Blogs

Governor Pritzker Delivers Virtual State of the State & Budget Address

By PrinciPal Connection posted 02-18-2021
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On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker delivered a combined State of the State and Budget Address .  The address was delivered  from the Illinois State Fairgrounds  in Springfield .  In his address, Governor Pritzker focused on COVID-19 recovery and Illinois’ mounting fiscal debt.   In terms of education funding for Fiscal Year 2022, which begins on July 1, Governor Pritzker committed to holding pk-12 education harmless and providing the same  funding levels as the current fiscal year .  This is in addition to  f ederal  funding for schools that was recently approved by Congress.      The Governor’s proposed budget also includes ...
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IPA, IASA, IFT, & IEA Support ESSA Assessment Waiver

By Jason Leahy posted 02-10-2021
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The following letter was sent to Acting U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona calling for a federal standardized testing waiver. February 9, 2021 Dear Acting Secretary Cardona: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every corner of our state. The gross inequity the pandemic has reinforced, both in health and economic outcomes, means our least resourced students feel the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. Even as our newly elected national leadership signals that providing sustained COVID relief is a priority, we are still faced with the consequences of the paucity of relief and guidance provided by the former administration. These consequences include ...
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Advocacy in Action (1/13/21) - Session Update - Omnibus Package; Seclusion Legislation

By Alison Maley posted 01-13-2021
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Advocacy in Action (1/9/21) - Education Omnibus Update

By Alison Maley posted 01-10-2021
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Request for Federal ESSA Waiver for Standardized Testing

By Jason Leahy posted 12-17-2020
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The following was co-signed by the Illinois Principals Association, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Chicago Teachers Union, and Illinois Educators Association. A PDF of the letter can be downloaded here . A call to action from ISBE regarding accountability is at the bottom of this post. Please note that this call to action is separate from the letter sent to ISBE by IPA, IASA, IFT, CTU and IEA. December 10, 2020 Dr. Carmen Ayala State Superintendent of Education Illinois State Board of Education 100 N. 1st Street Springfield, IL 62777 Dear Dr. Ayala: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every ...
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Find Joy in the Moment

By PrinciPal Connection posted 12-17-2020
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We've asked the 2019-2020 IPA Region Award winners to give us a few sentences about their why, education leadership philosophy, or just something special they are working on. We hope these dispatches will lift you up, give you inspiration and remind you of your why. This note comes from Michaela Rychener, assistant principal at Hickory Grove Elementary School. During the school closure this spring, I was tagged in a retweet on Twitter, ‘Five Words.’ It got me thinking, what are five words that define how I am leading or what five words do I aspire to have guide my practice? As I was reflecting, the five words that resonated with me were, “Find joy in the ...
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Leadership Through Navigation

By PrinciPal Connection posted 09-10-2020
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We've asked the 2019-2020 IPA Region Award winners to give us a few sentences about their why, education leadership philosophy, or just something special they are working on. We hope these dispatches will lift you up, give you inspiration and remind you of your why.  This note comes from @Duane Ehmen . Duane is Iroquois West Middle School. Leadership can seriously be attributed to navigation. With navigation, you have to continually be making forward progress. Essentials to this would be knowing your destination, employing a crew that will help this become achievable, and remaining cognizant of the reefs and storms that will happen. At IWMS, I have been ...
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Advocacy in Action (8/4/20) - Take Action Today on COVID Relief, E-Rate, and Legislator Introductions

By Alison Maley posted 08-07-2020
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View in a browser August 4, 2020 K—12 schools across the country desperately need Congress to act before its August recess and provide significant additional emergency COVID-19 relief funding before the start of the 2020-21 school year.   Now is the time for school leaders to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to support the emergency funding that schools desperately need. Time is running out.   Take Action Now   ...
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Advocacy in Action (7/23/20) - Tell Congress to Act Now to Support Schools

By Alison Maley posted 08-07-2020
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View in a browser July 23, 2020 K—12 schools across the country desperately need Congress to act before its August recess and provide significant additional emergency COVID-19 relief funding before the start of the 2020-21 school year.   Time is running out! Please take a moment to contact your members of Congress to advocate for an investment in COVID-19 relief funding to schools.   Send a Message   ...
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Advocacy in Action (7/17/20) - Contact Congress to Support Emergency Funding for Schools

By Alison Maley posted 08-07-2020
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View in a browser July 17, 2020 NASSP Congressional Update Following the July 4 recess, Congress returns with a laundry list of bills and policies to complete prior to August—and a limited amount of time in which to do it. As of now, there have been no indications from either chamber that Congress is planning to eliminate August recess, so the time crunch to complete these projects is significant. The House may have the ...
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Academic Excellence and C.A.R.E.

