Illinois Principals Association

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Vol.2, Issue 35

Professional Development
IPA Podcast

May 19, 2008, Volume 2, Issue 36

This page can also be viewed by clicking
http://www.ilprincipals.org/principal_connect/index.html

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

Samsung's Hope for Education Technology Program Invites Essay Entries
       
Deadline: August 31, 2008
 
Hope for Education was created by Samsung ( http://www.samsung.com/ )  in 2004 to provide U.S. K-12 schools with the latest technology  products to assist in the educational process. Each year the program challenges students, teachers, parents, or anyone who knows of a school in need to write an essay regarding the importance of technology in education and how it can benefit a school  in their community.  In the past four years, through a partnership with Microsoft  ( http://www.microsoft.com ), the Hope for Education program has provided more than $7 million in Samsung technology and software  to K-12 schools in the United States. This year the program has added another partner, DIRECTV, Inc.  http://directv.com/community ),  which will provide cash grants and educational television pro-gramming packages to the winning schools. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community mem bers can enter the contest by going to the program's Web site and submitting a 100-word essay about their school, answering  the question: "How has technology educated you on helping the environment, and how or why has it changed your behavior to be  more environmentally friendly?" Essay entries may be written in either Spanish or English. Schools that submit essays are entered for the opportunity to  win the grand prize of over $200,000 in Samsung technology, Microsoft software, a cash grant from DIRECTV, as well as th e  School Choice educational television programming package. Samsung will also be working with NEADS (Dogs For Deaf and Disabled  Americans, http://www.neads.org/ ) to provide a classroom assistance dog to a special education teacher at the grand-prize  winning school. In addition, thirty first-prize schools will each be awarded over $60,000 in Samsung technology, Microsoft software, and cash grants from DIRECTV, as well as the School Choice package. Visit the Hope for Education Web site for complete program details.

RFP Link:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012910/hopeeducation

For additional RFPs in Education, visit:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml

Message from IASCD

 Will you be taking on district-wide curriculum leadership responsibilities in the coming year? Illinois ASCD has launched a program (Curriculum Leadership Development Network - CLDN) just for you.  The program is designed to help those new to their district-wide curriculum leadership roles to be able to network and learn from one another in their first year.  The CLDN program involves networking with one another through a listserv, face-to-face meetings, and access to area expertise mentors.  For more information, go to the Illinois ASCD web site at http://www.illinoisascd.org/ and link to the Calendar/Conferences page or contact Don Kachur, Illinois ASCD Executive Director at 309/438-5017.

Update from ISBE on Vision and Health Exams

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has been receiving many questions regarding health and vision examinations for the upcoming year. 

Health Examinations:  Public Act 95-0422, effective August 24, 2007, revised the School Code such that a health examination was required before entering the sixth grade of any public, private or parochial school, as opposed to entering the fifth grade of any public, private or parochial school (the Public Act did not change any of the other instances when a health examination is required).  ISBE has been asked whether students who had received a health examination prior to entering the fifth grade in the 2007-08 school year will, because of the new law, again have to receive a health examination before entering the sixth grade in the 2008-2009 school year.  

ISBE will not take any regulatory action against a school district that does not require such an examination or a student who does not have such an examination.  In fact, it is ISBE’s understanding that Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)—the state agency with rulemaking authority in this area--expects very shortly to file an emergency rule so that, more formally, such an examination would not be required.  ISBE will continue to include this item in this weekly message with any updates regarding the IDPH rulemaking. 

Vision Examinations:  Public Act 95-671, effective January 1, 2008, requires that all children enrolling in kindergarten in a public, private or parochial school and any student enrolling for the first time in a public, private or parochial school shall have an eye examination. 

  • Each such child is to present proof of having been examined by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or a licensed optometrist within the previous year before October 15 of the school year.  If the child fails to present proof by October 15, the school may hold the child’s report card until either (a) the child presents proof of a completed eye examination or (ii) the child presents proof that any eye examination will take place within 60 days after October 15.

  • This requirement may be waived for children who show an undue burden or a lack of access to a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches who provides eye examinations or to a licensed optometrist.  Moreover, parents or legal guardians who object to eye examinations on religious grounds shall not be required to submit their children to the examination if such parents or legal guardians present to the appropriate local school authority a signed statement of objection, detailing the grounds for the objection. 

  • Each public, private and parochial school is required to give notice of this eye examination requirement to the parents and guardians of students.  Every school shall report to the State Board of Education by June 30 the number of children who have received the required eye examination, indicating, of those who have not received the required eye examination, the number of children who are exempt from the eye examination on religious grounds, the number of children who have received a waiver, and the total number of children in noncompliance with the eye examination requirement. 

  • It is our understanding that IDPH expects very shortly to issue an emergency rule that will further define the documentation required as proof of having received an eye examination, the criteria for a child to receive a waiver, and the type of notice schools must provide to parents and guardians of students.  Notwithstanding the forthcoming rule, ISBE is attaching a proof of examination and a waiver form that can be used for this coming school year.

  • A copy of the State of Illinois Eye Examination Report can be accessed at:

http://www.isbe.net/pdf/eye_exam_form_IOA.pdf

  • A copy of the Eye Examination Waiver can be accessed at:

http://www.isbe.net/pdf/eye_exam_waiver.pdf. 

Please note that both of these forms could potentially change depending on action taken by IDPH.

If you have any questions regarding these requirements, please contact Mr. Shafiqul Azam in Data Analysis and Progress Reporting at 217-782-3950 or mazam@isbe.net.