Give Back to the Profession by Mentoring a New Principal

If you are a current or retired principal interested in giving back to the profession, please consider mentoring a new principal.  You must have had at least three years of experience as a principal in Illinois, taken part in required mentor training, and applied to be a mentor with an ISBE certified Mentoring Entity.  To find a complete list of certified Mentoring Entities and more information about the Illinois New Principal Mentoring Program, please visit www.ilprincipalmentoring.org.

IPA Member's Only Section

Don't miss out on the resources available to you on the IPA's Member's Only Section of the website which can be found at www.ilprincipals.org.  The sites username is ipamember, and the password is everystep.  The IPA's Member's Only website is the only place you will find archived IPA Newsletters and Bulletins, topical legal information, everything you would want to know about recertification and the ECS system, and much more.  Take a look today.

IPA Board of Directors Approves IPA Platform Statement

At its January meeting, the IPA Board of Directors approved the IPA Legislative Platform Statements.  The statements were developed this fall by the IPA Legislative Committee with final review and adoption by the IPA Board last month.  The statements communicate the legislative issues and positions of the Illinois Principals Association.  Please feel free to share this information with your school community and legislators.  The statements will be reviewed, updated, and affirmed annually.  To view the statements, go to: http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/ipa_platform.html. Please contact Jason Leahy, IPA Executive Director, at jason@ilprincipals.org if you have any questions about the IPA Platform.

IPA Lobby Day – April 10, 2008

Staying connected with your legislators is as important now as it has ever been.  Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with your State Senator and Representative to let your voice be heard about legislative issues important to you and your school.  Find out more information about IPA Lobby Day by visiting http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/lobby_day.html or contact DeJuan Kea, IPA Government/Public Relations Director, at dejuan@ilprincipals.org.  Administrator Academy credit is also available!  If you would like to know the name and contact information of your state legislator by the IPA Region in which you reside, go the following website for more details:  http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/contact_your_legislator.html.  

Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, MO Offers Workshop for Teachers

The Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, is offering three workshops for teachers this summer. These are designed to help teach Mark Twain in the classroom. The workshops will concentrate on Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and include short stories and other of Twain’s works. Graduate Credits through Quincy University are available. For information email henry.sweets@marktainmuseum.org for information and schedules.

Illinois Women Administrators Dare to be Great Conference

The IWA 20th Annual Dare to be Great Conference will be held Friday-Saturday, April 18th-19th. Taking place at beautiful Ewing Manor in Bloomington, this year's conference includes presentations from Dr. Judith Briles (Friday evening) and Dr. Susan Katz (Saturday morning) as well as time for networking and socializing.

Each year, the highlight of the Dare to be Great Conference is honoring three women who have positively influenced Illinois education. Please join IWA this year as Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, a principal in Peoria District 150; Becky McCabe, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in DeKalb District 428; and Dr. Deborah Curtis, Dean of the College of Education at Illinois State University are honored.

More information, including registration forms, can be found on the IWA website at www.iwa.ilstu.edu.

High School Challenge

The Third Annual High School Challenge Conference- "Leadership and Learning: Connecting the Dots"- will be held on June 16-17, 2008. Click here for more information and to download a registration form.