Illinois School Board Journal, January/February 2022

January/February 2022 Vol. 90 No. 1

Carrying On

Superintendent Salaries in Illinois

Information Ebb and Flow

2021 Joint Annual Conference

Front Page

W

We live in an age of information — for better or worse. It comes at us from all directions.

However, what happens when it’s not good information? Misinformation is sharing of false information without knowing that it is false, and without the intent to harm. Disinformation is intentionally sharing false information with the intent to harm.

There are also honest mistakes, changes over time, simple misunderstandings, and — something I am guilty of — wishful thinking.

A vital element to the work of a board of education is discerning what information is true, relevant, and important to your local school district and the community it serves.

As a school board member, you are responsible to both. Of course, this includes another vital element — listening to your constituents. The Open Meetings Act and School Code require school board meetings to include public participation.

In 2021, the cloverleaf of information overload, public response, school board meetings, and media attention became more heavily trafficked than ever before, as the challenges facing the world arrived at the public education doorstep.

Coming to Order: A Guide to Successful School Board Meetings, offers guidance and information to board members on positively getting

2 • Illinois School Board Journal

through and dealing with difficult conversations. As stated in Coming to Order, “School boards deal with people’s most treasured possessions — their money and their children.

Sometimes, that means that people become fearful and emotional.” The book goes on to remind readers that “Most people do not have access to all the information available to board members, so they are not as well informed about what schools are doing and why.”

Information — there it is again — is key.

IASB’s new Online Learning Center course, “Managing Difficult Public Comment: How to KEEP CALM” uses that KEEP CALM acronym and answers the question “how do we do that?” Using scenarios, the new course offers guidance to boards of education experiencing difficult public comment portions of meetings. Presented by IASB Assistant General Counsels Debra Jacobson and Maryam Brotine, the guidance includes some practical

advice for establishing and adhering to meeting rules and avoiding exchanges during public comment periods.

IASB hopes to keep its members informed and uses many methods.

As mentioned, the Association’s publications and courses are available to you to address a range of aspects of your board service. In this Journal we take data from ISBE and update the Administrator Salaries series. We also look back at the 2021 Joint Annual Conference, where we hope attendees discovered a positive flow of information for themselves and their districts.

The Journal appreciates conversation, sharing information to and from our readers. Board members are welcome to submit stories and commentaries for publication, on all topics of interest in the public education sphere.  Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal and can be reached at tgegen@iasb.com.

Table of Contents COVER STORY Salaries: 8 Administrator Keeping Up with the Times

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

Since 1997, IASB, working with researchers in the field of educational leadership, has published a report on the salaries of superintendents and principals in Illinois. Here’s the latest in regional and statewide trends for public school superintendents.

FEATURE ARTICLE

REGULAR FEATURES

Meet Again! Joint Annual Conference 14 We Offered Inspiration and Leadership

2 Front Page

By Kara Kienzler Photographs by Michael Hudson

Discover the happenings as school officials returned to the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference after a year’s absence. The theme for the three-day event was “Educate. Inspire. Lead.”

4 Communications and Conversations Recharged

5 From the Field

Focus On Governance with New Year’s Resolutions

COMMENTARY

25 Practical PR

20 CRTLS and CRT: The Uncomfortable Truth

30 Milestones

By Aaron J. Lawler

An educator and board member offers insight and commentary into CRT and the state’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Standards.

July/August 2019 Vol. 87 No. 3

Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Theresa Kelly Gegen, Editor Jennifer Nelson, Copy Editor Katie Grant, Design and Production Jeff Armbruster, Typesetting

Summer Musical a Success Despite Pandemic Challenges

31 Insights

ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOA R D JOURNAL (ISSN-0019-221X) is published every other month by the Illinois Association of Sc hool B oa rd s, 2921 Ba ker Dr ive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 (217) 5289688. The IASB regional office is located at One Imperial Place, 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 (630) 629-3776.

The JOURNAL is supported by the dues of school boards holding active membership in the Illinois Association of School Boards. Copies are mailed to all school board members and the superintendent in each IASB member school district.

Non-member subscription rate: Domestic $18 per year. Foreign (including Canada and Mexico) $21 per year.

Publication Policy IASB believes that the domestic process functions best through frank and open discussion.

Material published in the JOURNAL, therefore, often presents divergent and controversial points of view which do not necessarily represent the views or policies of IASB. Copyright © 2022 by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the JOURNAL is published six times a year and is distributed to its members and subscribers. Copyright in this publication, including all articles and editorial information contained in it is exclusively owned

by IASB, and IASB reserves all rights to such information. IASB is a tax-exempt corporation organized in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

January/February 2022 • 3

Communications and Conversations

Recharged

I

By Kara Kienzler

If there was one word I heard over and over from school board members and staff when describing the 2021 IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference, it was “energy.”

