Blogs

NASSP Policy and Advocacy Update - 6/13/18

By Alison Maley posted 5 days ago
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96 Get the news and tools you need to advocate for your school. View this email online.     Little Engagement from ED Commission on School Safety Three months have passed since the Trump administration created a national “School Safety Commission” at the Department of Education in response to the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, but there has been little progress in that time regarding the development of real solutions to the violence. Meanwhile, there have been seven more school shootings, ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-72: Governor Signs Budget Bills

By Advocacy In Action posted 11 days ago
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Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Fiscal Year 2019 State budget into law on Monday. In a rare display of bipartisanship, the Illinois General Assembly approved a full year State budget – balanced and on time – on May 31. Details of the spending plan were contained in the last Alliance Legislative Report . Surrounded by legislators from both parties and from both chambers, the Governor presided over a bill signing ceremony in the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. Lawmakers are not slated to return to the Capitol until after the General Election in November. HB 109 , the appropriations bill, is now Public Act 100-0586. HB 3342 , the Budget ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-71: Legislature Adjourned for the Summer

By Advocacy In Action posted 11 days ago
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After approving a Fiscal Year 2019 State budget, the Illinois General Assembly worked through the day Thursday and, by early evening, both the Senate and House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. Neither chamber is expected to return to the Capitol until the Veto Session which has been scheduled for November 13-15 and 27-29. This will allow incumbent lawmakers to campaign unimpeded throughout the summer and fall before the November 6 th General Election. Governor Bruce Rauner has stated that he will sign the budget bills into law upon their arrival on his desk – possibly as early as today. The appropriations bill, HB 109 , and the Budget Implementation ...
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ESSA IMPLEMENTATION IN ILLINOIS

By Susan Homes posted 13 days ago
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As the Illinois State Board of Education prepares to deliver designations to schools under its new ESSA plan, this blog will provide readers with background information and resources to provide support to educators. This blog will also provide a platform for posting up-to-date information as it becomes available from ISBE.  Background Illinois has aligned its ESSA plan to its vision of the whole child. Under No Child Left Behind, school and district performance were measured solely on student proficiency in math and English Language Arts. The “ Every Student Succeeds Act ,” signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, reauthorized the 50-year old Elementary ...
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Pension Updates from FY19 Budget Implementation

By Legally Speaking posted 14 days ago
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During the FY19 state budget negotiations, legislative leaders and budget negotiators discussed proposals intended to save on pension costs. These proposals were negotiated behind-the-scenes and only surfaced hours before the final budget and budget implementation bills were approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives. See below for more information about how the changes may affect you. Visit the Teachers Retirement System for more information as well. It is important to note that no existing benefits were changed or diminished in these proposals. If you have any other questions, please contact Brian Schwartz or Alison Maley . This blog will ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-70: Legislature Wrapping Up Spring Session

By Advocacy In Action posted 18 days ago
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The Illinois General Assembly is poised to adjourn for the summer today upon approval of a Fiscal Year 2019 State Budget. The Senate passed the budget package Wednesday night; the House of Representatives approved the bills today (Thursday). In a scenario that has not been witnessed for years in the State Capitol, a full year budget was approved on overwhelmingly bi-partisan votes. The Governor and the legislative leaders set partisan differences aside this spring and agreed on revenue estimates and a spending plan for the State. Both the House and Senate are still currently working through some remaining bills but are expected to adjourn later today. After ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-68: Evidence-Based Funding; Mandates Move

By Advocacy In Action posted 21 days ago
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In a busy legislative week in the State Capitol, lawmakers rushed to move the remainder of their legislation as the scheduled session adjournment date nears. The legislature is set to conclude its business by the end of the month. Both chambers of the General Assembly cancelled scheduled session for this weekend and will return to Springfield late afternoon on Monday, May 28th. While there has been positive news surrounding the development of a budget, the General Assembly will only have four session days to complete its business and pass a budget plan and appropriations before the end of May. This week, the Alliance and its partners in the Evidence-Based ...
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"Supposed" to be Kids

