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May 27, 2008, Volume 2, Issue 37
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Message from Dr. Chris Koch, State Superintendent, Regarding the 23 and 24th GSA Payments
The status of the 23rd and 24th General State Aid (GSA) payments has been on the mind of many in recent weeks. We have been working in close contact with the Governor’s office on this matter and as soon as there was something to share on this important issue, we wanted to pass it along.
Today, Governor Blagojevich has requested that the two July GSA payments be advanced into June. In communications with Comptroller Hynes, he has indicated this is a priority for his office.
We will keep you posted on any further developments.
2008-2009 Student Advisory Council now accepting applications – deadline extended
The application deadline for the Illinois State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) for the 2008-2009 school year has been extended to Friday, May 30.
The students who comprise the Student Advisory Council are very diverse, as they come from different geographic locations, ethnic backgrounds, and types of schools. However, they possess similar qualities, which include a strong work ethic, ability to think “outside-the-box,” the willingness to set aside time from their busy schedules for SAC work and the skill of working well in groups. Members are invited to attend Board meetings and sessions of the General Assembly. As SAC members, students also may review and critique ISBE’s existing or proposed programs, policies and regulations, as well as inform Illinois students of SAC activities.
Eligibility to apply for the 2008-2009 SAC is limited to public high school students who will be either a sophomore, junior or senior during the 2008-2009 school year. Given the need to hear from students on some of the more complicated issues faced by our state, special consideration will be given to applicants from low-performing schools or districts.
An application is now available online at: http://www.isbe.net/SAC/sac_application.pdf.
The application must be returned to the State Board of Education by 5 p.m., Friday, May 30.
The mailing address is:
Illinois State Board of Education
Student Advisory Council
S-202
100 N. First St.
Springfield, IL 62777
Activities of the Student Advisory Council in 2008-2009 are contingent upon final State budget allocation.
For more information, contact Andrea S. Wingo at
217-782-6434 or by e-mail at: awingo@isbe.net.
IPA Position Announcement
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.
Singleton/Ourth Scholarship – Deadline Extended to May 31, 2008!
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 $750 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.
Please click on the link below for additional information and to access the scholarship application.
http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/ipa_scholarship.html
There is less than one month for teachers to apply for the $2,000 Illinois National Board Candidate Fee Subsidy by June 15, 2008.
Illinois teachers wanting to learn more about the National Board process have multiple options found at the National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University website. www.coe.ilstu.edu/ilnbpts
- Print the Illinois Candidate Fee Subsidy instructions and application.
- Link to the NBPTS website to see directions, standards, and requirements. www.nbpts.org
- Locate NBCT Regional and Local Coordinators to get information about procedures and services.
- Contact National Board Certified Teachers in their certificate for information and support.
- Attend an awareness session held in each region.
- Participate in jumpstart sessions to get started in the process.
- Join a cohort group in your area with NBCTs to support candidates through the process.
Visit the NBRC at Illinois State University website for more information about services for recruiting and supporting Illinois teachers through the National Board Certification process. www.coe.ilstu.edu/ilnbpts
Message from the Illinois Retired Teachers Association Regarding TRIP
Please join us in a grassroots online campaign for the purpose of reversing the impending new changes to the Teachers' Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP).
Without the knowledge of the several affected parties, but most importantly the IRTA, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services has introduced new benefit changes to TRIP for fiscal year 2009. The changes include new fees and also increased co-pays and out of pocket expenses. These changes will become effective July 1st, 2008. Interestingly enough, the new and increased fees are calculated to generate $13 million to TRIP - the same amount of funding found in the IRTA backed Senate Bill 2296.
Your support is needed to reverse these new benefit changes. Your participation will ensure the success of these efforts. The power of the IRTA lay in it's many members' voices. Please help to make our voices heard by your participation in this online campaign. Further, please encourage others to participate as well.
Participation is easy, and only takes minutes! To access VoterVOICE using this email just follow the link provided below at the bottom of this email titled "Please click here to log in and send your message". At this point, you will be directed to the Grassroots Action Center and provided with a description of the issue. At the bottom of this page, please click on the gray box titled "Take action". Once you have done this, you may be asked to provide some basic contact information to access the system. Please enter this information and click on the gray box titled "Continue" found below the informational section. Upon clicking continue, you will be directed to a pre-written message we have prepared for you. You are free to revise the message as you would like. To send the message, merely click the gray box at the bottom of this pa ge titled "Send message". That's it!
Click the link below to take action on this issue.:
http://votervoice.net/Target.aspx?id=irta:51062&TargetType=F
Attention All Illinois Principals
The Illinois Deans Association (ISDA) is asking for your support. They are encouraging everyone in the state whose primary responsibility is attendance and/or discipline to become a member of the ISDA. As principals, you have a major influence on your deans/assistant principals; therefore any support you could lend toward this goal would be greatly appreciated. Please encourage your deans/assistant principals to attend the Annual Deans Association Conference on November 12-14, 2008 at the Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria. A brochure with a specific agenda will be forthcoming in late August or early September next school year. Thank you very much for your support. Together we can hopefully strengthen both our professional organizations. If you have any questions, please contact Jeff McKenzie at jeff.mckenzie@a28.org, or by phone at 847-327-7026.