So much positive energy.

I experienced it myself as I walked down the Grand Hall Foyer of the Hyatt Regency on Day 1 of the Conference. So many smiling eyes. School board members, administrators, and other professionals gathered and were eager to learn and share their experiences from the last two years. This enthusiasm carried through each day of the Conference.

If you attended the Conference on November 19-21 in person, I can only hope you experienced a similar recharge. Thank you to all the education leaders and staff who made the 2021 Joint Annual Conference not only a successful learning event, but a safe one.

The last day of the Joint Annual Conference is typically the day the IASB Board of Directors meets to reorganize under new leadership, and 2021 was no exception. Simon Kampwerth Jr. of Peru ESD 124 was elected IASB President. Mark Harms of Flanagan-Cornell USD 74 is the Association’s new Vice President. Thomas Neeley of Morton CUSD 709 now undertakes

4 • Illinois School Board Journal

the role of Immediate Past President. I hope you will join me in thanking Joanne Osmond, IASB President for 2018 and 2019, for her service.

Promoting effective school board governance is our mission. As the Association continues Lighting The Way in the new year, watch for more learning and leadership development opportunities in-person and online as well as multiple formats for content delivery. IASB will host a collective bargaining virtual event in January. A revised book about what school board members should know before bargaining is now available from IASB. Collective Bargaining and the Illinois School Board Member, now in its fourth edition, provides practical insights into school labor relations in the context of Illinois law. It is meant to be read before you bargain. The book is available to purchase in physical book format, or it can be purchased

in a digital .ePub file format for reading on electronic reading devices.

You can find this title and keep up with other information and updates from the Association at iasb.com.

In 2022, IASB staff remain committed to continuous improvement in programs and services offered to local boards of education. We will survey members this spring to gauge satisfaction levels. Understanding the changing needs of members and member districts, whether it be information, training, networking, or direct services, will guide our work.

IASB is here to support you with resources and information for you to effectively advocate for your schools, for success for every child, and for the future of public education. 

Kara Kienzler is IASB’s Associate Executive Director for Communications and Production Services.

From the Field

Focus On Governance with New Year’s Resolutions

By Reatha Owen

A

A New Year’s resolution is a decision to do, or not do, something to accomplish a personal goal or break a habit. It comes at a time when people look back at the past year and try to improve themselves. Does your board need to make a resolution?

Let’s use IASB’s Foundational Principles of Effective Governance to focus and reflect on how the board can improve in its governance role.

How are you doing as a governance team?

Foundational Principle 6 states that the board takes responsibility for itself, collectively and individually taking responsibility for board activity and behavior. Now is the time to pause and reflect on the governance team. Consider the following areas you may want to address in your New Year’s resolution.

• Are your meetings as effective and efficient as you would like?

• Have you established board protocols that communicate expectations for the team?

• Do you need to build a team culture that encourages collaboration, fairness, and opportunities so that each member can participate and contribute?

• Are there member behaviors that have a negative impact on the team?

Improving School Board Effectiveness: A Balanced Governance Approach, edited by Thomas L. Alsbury and Phil Gore, has a great chapter on this topic. In chapter 7, Alsbury discusses the importance of self-assessment for improved board performance. He states, “researchers and practitioners in school board governance are turning their attention to discovering and applying ways to improve the effectiveness of … school boards through a variety of approaches.”

This chapter covers multiple areas that impact board effectiveness.

If you have not had a board self-evaluation within the last two years, now is the time to reach out to your IASB Field Services Director to schedule a closed session self-evaluation workshop to reflect and build your team.

How is the board/superintendent relationship?

Relationships matter. Your superintendent is the eighth member of the governance team.

Foundational Principles 3, the board employs a superintendent, and 4, the board delegates authority, focuses on the board and superintendent relationship. One of the most important relationships your board has is with its superintendent. Research shows that with few exceptions, the longer a superintendent stays in the district, the better students perform. The strength of the board/ superintendent relationship is frequently the key factor in how long a superintendent stays in the district. A good relationship with the board keeps a good superintendent around. But a strong relationship doesn’t just happen; it requires full commitment by the board and the superintendent to be successful. Consider the following questions to identify improvement.

• Is the relationship with the superintendent built on trust and respect?

January/February 2022 • 5

• Does your board understand the separate but complementary roles of the board and the superintendent?

• Does your superintendent feel empowered to lead staff and pursue district goals?

• Do you communicate expectations through an effective superintendent evaluation process?

The book Building Great School Board-Superintendent Teams by Bradley V. Balch and Michael T. Adamson provides a systemic approach to balancing roles and responsibilities of the governance team. This book does a great job covering all aspects of a productive relationship.