By Charley Cass posted 26 days ago
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I really was tickled with a former student's Facebook post the other day.  Robert Johnson was one of my favorite kids at Elverado High School.  He was sharp, had a great personality and had solid leadership potential.  He has a sense of duty to his community and knows he has a responsibility to it.  He is one of those kids that test scores don't measure.  His post made me reflect not only on my own experiences but the experiences of so many other students that have come through my doors.  There are those kids that are not "supposed" to be successful in the eyes of others. My experience over the years is that those kids, you know the ones that have to ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-68: Mandates Moving as General Assembly Wraps Up Work

By Advocacy In Action posted 05-18-2018
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Many pieces of legislation that infringe on local decision making and increase costs for school districts are still moving through the Illinois General Assembly as we move closer to the scheduled adjournment day of May 31st. We encourage you to take special notice of the mandates covered in this report, as well as our previous Alliance Legislative Reports, and reach out to your state legislators to oppose legislation that negatively impacts school finances and local curricular determination.   When both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly meet next, there will only be 10 days remaining to get a Fiscal Year 2019 budget in place before the legislative ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-67: General Assembly Less Than Three Weeks from Adjournment

By Advocacy In Action posted 05-14-2018
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Both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly were back in Springfield this week to take up legislation in hopes of sending bills to the Governor that would become law. While there was action on bills in committees and on the House and Senate floors, no public action was taken on a budget. With less than three weeks to go before scheduled adjournment, budget talks are still going on behind closed doors. With more available revenue than in years past, it would seem a budget agreement would be easier to reach this year. However, nothing tends to be easy in the current adversarial environment of Illinois state government. School board members and administrators ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-66: Senate Works Through the Week; House Off

By Advocacy In Action posted 05-04-2018
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SENATE WORKS THROUGH WEEK; HOUSE OFF The Illinois Senate was in session this week, busy both moving bills out of committees and passing bills on the chamber floor. The House of Representatives was off this week following its House bill deadline last Friday. Both chambers are scheduled to return next week and work Tuesday through Friday. Next Friday is the Senate deadline to consider House bills in Senate committees. PROPOSED MANDATES APPROVED The Senate this week approved three bills that would place new requirements on local school districts. Each of these bills has been sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration. SB 3249 ...
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4-6 Minutes: The Story of How CPR/AED Training for School Personnel Saved My Life

By Heather Baker posted 05-01-2018
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My Story On February 1st, 2018, I began my day the same way that most administrators do: with a meeting. In fact, my morning was full of meetings, most of which I made it to, the last of which, I did not. When I stepped foot into the District Office of Pecatonica School District, a wave of dizziness hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried to speak, but within mere seconds, I passed out. Not only did I pass out, but my heart experienced ventricular fibrillation, the most serious cardiac rhythm disturbance, and I suffered from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.   When I fell from standing position and hit the ground, Superintendent Bill Faller immediately began ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-65: Hundreds of Bills Cross Over to Second Chamber

By Advocacy In Action posted 04-29-2018
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The following Alliance Legislative Report details many bills that Alliance lobbyists have been able to amend to address our collective concerns. Those bills are highlighted below.  HUNDREDS OF BILLS CROSS OVER TO SECOND CHAMBER, HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY  REJECTS HB 4789, HB 5572 In one of the busiest weeks of the legislative session, hundreds of bills passed out of their original chamber and now await action on the other side of the rotunda. The deadlines set by the leaders in each chamber provide for a flurry of activity as legislators try to keep their legislation moving through the process.  Earlier in the week, the Alliance sent out a call to action ...
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IPA Assists Senator Durbin Warn School Leaders on For-Profit Colleges

