and implemented Board Development Plan that has included participation in at least one IASB in-district workshop other than a board self-evaluation per year supporting that plan.
H. Designating an IASB governing board representative to facilitate two-way communication between the board and the IASB Division.
I. Designating a voting delegate who participates in the annual IASB Delegate Assembly.
J. Sending one or more members of the board to:
• Each division dinner meeting and governing board meeting (as applicable)
• The IASB Joint Annual Conference
K. Conducting a board self-evaluation with IASB staff facilitation within the past two years.
Ten member boards of education have earned the School Board Governance Recognition in 2013. The Association is presenting awards to school boards at the fall division dinner meetings and all will be recognized at the Joint Annual Conference in November.
The winners this year are:
• Dunlap CUSD 323
• Emmons SD 33
• Evanston-Skokie SD 65
• Fairview SD 72
• Fox Lake ESD 114
• Geneva CUSD 304
• Jasper CUSD 1
• Millburn CCSD 24
• Oak Park ESD 97
• Washington SD 50
Governing our public schools is difficult work. Through the many difficult decisions made at the local level, these boards have made a commitment to obtaining the knowledge, abilities and skills that are essential to excellence in board governance,” said Dean Langdon, IASB associate executive director of board development.
List of resolutions to be voted by 2013 Delegate Assembly
The resolutions committee of the Illinois Association of School Boards has recommended adoption of seven of 14 new resolutions submitted by local school districts, all to be decided next month in the annual Delegate Assembly.
The resolutions committee, chaired by IASB Vice President Karen Fisher, met in early August to review 14 new proposals and one reaffirmation of an existing position.
Each year, IASB’s 21 divisions vote to choose a resolutions committee chairman, who appoints a committee of at least seven individuals from IASB membership. The committee is empowered to recommend the approval or disapproval of proposed resolutions, and to determine which resolutions are presented to the assembly.
Committee decisions may be appealed, but appeals must be submitted by member districts in writing to the committee at least eight days before the assembly’s meeting.
A Report to the Membership summarizing the resolutions, and the IASB Resolutions Committee’s recommendations on each, was mailed to member districts on Sep. 18.
Member district delegates will meet on Saturday, Nov. 23, at the 2013 Joint Annual Conference. Resolutions adopted there will set policy for IASB for the coming year. The resolutions that received a “do adopt” recommendation this year are:
Pension — Normal Cost Shift , Submitted by: Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200, The Illinois Association of School Boards recognizes that legislation to sensibly resolve Illinois’ current pension crisis must be fully compliant with prevailing actuarial scientific standards in order to achieve fully funded and sustainable pension funds. The Illinois Association of School Boards therefore shall not support a “cost-shift” to local districts as a true sensible solution to the pension burden.
The rationale for this resolution states that Illinois’ pension problem can only be truly solved by addressing the roots of the problem: the state’s failure to meet its payment obligations and its failure to adhere to actuarial principles in expanding benefits.
Virtual Charter Schools , Submitted by: Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200, Co-Sponsor: CCSD 168, Sauk Village, The Illinois Association of School Boards shall encourage the Charter School Commission to develop regulations that ensures state-authorized virtual charter schools meet the full needs of Illinois students and follow the intent of current state laws prohibiting the use of public funds for profit-driven educational firms....
The rationale states that rapid expansion of technology has greatly improved many aspects of life, including education, but has opened new potential areas of abuse. In February, 18 west suburban districts received petitions from an organization seeking to operate an online, “virtual,” charter school throughout all 18 districts. The not-for-profit corporate sponsor’s charter petition revealed that all management of curriculum, teachers, and student assessment was to be outsourced entirely to a for-profit educational firm traded on the New York Stock Exchange. This firm was the subject of various complaints and investigations in several states relating to its online virtual charter schools.
Mandate Cost and Periodic Review , Submitted by: Glen Ellyn SD 41, Naperville SD 203, The Illinois Association of School Boards shall support modifications to the Illinois State Mandates Act (30 ILCS 805) that will strengthen the ability of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to accurately and sufficiently provide timely information on the costs of mandates, including input from local elected boards of education. In addition, the mandates report required for other local governments shall be required of ISBE to provide timely, updated information on the impact of new mandates as they are enacted.
The rationale notes that many competing budget pressures in Illinois have resulted in losses of state education funds in categorical, transportation and grant funding areas. Thus, Illinois Board of Education leaders are required to focus greater attention on how to plan for the annual further deterioration of state education support. Yet much proposed legislation would further impact already tight budgets with costly mandates. These underfunded or unfunded mandates have increased in the past decade, increasing from 12 adopted into law between 1991 and 1999 to 116 adopted between 2000 and 2013...
Amended Existing Position Position Statement 1.03, Physical Education , Submitted by: Dunlap CUSD 323, The Illinois Association of School Boards shall support modifications to existing state mandates which shall allow boards of education to establish time requirements and appropriate exemptions (underlined wording to be added) for physical education at the K-12 level. (Portions Adopted 1982, 1986; Reaffirmed 1984, 1987; Amended 1988, 1995).