Where are you going as a district?

Does your board have district goals that articulate the purpose of the district? Foundational Principle 1 states as its primary task, the board directs the district through established “ends” that include core values/ beliefs, mission, vision, and goals. This is related to having a “living” strategic plan. The strategic plan identifies priorities that focus the board and the entire district on student learning and organizational effectiveness.

• How are you communicating goals and expectations?

Now is the time to consider this important work.

• Do you have current goals that actively guide the work of the board, administration, and staff?

• What is the process for reviewing and updating district goals?

• How does the board actively involve diverse citizens in dialogue, deliberation, and collaborative thinking around common interests for their public schools?

How are we doing related to student learning and organizational effectiveness?

School boards are responsible for how well the district and schools work at the operational level.

Foundational Principle 5, the board monitors performance, is essential in moving the district forward.

Ensuring student achievement for all requires a systems approach — all parts of the organization working together and steered by the governance team.

Unless the board is clear about what it wants, there is no valid way to measure progress. This year can be the year to develop district goals that will guide the work of the board and staff.

• Do you have a working strategic plan?

6 • Illinois School Board Journal

• Do you use data and policy to monitor progress or performance? If yes, are you monitoring throughout the year at your board meetings?

• How does your board use data to review and/or revise current goals?

• Are district goals included in your superintendent evaluation instrument?

One last resource you can incorporate into your new year resolution is The Governance Core

by Davis Campbell and Michael Fullan. This book covers five major themes of good governance: • Making a commitment to good governance • A shared moral imperative that drives the work of the school board, superintendent, and the strategic direction of the district • Highly effective trustees and superintendents who have a governance mindset • Effective school boards who govern with a unity of purpose • Leadership for the middle: System responsibilities As you start the new year, consider the IASB’s Foundational Principles of Effective Governance to answer the questions — How are we doing? Where do we want to go and how will we get there as a governing body? Your Association and Field Services Director are ready to assist you in making this year a year of progress and improvement.  Reatha Owen is Senior Field Services Director for IASB, covering the Blackhawk, Central Illinois Valley, Corn Belt, and Western Divisions.

January/February 2022 • 7

Cover Story

Administrator Salaries: Keeping Up with the Times

By Theresa Kelly Gegen

T

The more things change, the more they say the same. Even in a period of upheaval ­— including that first wave of the coronavirus pandemic that turned the public education world inside-out — superintendent salaries in Illinois, and the trends relating to them, are consistently consistent.

In each iteration of the annual administrator salaries series, we try to look at the data differently, by design or by necessity depending on the available data. Published annually by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the data are publicly available unless in the process of being updated.

A few details stand out this time, not so much as being inconsistencies or unusual trends, but milestone numbers or slight but noteworthy shifts. The average base plus benefits salary for all district superintendents in Illinois topped $200,000 for the first time in 2020.

Elementary and high school district superintendents continue to average higher salaries than unit district superintendents. And, also notable albeit in tiny increments: in most regions, salaries are getting closer to the statewide average. For this

8 • Illinois School Board Journal

round, we’ve added Assistant and Associate Superintendents to a few of the analyses, as noted in the data.

Added Benefits

For those familiar with the series, over time there have been changes to how the data are managed. For more, see “About the Series” on page 9.

Beginning in 2018, this analysis used “base plus benefits salary” (salary plus monetized benefits, specified by ISBE as Bonus, Annuities, Retirement Benefits, and Other Benefits). Prior to that, the data was reported as base salary only. For some individuals, both at the high and low ends, this is significant. Although there are 43 district superintendents with nothing added in the monetary benefits column, there are over 50 with benefits of 33% or more of their listed base salary. In 2020, benefits added 20% of base salaries to the total base-plus salary of the 682 district superintendents.

The trends in district superintendent salaries have remained consistent over the years of the survey. In the IASB/Western series, the only time a significant change

appeared in the percent change in average district superintendent salary was when the analysis changed from including all superintendents to counting only fulltime equivalents. Otherwise, the percent change has ranged from a slight (0.4%) dip in 2016 to a 2.7% increase in 2015 and 2019. The latest data holds true (see Table 2), with changes year-to-year of 2.7% and 1.2%.

Salary packages of over $350,000 are not as unusual as they were during the 2010s.

As mentioned, the average base plus benefits salary for all full-time equivalent district superintendents in Illinois topped $200,000 for the first time in 2020 (see Table 2). It’s

a nice round number, but that new number represents less of a change than in the previous years’ comparisons (1.2% change from 2019 to 2020; compared to 2.7% from 2018 to 2019).

