Each year, downtown Chicago’s hustle and bustle provide an appropriate backdrop for the energy and excitement of the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference. This year’s 79th conference was no different and yet there were, and will always be, slight changes from year to year.
More than 11,000 people attended this year’s conference, up 14 percent from last year. Eighty-five percent of IASB’s 851 member school districts sent at least one representative to learn and be motivated.
With 110 panel sessions, 220 exhibitors, seven pre-conference workshops, five tours of Chicago charter schools, specific strands for board secretaries, school attorneys, administrators and business officials, and opportunities to network with peers for a full weekend, the conference has become one of the nation’s premier educational offerings … larger even than the national school boards’ annual conference.
The 2011 conference in Chicago featured three of the most exciting general session presentations in recent years.
On Friday, Wes Moore brought the national challenges facing education to the school leaders in Illinois. “The greatest national security threat right now is that education is not part of the country’s priorities,” Moore said.
He spoke of the very thin line that exists between success and failure for many of the nation’s young people, and illustrated it by referencing his book, The Other Wes Moore. The book chronicles another young man who shares his name but who ended up in prison after a jewelry store robbery that resulted in the death of an off-duty police officer.
Had it not been for expectations — both his own and those of his family — he feels he might have been that man in prison. “For many kids, it’s just one decision or intervention away from failure,” he said, and school leaders can help students set higher expectations for themselves.
After the presentation, Moore autographed books for a long line of those who had been motivated by his remarks.
The experience of Saturday’s general session was one that may keep attendees talking for a long time. The musical drama troupe StandUP! Change Teen Statistics brought the everyday problems that teens face to life for those who profess to want to make a difference in their lives.
School board members and administrators were asked to stand up to support teens in confronting the problems of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, illegal drugs, teen suicide and hate crimes.
The group tours to schools and education-related gatherings, offering the 50-minute show. The performance had been advertised as not being suitable for a young audience or to anyone easily offended, but few left the program and many were heard talking about the power of the message and asking how they could get the group to perform in their area.
And Sunday … what can you say about an up-tempo Southern drawl that kept the audience laughing and engaged for a rollicking look at how to be a hero for education?
Brooks Coleman Jr., a Georgia state legislator whose background is in education, drew in his audience with stories from his childhood, his days in the classroom and his escapades in the Georgia House.
He offered the audience five “sure-fire” steps to help schools and school leaders improve, but his real message was one of time: “If mommas and daddies would all give their children twice as much time and love, we could change education tomorrow.”
In 2012, attendees can expect the same quality programming but with added excitement as the JAC reaches a new milestone: 80 years of joint educational opportunities for members of the three sponsoring Associations.
Be certain to watch all year long in the Illinois School Board Newsbulletin and at www.iasb.com/jac12 for information regarding panel proposals and award application deadlines, online registration and housing information, and preview publications.
And while you can find handouts from the 2011 conference on IASB’s Members-Only website, there’s so much more than just words on the page to be learned by attending in person. Please consider attending in the fall and modeling professional development for your staff and students.
A hearty thank you to all who attended in 2011. We hope to see you back in 2012!