The rationale says that students in grades 9-10 participating in varsity and non-varsity interscholastic sports, exhibit the same strenuous and rigorous activity as those students in grades 11-12. Students in all grades, 9-12, should have the same exemption from physical education.
Amended Existing Position Position Statement 1.02,Curricular Material Determination, Submitted by: Geneseo CUSD 228, The Illinois Association of School Boards shall support the right and responsibility of each local school board to determine its curricular content including opposing any mandated curriculum that comes from the Common Core Standards (underlined wording to be added). (Adopted 1981; Amended 1983, 1988, 2001).
The rationale notes that one size does not fit all. The school districts in Illinois range from the Chicago Public School system to small rural districts with just a few hundred students. Sadly legislators disregard the diversity of resources and the diversity of needs of local educational agencies...
Amended Existing Position Position Statement 2.27, StateAuthorized Charter School Funding, Submitted by: Woodland CCSD 50, Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200, and CCSD 168, Sauk Village, The Illinois Association of School Boards shall urge adoption of legislation , similar to House Bill 2660, Amendment #1, in the 98th General Assembly (underlined wording to be added), which would revise the method of funding state-authorized charter schools so as to limit the withholding of state funds from host school districts. With respect to state authorized virtual charter schools, further limit the withholding of state funds from host school districts in proportion to the per pupil expenditure used for building maintenance, classroom supplies, transportation, safety and security, and other costs unique to “brick and mortar” schools. For all state-authorized charter schools, require that proof of continuing enrollment and attendance be submitted quarterly, with prorated refunds to the host school district upon withdrawal of students from the charter school (underlined wording to be added).
The rationale says decreases in state aid endanger services for both state-authorized charter schools and their host school districts. Adoption of legislation similar to HB 2660 would avoid a cap on charter school funding short of per capita entitlement and shift responsibility for funding state-authorized charter schools from the local district to the state. Further, the bill would limit creation of new state-authorized charter schools to the extent that the state provides means to fund them and does not mandate additional appropriations…
Amended Existing Position Statement 2.03, FundingMandated Programs, Submitted by: Geneseo CUSD 228, The Illinois Association of School Boards believes that legislation encroaching upon local and lay control of the public schools should be curtailed, and, therefore:
• shall oppose programs or services mandated by the Illinois General Assembly, the State Board of Education, or any other state agency, unless there is clear evidence of need for the mandate and the Illinois General Assembly provides non-local revenues to fully fund the additional costs of those programs;
• shall urge the members of the General Assembly to strictly comply with the State Mandates Act, including specifying and labeling in the descriptions of legislation containing unfunded mandates that such mandates occur, and to refrain from passing any legislation which contains an exemption from the Act, and urge the governor to veto any such legislation that may reach the governor’s desk;
• shall urge state agencies and commissions that adopt regulations accompanying legislative mandates to specify required outcomes and criteria for determining compliance, and allow local districts to determine the specific methods and procedures by which required outcomes will be accomplished. Required time lines for accomplishment should reflect consideration of the human and material resources and amount of deliberation and development necessary to accomplish the mandate
• shall urge the General Assembly to adopt legislation which would allow school districts greater flexibility in regard to state mandates and the use of grants. ( this wording to be deleted)
• shall support legislation that causes all statutory and regulatory educational mandates to sunset if sufficient funding is not provided to implement such mandates and requirements. Local school districts may choose to continue to implement the mandated programs voluntarily until such time that the General Assembly appropriates the funding necessary to cover the costs of the required programs (underlined wording to be added).
The rationale says that despite $861 million dollars in cuts to state education funding since 2009, the legislature continues to pass unfunded mandates at an unprecedented rate. Since 1992 there have been over 120 enacted per IASB’s “Mandates Enacted Since 1992.” Comparing the slim Illinois School Code from 1981 with the hefty 2012 Illinois School Code speaks volumes.
Seven resolutions rejected
In addition to endorsing the above resolutions, committee members also opposed seven others.
For a list of the resolutions put forward by member school districts, download the full 2013 Resolutions Committee Report to the Membership at: https://www.iasb.com/pdf/reporttomembership2013.pdf . The resolutions in the report are also accompanied there by the rationale for the proposals and the resolutions committee recommendation of adopt or do not adopt and its rationale.
For more information, contact a division representative to the resolutions committee or phone IASB governmental relations at ext. 1132.
Chicago schools on tour
School leaders are being invited to join representatives of IASB and the Chicago Board of Education on a tour of a Chicago District 299 school chosen from a diverse offering. Tours will explore five separate schools on Friday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (buses will begin boarding at 8:45 a.m.).
This year the theme is “Looking Back – Looking Forward.”