Assistant and Associate Superintendents’ average baseplus salary of $187,336 for 416 such individuals in 2020 is close to the $189,655 of all 682 district superintendents for the same year. Like so much else, this has a regional component, notable because most (70%) of the assistants and associates are in the state’s Northeast Region (see Figure 1 on next page).

Typecasting; Elementary, High School, and Unit Districts

The 2020 data count 271 superintendents of elementary districts, 87 for high school districts, and 323 superintendents at unit districts. Our analysis shows that, among the district superintendents, high school superintendents average the highest base-plus salary ($243,356), followed by elementary ($214,807) and then unit ($177,339). The Northeast Region is again the difference-maker in district type: 191 of the state’s 271 elementary district superintendents are in the Northeast, where salaries tend to be higher. Also, 53 of

Table 1: Superintendent Salaries

Superintendent Population 2018-2020 Type 2018 Full-Time District Superintendents 2019 Full-Time District Superintendents 2020 Full-time District Superintendents

Number Reported 680 672 682

Data as reported to ISBE; does not include superintendents with full-time equivalent sf 0.89 or lower, Chicago Public Schools, or Department of Justice.

Source: ISBE

Table 2: Superintendent Salaries

Annual Salary Comparisons, 2018 through 2020 FULL-TIME DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS Year Number High Average Reported Salary Salary 2018 to 680 $379,424 $193,044 2019 672 $398,292 $198,256 2019 to 2020

672 682

$398,292 $425,356

$198,256 $200,626

% Change of Average

Median

$182,304 2.7% $188,140 $188,140 1.2% $189,655

FULL-TIME ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENTS 2018 to 420 $396,766 $179,838 $179,821 2019 412 $383,551 $183,627 2.1% $185,040 2019 to 2020

412 416

$383,551 $333,321

Salary plus benefits. Source: ISBE

$183,627 $187,336

$185,040 2.0% $188,214

About the Series Since 1997, the Illinois Association of School Boards, working with researchers in the field of educational leadership, has published a report on the salaries of superintendents and principals in Illinois. Early data for the study was obtained through surveys with un-audited information as reported to ISBE, with relatively low rates of return.

In 2009, a change in the law (Public Act 96-0434) required Illinois school districts to report administrator and teacher salary information to ISBE. The Illinois School Code was amended in 2011 to reflect changes in the reporting dates. The data were briefly unavailable during the transition, and the Administrator Salaries series was paused for a few years.

With reporting standards in place and the data being made available to researchers, IASB’s “annual” study of administrator salaries was revived in 2014 and 2015 with a catch-all and catch-up from the missing years, followed by a normal annual analysis.

The series paused again in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic upended data reporting and publishing.

It also curtailed the ability of our longtime collaborators at Western Illinois University to participate. We are grateful for their work over the years to keep the series going. This installment adheres to their standards for identifying trends, reportage, and analysis as faithfully as possible.

This issue includes superintendent salaries. We’ll treat principal salaries in the next issue of the Journal.

The full series, dating back to 1997, is available on the IASB website, starting at bit.ly/IASBAdminSalaries. 

January/February 2022 • 9

the state’s 97 high school districts are in the Northeast. The other five regions (Northwest, West Central, East Central, Southwest, and Southeast), mostly rural areas and smaller urban metropolitan areas than Chicago and its suburbs, have 87% (280) of the state’s 323 unit district superintendents.

The greatest variability noted in this category is with the state’s 271 elementary district superintendents.

The high salary for this group in 2020 was $380,374; the low was $31,423.

Here are more ways the Northeast stands out in our analysis.

Regionally Speaking: The State’s Northeast

The regions (again, see Figure 1) for the Journal’s Administrator

Salaries series date back to the first installment, in 1997, when data was self-reported and the number of respondents was a few dozen, not the hundreds as it is today through ISBE’s reporting requirements. For much of the state, the regions are data comparable. But the Northeast data is statistically significantly different from the rest, and we’ll take a closer look here — by county when reasonable and including Assistant and Associate Superintendents.

The Northeast Region had, in 2020, more Assistant/Associate District Superintendents than all other regions combined. Indeed, it reported more Assistant/Associates (288) than any other region had total Superintendents. The Northeast Region has a total super count of 615. Base-plus salaries for the 327

Figure 1

Regions: EC/East Central Regions: NE/Northeast EC/East Central NW/Northwest NE/Northeast SE/Southeast NW/Northwest SW/Southwest SE/Southeast WC/West Central SW/Southwest

WC/West Central

10 • Illinois School Board Journal

Assistant/Associate District Superintendents in the Northeast Region average $196,277. The 288 District Superintendents average $250,616.

It gets a little complicated at the county level. Some school district boundaries fall in multiple counties; we use the county in which they are listed for the ISBE tables.