By PrinciPal Connection posted 08-06-2020
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We've asked the 2019-2020 IPA Region Award winners to give us a few sentences about their why, education leadership philosophy, or just something special they are working on. We hope these dispatches will lift you up, give you inspiration and remind you of your why.  The first of these notes comes from @Michael Allen . Dr. Allen is the principal at Oakton Elementary School. Academic Excellence and C.A.R.E. What is my why / philosophy about schools? I come from very humble beginnings where my siblings and I experienced many nights without electricity, water and food. To make matters worse, near the end of high school we were homeless. ...
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Take Action Today

By Alison Maley posted 07-20-2020
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Take the first step   The simplest way to influence education policy is to build a relationship with your local legislators. IPA has created a template email to introduce yourself to your state and federal legislators. The message includes an invitation for legislators to contact you as they make decisions on education policy, and an open invitation to visit your school. Send a message Tell Congress to Support Education Stabilization ...
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Advocacy in Action (7/13/20) - NASSP Congressional Update

By Alison Maley posted 07-20-2020
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View in a browser July 13, 2020 NASSP Congressional Update Following the July 4 recess, Congress returns with a laundry list of bills and policies to complete prior to August—and a limited amount of time in which to do it. As of now, there have been no indications from either chamber that Congress is planning to eliminate August recess, so the time crunch to complete these projects is significant. The House may have the ...
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Advocacy in Action (7/3/20) - Contact Congress to Support Emergency Funding for Schools

By Alison Maley posted 07-20-2020
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View in a browser July 3, 2020 Tell Congress to Support Education Stabilization Funding NAESP’s Advocacy Team has been working closely with other national education groups over the last few months to press Congress to provide at least $175 billion in education stabilization funds. These funds would support districts with reopening costs and help backfill state budget cuts. So far, NAESP members have made more than 4,500 ...
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Student Handbook Procedure - School Operations During a Pandemic or Other Health Emergency

By PrinciPal Connection posted 07-06-2020
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The following is an excerpt from the latest Online Model Student Handbook update. The Online Model Student Handbook is a  cost effective service that provides easy access to user-friendly model student handbook procedures. All procedures are attorney drafted and fully aligned with PRESS, the Illinois Association of School Board’s school district policy service as well as state, federal and case law that change on a frequent basis. Read more about how to subscribe to the Online Model Student Handbook here . This handbook procedure is meant to apply generally to any pandemic or other health emergency and should be supplemented with other relevant and timely ...
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IPA Certified Great Place To Work

By PrinciPal Connection posted 07-01-2020
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Trust. It’s the main ingredient in building a great workplace for all. We are proud to announce that the Illinois Principals Association has been certified as a Great Place To Work ! IPA's recognition as a Great Place to Work is evidence of the trust that employees, Board members and school leaders place in the organization. This fostering and support of innovation is what attracts great talent to IPA.   Another a big reason for this recognition is the leadership of Dr. Jason Leahy (we didn't let him review this post so surprise and thanks Jason 😃).   Thank you for your support and for making IPA a Great Place To Work! You can view the IPA ...
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Advocacy in Action (6/29/20) - Legislator Relationship Survey

By Alison Maley posted 06-29-2020
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View in a browser June 29, 2020 Legislator Relationship Survey Please complete the following survey about your relationship and engagement with local legislators. This information will help guide IPA advocacy efforts in the future.   As an educator, community leader, and constituent, your voice is essential to the direction of policymaking, especially as we navigate these unprecedented times. ...
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Advocacy in Action (6/19/20) - Education Omnibus Bill Signed

By Alison Maley posted 06-29-2020
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View in a browser June 19, 2020 Governor Signs Education Legislation into Law On Thursday, Governor Pritzker signed SB 1569, education omnibus legislation, into law. Public Act 101-643 addresses many issues and flexibility needed as a result of COVID-19. The bill codifies many of the provisions from the Governor's Executive Orders to provide flexibility for student teaching requirements, graduation requirements, remote ...
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Restore Illinois Guidance for Schools

By Brian Schwartz posted 06-24-2020
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Updated November 18, 2020 at 10:30 am Effective Friday, November 20, all regions in Illinois will move into Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigation requirements.  The Tier 3 mitigations do not generally apply to schools, with the exception of sports. A complete list of requirements that school districts are required to adhere to follows.  Use of appropriate PPE, including face coverings is required. For educational activities, no more than 50 individuals gathering in one space. No indoor group sporting or recreational activities and locker rooms must be closed. Outdoor sports and recreation are limited to 10 persons with social distancing and PPE. Social distancing ...
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COVID Culture

By Jason Leahy posted 06-13-2020
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“Lead by building a positive, hope-filled climate and culture.”   The impact of COVID-19 on education during the 2019-2020 school year was vast.  When the country was asked to stay-at-home to slow the disease’s spread, every school in every state pivoted on a dime to convert to remote learning.  In addition to providing instruction from a distance, educators tended to the physical, mental, and social-emotional well-being of their students, families, and communities.  This monumental effort was a concrete reminder to the nation of how important our educators, more specifically, how important YOU are to our young people and society overall.   With the ...
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