Tours will explore the following five schools:
• John C. Haines Elementary School – one of the oldest educational institutions in Illinois at over 120 years old, Haines is a neighborhood school located in the bustling Chinatown community. It offers a rigorous instructional program;
• Ellington Elementary School – a Pre-K through 8th grade neighborhood school in the Austin neighborhood, Edward K. “Duke” Ellington Elementary School has a Level 1 rating, the highest CPS quality rating. Enrollment features 97.3% low income students;
• Oscar F. Mayer Elementary School – combining Montessori and performing arts in a Pre-K through 8th grade school;
• Westinghouse High School – the first Chicago public high school with dual enrollment options for students: selective enrollment and college to careers programs;
• Carl Schurz High School – diversity of all styles encompasses this large high school and its programs. It features both a historic landmark building and cultural diversity.
The separate $85 fee for this event includes breakfast. Spouses are invited to attend at the same additional fee.
A link to the tour brochure includes more details and the mail-in form: https://www.iasb.com/jac13/tourbrochure.pdf. Online tour registration is available at: https://www.iasb. com/jac13/tour_reg.cfm.
NSBA’s ‘Advocacy Institute’ in February a dynamic lobbying event
Board members will have the chance to join their peers from across the country at the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) National School Boards Advocacy Institute (formerly the Federal Relations Network Conference) in Washington, D.C., Feb. 2-4, 2014.
NSBA aims to provide a broader-based, more dynamic advocacy conference. Key programming changes will include nationally recognized speakers, sessions with more interaction rather than only lecture-style presentations, and substantial programming for information and skill building around public advocacy. The Institute will still end with a day on Capitol Hill to lobby members of Congress.
“More information will be coming, but anyone interested should stop by the legislative booth at Conference to discuss this event and participation in our federal advocacy program,” said Governmental Relations Director Susan Hilton.
Deadline nears for referenda
Dec. 27 is the deadline for public bodies such as school boards to place a public policy question, including a school finance referendum, on the primary election ballot for March 18, 2014. (10 ILCS 5/28-2). See the following link for details: https://www.iasb.com/law/cal1314.cfm .
Koch on national panels
State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch will lend his expertise to two national organizations aimed at improving education policy to better prepare students for the workforce and higher education.
Koch, a former teacher and longtime policy maker, will serve a two-year term as vice chair of the finance committee of the Education Commission of the States and as a member of the inaugural board of directors for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, the new certification body for educator preparation.
Tdap vaccine shortage noted
The state will accommodate school districts on the shortage of Tdap vaccine required for school entry in grades 6-12. The plan calls for revising the records of students who haven’t provided vaccination evidence by the date set to avoid exclusion from school (Oct. 15 or an earlier date set by local policy).
If a few conditions are met, there’ll be no recognition sanctions against schools or districts. In concert with the state public health agency, ISBE recommends including its Sep. 23 memo into each student’s permanent health record who lacks the Tdap vaccination and meets the criteria listed at http://www.isbe.net/pdf/school_ health/tdap .
School calendar available
IASB’s Annual School Calendar of legal dates and deadlines for 2013-2014 is available on the Association’s website as a PDF at: https://www.iasb.com/law/cal1314.cfm. Dates listed comply with all statutory deadlines for school districts contained in the School Code, Election Code and selected acts of the Illinois General Assembly. It does not contain dates imposed by the Illinois State Board of Education or its regulations. Subscribers to IASB’s Online Update service will get word if or when any revisions are made to this school calendar.
New Service Associates firm
The IASB board of directors at its August meeting voted to invite Kings Financial Consulting, Inc. of Monticello into membership as an IASB Service Associate firm. Kings Financial specializes in Illinois Municipal Bond Financial Advisory Services including all kinds of school bonds, assistance with school referenda including county school sales tax and tax revenue forecasts and projections.
Media relations course
Building a positive relationship with the local media outlets may be one of the most positive things a school district can do, and one way to pursue that goal is by taking the Online Learning Center spotlight course called “Media Relations.” The purpose of the course is to help school board members understand the basic workings of the media and how to use the media to get their educational messages out to the public.
The cost of this online course is $75 for IASB members and $150 for non-members. For more information or to register, visit: https://www.iasb.com/training/onlinelearning.cfm .
O ctober 16 – Professional Advancement Seminar, Seeking the Superintendency, Springfield
October 16 – North Cook Division Dinner Meeting, Skokie
October 22 – Professional Advancement Seminar, Seeking the Superintendency, Downers Grove
October 23 – Kaskaskia Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Wesclin
October 23 – Lake Division Dinner Meeting, Lake Forest
October 24 – Two Rivers Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Jacksonville
October 29 – DuPage Division Dinner Meeting, Bensenville
October 29 – Three Rivers Fall Division Meeting, Lockport
October 30 – South Cook Division Meeting, Orland Park
November 21 – IASB Board of Directors’ Meeting, Chicago
November 22-24 – 81st IASB/IASA / IASBO Joint Annual Conference, Chicago
November 22 – Illinois Council of School Attorneys’ 27th Seminar on School Law, Chicago
November 22 – Chicago Schools Tour, Chicago
November 24 – IASB Board of Directors’ Meeting, Chicago
For more current information, see www.iasb.com/calendar/