At the point where the data sets are small, we combine counties, as indicated. And, historically we do not count Chicago Public Schools in this data.

The 133 District Superintendents in Cook County averaged a baseplus salary of $260,795 in 2020 and ranged from $152,500 to $425,356.

Cook County’s 137 Assistant/Associate District Superintendents averaged $195,018.

With 42 District Superintendents listed, Lake County’s average for 2020 was $255,718, ranging from an outlier of $31,423 to a high of $381,097. Lake’s 54 Assistant/Associates averaged the highest of this cohort, $205,116.

Will County’s 27 District Superintendents averaged $227,210 and ranged from $152,800 to $313,826.

Will County’s 23 Assistant/Associates averaged $195,511.

Also in 2020, the 40 DuPage County District Superintendent Salaries averaged the highest in the region, at $264,170; they ranged from $175,000 to $384,498.

DuPage’s 62 Assistant/Associate Superintendents averaged $195,151.

We next look at the collar of the collar counties together, because they contain sets under 20. In Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, and McHenry Counties, combined, there were 46 District Superintendents in 2020; their

average salary was $218,478 ranging from $160,566 to $314,896. The 41 Assistant/Associate Superintendents in this county group averaged $192,014.

And the Rest

As has long been the case, the regional breakdowns (see Table 5) may prove most useful to boards of education determining salary ranges

Table 3: Superintendent Salaries

2020 Base Salary plus Benefits, by District Type DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS District Type Number High Average Low Elementary 271 $380,374 $214,807 $31,423 High School 87 $425,356 $243,356 $129,489 Unit 323 $350,708 $177,339 $62,999

Median $216,373 $237,881 $165,317

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENTS District Type Number High Average Low Elementary 173 $333,321 $186,322 $97,070 High School 81 $299,778 $209,424 $126,921 Unit 162 $306,124 $177,624 $93,013

Median $186,035 $211,643 $181,206

Source: ISBE

January/February 2022 • 11

for their superintendents. Within the regions, over time, we see the lows, highs, and sometimes even averages fluctuate and go against the typical trend of 1-2% increases. This

is possibly due to missing data or oddities in data entry (for example, partial-year or less than full-time equivalents). For the most part, the averages increase with the times.

Table 4: Superintendent Salaries

Salary Comparison by Percentile, 2018 through 2020 DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS Year 90th 75th Median/50th Percentile Percentile Percentile 2018 $278,098 $232,754 $182,304 2019 $287,278 $240,048 $188,140 2020 $290,618 $242,592 $189,655

25th Percentile $147,869 $150,426 $152,955

10th Percentile $127,197 $128,416 $129,833

Source: ISBE

Table 5: Superintendent Salaries

2018 Base Salary plus Benefits, by Region

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS Number Low Northwest 91 $111,538 Northeast 286 $87,000 West Central 92 $99,775 East Central 74 $71,400 Southwest 70 $35,414 Southeast 67 $38,004 2018 ALL 680 $35,414

High $288,364 $379,424 $253,244 $218,746 $298,677 $229,746 $379,424

Average $174,192 $240,241 $158,670 $161,911 $159,283 $134,043 $193,044

Median $170,407 $237,123 $153,695 $157,228 $151,823 $134,314 $182,304

2019 Base Salary plus Benefits, by Region

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS Number Low Northwest 90 $27,500 Northeast 286 $119,000 West Central 91 $60,000 East Central 68 $114,035 Southwest 66 $96,787 Southeast 71 $35,000 2019 ALL 672 $27,500

High $274,812 $398,292 $287,209 $290,153 $311,525 $234,341 $398,292

Average $173,523 $250,122 $159,056 $165,768 $158,754 $138,756 $198,256

Median $172,884 $245,565 $153,221 $161,556 $153,996 $138,183 $188,140

2020 Base Salary plus Benefits, by Region

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS Number Low Northwest 91 $102,000 Northeast 288 $31,423 West Central 90 $99,571 East Central 70 $62,999 Southwest 68 $42,550 Southeast 75 $93,583 2020 ALL 682 $31,423 Source: ISBE

12 • Illinois School Board Journal

High $340,273 $425,356 $324,183 $299,885 $320,251 $239,028 $425,356

Average $180,417 $250,616 $164,778 $167,672 $161,349 $142,573 $200,626

Median $174,916 $248,420 $158,398 $165,004 $159,837 $137,870 $189,655

All of the regions now average over $100,000 for district superintendents. This was not the case prior to 2018 (but again, this can partially be accounted for by the inclusion of base-plus salaries and only full-time equivalents).

Aside from the Northeast ($250,616), in 2020 the highest average base-plus salary for district superintendents was in the Northwest region ($180,417) and then East Central ($167,672). The lowest, as is usual for this study, was Southeast ($142,573 in 2020). Some of the typically lower-salary regions drew closer to the average. For example, Southeast averaged 69% of the state average in 2018 and was at 71% in 2020.

