IPA PrinciPal Connection

The Illinois Principals Association is seeking an individual to assume the role of Field Coordinator to serve in the northeast part of Illinois. The 65 day contract position will likely be assigned to serve IPA’s Lake, North Cook, West Cook, and DuPage Regions with final assignment to be determined with the person hired. Job responsibilities include facilitating IPA professional development, attending Region meetings, school visits, meeting individual member and Region needs, assisting with IPA membership growth, and an expectation of travel. The candidate selected will be expected to live in the vicinity of the Lake, North Cook, West Cook, or DuPage Regions.

The Illinois Principals Association prides itself on a history of high quality service to its members and education as a whole. Candidates interested in this position should possess qualities of service, successful experience as a building level leader, a proven track record of involvement in and understanding of the Illinois Principals Association, especially at the Region level, and be a team player.

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, transcripts, and two reference letters to:

Jason E. Leahy, Executive Director
Illinois Principals Association
2940 Baker Drive
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 525-1383

Application materials are due June 2, 2008. Incomplete application packets will not be considered. Contract details, including compensation and benefits, will be discussed with finalists. The Illinois Principals Association is an equal opportunity employer.

Considering the downturn in the economy and the projected shortfall of $750 million in the state of Illinois’ budget, there has been much conjecture on the status of the 23rd and 24th General State Aid payments for school districts about whether the payments will be paid on time, delayed, or not provided at all. Though I do not have any definitive information about what will happen with the two payments at this point, know that IPA along with the members of the Statewide Management Alliance are working to encourage the Governor and legislators to provide those much needed dollars this fiscal year. I encourage you to partner with us to speak with the Governor’s office and your local representatives about how important the funding is to your school and the kids you serve. You can do this by either picking up the phone or using IPA’s CapWiz website which makes your advocacy efforts very user-friendly. CapWiz can be found at http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/cap_wiz.html. If you have any questions about this legislative issue or any others, please do not hesitate to contact me or IPA’s Government Relations/Public Relations Director, DeJuan Kea, at dejuan@ilprincipals.org.

In an effort to recognize the contributions of John Ourth and Fred Singleton to the Illinois Principals Association, the IPA Board of Directors unanimously approved the creation of two professional development scholarships in their honor at the IPA Conference in October 2007. The scholarships are a tribute to Fred and John’s vision for the Association, for their leadership in the creation of professional development for the IPA, and for their enduring devotion to Principals across the state.

Two scholarships will be awarded each year, one for an elementary principal (K-8) and one for a secondary principal (9-12). The scholarships will be for a minimum of $500 and will be awarded each year at the Illinois Principals Association Fall Conference.

Dr. Fred Singleton currently serves as the Field Director for the Illinois Principals Association. Mr. John Ourth, IPA Field Director North, passed away shortly after the creation of the scholarship on December 10, 2007.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Marks 25th Anniversary of “A Nation At Risk” Report by Broadening the National Dialogue on the State of American Education

Spellings Releases “A Nation Accountable” Issue Paper on the Anniversary of the Historic 1983 Report on Education, Poses Questions on Department’s Website for Public Dialogue

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today marked the 25th anniversary of the ground-breaking A Nation at Risk report by broadening the national dialogue on the state of the American education system. Over the next several months, Secretary Spellings will pose various questions on the Department’s website related to the state of education in the U.S. in an effort to spur ideas, discussion, debate and, ultimately, action to better serve America’s students.

“I have spent a lot of time talking with students, parents, teachers, business leaders, policymakers and others about their education experiences, how they think the public education system is serving America's children and how we can better partner to make sure all children receive a quality education,” said Secretary Spellings. “I want to broaden that discussion to a much larger and more interactive forum by continuing it on the Internet. I look forward to the public’s thoughtful and candid responses and to engaging in this interactive national dialogue.”

To advance the dialogue, Secretary Spellings also released an issue paper entitled A Nation Accountable, which examines America’s response to the warnings of the 1983 national report on education, A Nation at Risk.

“In 1983, A Nation At Risk delivered a wake up call for our education system. The report described stark realities such as the significant number of functionally illiterate high school students, plummeting student performance and the increasing competition from international competitors. It was a warning, a reproach and a call to arms,” said Secretary Spellings. “A Nation Accountable examines what has changed 25 years later.”

A Nation Accountable indicates that the American educational system has not fully learned the lessons of A Nation at Risk and continues to deal with the consequences. At the same time, A Nation At Risk inspired some state-level pioneers to think about standards and accountability in education and put them into practice. The landmark No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 built on this foundation. Now, because of No Child Left Behind, across the nation the progress of students of every race and income level is being measured, the nation is holding itself accountable for all students’ performance and the system is finally producing and sharing data to determine what works.

“Accurate, honest information is helping to show us the way forward, but it's also revealing disturbing realities-like grave inequities between students of different races and income levels. As a result, the accountability movement to raise student achievement has reached a tipping point,” said Secretary Spellings. “Will we hide from tough problems or redouble our efforts to help every student achieve their potential? Twenty-five years after A Nation at Risk, it’s time to review the progress we have made since the report’s release. We remain a nation at risk but are also now a nation informed, a nation accountable and a nation that recognizes there is much work to be done.”

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation along with other partner organizations are sponsoring the 3rd annual Northeastern Illinois Walk and Bike to School Day Mini Grant Program. Through the Mini Grant Program, ten schools across the region will be awarded $500 in cash, promotional items (banners, signs and mile markers), healthy snacks as well as a $100 credit toward training and equipment for AAA's School Safety Patrol Program. With these mini grant packages, schools are given the resources to execute high quality Walk and Bike to School Day festivities, and promote walking and biking to school as safe, popular modes of transportation. Please visit www.walktoschool.org for more information on Walk to School Day.