By Alison Maley posted 04-26-2018
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IPA Executive Director Dr. Jason Leahy recently assisted Senator Dick Durbin to alert Illinois school leaders about for-profit colleges. See below for a press release and letter.  DURBIN ENLISTS ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS TO SOUND THE ALARM ON FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES Asks principals, counselors, teachers to provide students with “accurate and up-to-date information about their post-secondary education options” WASHINGTON – With high school seniors making decisions about their educational futures, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is enlisting the help of Illinois high school principals, counselors, and teachers to warn college-bound students and their ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-64: Main Issues Being Addressed; Teachers, Safety, Mandates

By Advocacy In Action posted 04-21-2018
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As the legislature worked steadily this week in the Capitol through the hundreds of superfluous bills and issues that lay before it, attention was being paid to some of the significant matters regarding public education. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate worked through the week, with both chambers returning next week to meet Monday through Friday. Next Friday, April 27, is the deadline to have substantive bills considered on the floor of their respective chambers. An Alliance initiative addressing the problem of school districts being penalized for the under levy of property taxes under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), HB ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-63: Legislature Meets Deadline

By Advocacy In Action posted 04-16-2018
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The Illinois General Assembly met its first deadline as all bills must have been considered by a committee by Friday. Inevitably, some bills will have their deadlines extended, but committee volume will reduce drastically in the coming weeks as legislators will debate bills on the floors of their respective chambers. The House of Representatives and Senate will both be back in session next Tuesday. BILL ACTION THIS WEEK The following bills passed the full House and will be taken up in the Senate at a future date: HB 751 (Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville) extends the sunset provision for retired teachers returning to teaching in subject shortage areas from ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-62: General Assembly Returns from Spring Break

By Advocacy In Action posted 04-06-2018
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After an extended spring break, both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly will return to the Capitol next week to continue considering bills in committee. The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet Monday through Friday; the Senate is set for session Tuesday through Friday. Both chambers have set Friday, April 13th as a tentative deadline to move bills out of committees. The deadline is the first hurdle that many bills will cross on their way to becoming law. It also signals the start of a very active legislative schedule. The General Assembly has more session days scheduled leading up to the May 31st adjournment day than they have scheduled the previous ...
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Principal's Calendar Monthly Reflection: April

By PrinciPal Connection posted 03-29-2018
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To help you keep a handle on what you are responsible for, a group of committed IPA members and staff created  The Principal’s Calendar  (available for IPA Members). The calendar is broken down by month. At the end of every month we will be sharing out the reflection you should be considering for the upcoming month. The reflections will center around attributes outlined in the  School Leader Paradigm . The Principal's Calendar is sponsored by  Stifel.   This month's featured attribute is : Diagnostic:   Is adept at diagnosing educational problems, counseling teachers, supervising, evaluating programs and personnel, and developing curriculum. ...
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Linda Brown Dies at 75 Years Old

By Brian Schwartz posted 03-27-2018
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IPA is saddened to learn of the death of Linda Brown. Brown was the plaintiff at the center of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark court case the ended segregation in public schools. Brown died Sunday afternoon. She was 75 years old. In 1954, when she was just 9 years’ old, Brown’s father tried to enroll her in Summer Elementary School, which was an all-white school in Topeka. When the school refused her enrollment, Brown’s father sued the Topeka Board of Education. Four similar cases were combined with Brown’s and culminated with the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Future Supreme ...
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Alliance Legislative Report 100-61: 2018 Primary Election Wrap-Up

By Advocacy In Action posted 03-23-2018
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2018 PRIMARY ELECTION WRAP-UP While the vast majority of incumbents were not challenged in Tuesday’s Primary Election, most of those that were challenged emerged victorious. Last year’s difficult votes on the state budget, revenue enhancements, and education funding reform resulted in many House Republican lawmakers drawing primary opponents heavily funded by outside interest groups. In all but one case (109th House District-David Reis, Olney), those Republican incumbents that decided to run for another term, won. On the Democratic side of the primary ballot, only two incumbents were unsuccessful in being nominated by their party for another term (8th Senate ...
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