As a whole, trends for superintendent salaries in the 2020 data are consistent, be it through the years, across the state, by district type, and within regions. Although the more things change, the more they say the same with superintendent salaries, boards of education seeking a new superintendent or contract are encouraged to look at the data relevant to them and proceed accordingly.  Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal. The analyses of principal salaries will be included in the March/April issue of the Journal.

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JAC Overview

We Meet Again!

2021 Joint Annual Conference Offered Inspiration and Leadership

By Kara Kienzler Photographs by Michael Hudson

S

School leaders and service vendors were excited to reconnect in person at the 2021 Joint Annual Conference, November 19-21 in Chicago. The theme for the three-day event was “Educate. Inspire. Lead.”

Attendees found inspiration through messages delivered by keynote speakers and in conversations with their peers.

Attendees at the 2021 Joint Annual Conference found delight and inspiration in the storytelling of teacher and comedian Joe Dombrowski. Known as Mr. D, the tales from the grade-school classrooms, videos showing creative approach to educating, and kinetic delivery headlined the opening session.

14 • Illinois School Board Journal

Anthony Jack, an author, sociologist, and assistant professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, wove his own experiences and years of study about higher education opportunities and diversity into answering the question, “How can one be both privileged and poor?”

With the clock ticking down on the 2021 Joint Annual Conference, Gail Tolstoi-Miller delivered a frank and open conversation on unconscious bias and the impacts to education. Her thoughts are backed by various scientific studies and statistics, and she makes clear that everyone, even herself, has some unconscious bias.

The Conference offered a myriad of opportunities for school board members to learn, with over 120 Panel Sessions presented on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Twenty-seven IASB member districts presented Share the Success Panels this year. Several sessions looked at lessons learned and opportunities gained from the pandemic.

Sessions with the highest attendance were: Illinois Teacher Shortage Status and Strategies; Top Ten Legal Mistakes School Boards Make; Current Trends in Collective Bargaining, Contract Management; Social-Emotional Learning: More Important Than Ever?; What’s Race Got to Do With It?; Every Voice Matters: Engaging Those We Serve; Identifying and Intercepting School Violence; and You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Legal Review. The Carousel of Panels, a series of 30-minute roundtable discussions, offered 20 additional topics.

Leadership training was offered in the form of Panel Sessions and nine sold-out IASB Pre-Conference Workshops for school board members.

Other training opportunities included an all-day seminar for school attorneys, workshops for business officials on school finance and sustainability for PK-12 schools, and a superintendent session for women in leadership. There were two days of specialized training for district employees who serve as board secretary or administrative assistant. Topics included social and emotional support; technology tools; FOIA, OMA, and the Local Records Act; planning for retirement; and keeping up with board policies and administrative procedures An Exhibit Hall of school products and services is another major attraction of the Conference. There were 181 exhibiting companies.

It was the 88th meeting of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, and Illinois Association of School Business Officials.

Representatives from more than 688 public school districts and entities in Illinois attended.

Typically, a quarter of Conference attendees are first-time attendees. That percentage was estimated to be higher this year because of the cancelation of the 2020 Joint Annual Conference due to the pandemic, coupled with the 2021 election welcoming new school board members to local boards of education.

To see more scenes from the Joint Annual Conference, members can log in to their accounts at iasb.com/conference.

The 89th Joint Annual Conference will be held November 18-20, 2022, in Chicago.

January/February 2022 • 15

Joint Annual Conference Reconvenes, Features Entertaining Educator Attendees at the 2021 Joint Annual Conference found delight and inspiration in the storytelling of teacher and comedian Joe Dombrowski. Known as Mr. D, the tales from the grade-school classrooms, videos showing creative approach to educating, and kinetic delivery headlined the First General Session.

Back from a one-year coronavirus hiatus, the Joint Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, and Illinois Association of School Business Officials celebrated its return with a day full of panel sessions, the Administrative Professionals’ Program, workshops, exhibitors, and meetings including all three sponsoring organizations.

The day was capped by Dombrowski’s keynote. Mr. D rose to prominence with a viral video of a spelling test prank he played on his students. “Be the Educator You Are” included videos of the DJ/dance stage Dombrowski built in the cafeteria to celebrate students’ good behavior and introduced a student whose independence was developed through the belief that she could. He offered encouragement to take risks, and to understand that no one knows what students need as well as teachers in the classrooms with them. Dombrowski also noted how sharing his classroom stories on social media turned into promotional opportunities and transformed community businesses into school supporters in creative ways.

16 • Illinois School Board Journal

Be Unapologetic, Be Bold, Be You Leading off his keynote with a question for the Second General Session audience, “How can one be both privileged and poor?” asked Anthony Jack.

Jack, an author, sociologist, and assistant professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, wove his own experiences and years of study about higher education opportunities and diversity into answering the question.

“Access ain’t inclusion,” said Jack, reiterating that the many diverse groups of students have shared beginnings, but lead very different lives. “We overlook the diversity of experiences and that shapes policy.”

Jack reiterated the importance of ensuring the rights and privileges of opportunity extend to everyone and that we must, “Hold our institutions and ourselves to higher standards.”

“Language matters; in very real ways it can serve as barriers or bridges,” said Jack.

Tough Conversations and Leadership Awards Close Out the Final General Session of Conference

At the conclusion of his speech, Jack gave those in attendance a message to take back to their districts, “In your work with the next generation; be unapologetic, be bold, and be you.”

Earlier in the session, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials presented its Distinguished Service Award recognizing individuals for diligence, superior performance, and achievements in service to the school business community.

Gary Grizaffi of Valley View CUSD 365-U was named the 2021 Everett Distinguished Service Award winner. Grizaffi began his school service mowing the grass and cleaning boilers in the summer as a kid.

He moved on to become an assistant business official in payroll and then onto the business manager position in the elementary school he attended as a student.

With the clock ticking down on the 2021 Joint Annual Conference, Gail Tolstoi-Miller delivered a frank and open conversation on unconscious bias and the impacts to education to the Third General Session audience.

Tolstoi-Miller is an award-winning speaker, author, and career coach who doesn’t hold back and often refers to herself as being “100%, totally real.” Her thoughts on unconscious bias are backed by various scientific studies and statistics, and she makes clear that everyone, even herself, has some unconscious bias.

Running through various education topics that touch on race, gender, teachers, curriculum, and disabilities, Tolstoi-Miller showed how unconscious bias in each of these subjects can impact students.

“We don’t always see things as they are, but through how we are,” said Tolstoi-Miller, reiterating that belief systems of individuals are established early in life and based on past experiences.

January/February 2022 • 17

While acknowledging the presence of unconscious bias, she provided solutions to “do the best we can to combat it.” Among the suggestions were to use stereotype replacement (firewoman instead of fireman), create a system of checks and balances, inclusive communication, a growth mindset, diversity of staff, and having systems in place with accountability.

Tolstoi-Miller closed with advice to “listen and empathize.”

Two awards showcasing the leadership of school officials were presented at the final session.

The Illinois Association of School Administrators named Steve Webb of Goreville CUSD 1 as the 2022 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. The criteria for the award included pandemic response, academic achievement, preparing students for the future, social-emotional support, teaching and instruction, equity strategies, and leadership.

“I am truly a product of a tremendous community and a family I love very deeply, who weathers the storm of public duty with me,” said Webb, who has served as superintendent of Goreville CUSD 1 for 19 years. “I will forever cherish this award and will continue to love and nurture the kids in our care and hopefully make a difference one child at a time.”

Following the superintendent of the year award, the Illinois State Board of Education presented Phil Pritzker of Wheeling CCSD 21 with the 2021 Thomas Lay Burroughs Award for Outstanding School Board President.

Pritzker has served on the Wheeling CCSD 21 board of education for 30 years. He has also held the positions of President and Past President for the Illinois Association of School Boards.

“It is up to us to make sure the students achieve and become the best they can be. There is no greater honor than to work for the betterment of children,” said Pritzker upon receiving the award.

18 • Illinois School Board Journal

School Board Delegates Vote on Resolutions Relating to School Safety, Curriculum, Governance The Illinois Association of School Boards held its 2021 Delegate Assembly on November 20, 2021, in conjunction with the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago.

Representatives from IASB member school boards considered a total of 23 resolutions and positions at the Delegate Assembly, which establishes IASB’s positions on legislation and related matters of public policy and serves as the Association’s Annual Business Meeting.

For the third time, member boards of education voted against a proposed resolution that would call for IASB to support legislation that would allow school districts to set school safety and student protection policies that would allow trained, armed schoolteachers and staff. The member boards voted against the resolution 202-181.

In addition to setting legislative priorities, IASB delegates elected Simon Kampwerth Jr., to a one-year term as president of the Association. He is currently vice president of IASB and a member of the school board for Peru ESD 124. Mark Harms, a member of the Board of Directors representing the Corn Belt Division and board president for Flanagan-Cornell USD 74, was elected IASB vice president. IASB President Thomas Neeley of Morton CUSD 709 is completing his second one-year term as president and will move to the position of immediate past president.

Delegates also received the Association’s financial report and a written annual report from IASB Executive Director Thomas Bertrand.

Among the proposed resolutions approved by the membership were indigenous people curriculum inclusion, cannabis sales tax revenues for public schools, timing of the reorganization of the board of education after an election, virtual open board of education meetings, expansion of broadband access, federal funding for landscaping, and pre-service teacher education in literacy.

A proposed resolution not adopted related to a childcare reimbursement for school board members.

Proposals amending existing position statements and reaffirming existing position statements were adopted. A new belief statement, “Preparing All Students to Succeed,” was adopted. Another belief statement was amended to expand and clarify the belief statement “Physical and Mental Health of Students.”

Each resolution is originally proposed by a local school board, reviewed by a 21-member Resolutions Committee, and then brought before the Delegate Assembly for any discussion and vote. The adopted resolutions set IASB’s policies and establish the legislative direction of the Association and its member districts. Visit the IASB website for more information on the Resolutions Process, the Resolutions Committee Report, and the Delegate Assembly. 

January/February 2022 • 19

Commentary

CRTLS and CRT: The Uncomfortable Truth

By Aaron J. Lawler

C

“Critical Race Theory is an ideology that threatens to overturn the advances of human civilization,” television host and author Pete Hegseth said on his program. Hegseth is not alone. Others have said that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a system used to indoctrinate children to become more racist, or that Critical Race Theory is “forced white guilt.”

Is CRT what Hegseth and others say it is?

As an educator, I have struggled to come up with an answer. Should

20 • Illinois School Board Journal

I go through a lengthy explanation beginning with the work by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, a law professor at UCLA and Columbia, who is among those credited with the development of Critical Race Theory? Should I use a Venn diagram to discuss the similarities and differences between personal racism and systemic and institutional racism? Or should I spend time talking about the fallacy of “colorblindness” and how “not seeing race,” in itself demonstrates inequity?

Truthfully? None of these points matter much. Research, like DM Kahan’s Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus, tells us that using experts and statistics is ineffective when trying to convince people — especially of something that might contradict their ideologies. Likewise, in the study When Ignorance is Innocence, JJ Van der Weele shows that we often choose a stance of “strategic ignorance” to avoid information that might force us to reconstruct our identities. Confirmation bias is

rampant in our public life, and we readily avoid inconvenient truths that would have us change what we think we already know.

Herein lies the issue: Most who have criticized CRT cannot define what it is. Rather, they describe what it represents to them personally.

The truth is, CRT is a lens used to see how sociological issues intersect.

Developed 40 years ago, this theory was established in response to stark racial disparities that exist within our society, many remaining to this day.

And so legal scholars like Derrick Bell and Mari Matsuda began to examine whether racist beliefs and practices had a continued influence on the nation’s laws.

We must ask the question: Does teaching about historical and present-day racism necessarily state that

a “white person” is inherently racist?

No. Of course not. You can look at the history of a nation through a critical lens without pointing personal blame at individuals.

Despite this, a frantic Culture War persists, forcing people to choose a side, as if somehow a complex discussion about diversity, equity, and inclusion could be boiled down to being a White Sox or Cubs fan. Perhaps the most ridiculous part is that if you ask Illinois educators if CRT is in their curricula, their textbooks, or their lesson plans, the unequivocal answer is, “No.” CRT is a graduate-level topic; it is not being pushed on first-graders as some kind of indoctrination.

Where did the outrage stem from? It appears to be a complicated timeline, but in short, CRT has

become a catch-all phrase for any discussion about racism, unearned privilege, inclusion, or equity.

What is CRTLS?

CRT and CRTLS have been conflated, likely due to an unfortunate accident of abbreviations.

Because they sound alike, and because they are peripherally linked under a vague umbrella category of “Race,” the two have become one.

Yet, cathode-ray tube, Charitable Remainder Trust, and Community Response Team also suffer from the unfortunate shared C-R-T. Thankfully, we are not seeing protests of cathode-rays.

Because CRT is poorly understood, the Illinois Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards (CRTLS) have also

January/February 2022 • 21

become muddled for and by supporters, opposers, activists, and cynics. But they are separate and different ideas.

In 2020, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) met and approved the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) implementation of a new set of standards for Illinois educators, known as Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards. With misinformation circulating around these standards, it is important to make the distinction: CRTLS are professional educator standards, not learning standards for students.

Learning standards are benchmarks for student growth; professional education standards are requirements that help teacher preparation programs ensure they are meeting the needs of the profession.

CRTLS will join other standards already in effect for teachers including content area expertise, pedagogy, differentiation in instruction, developing a positive learning environment, instructional delivery, assessment and outcomes, and teaching diverse students. The latter of these serves as a baseline for the CRTLS, meaning the new standards ISBE has created already exist at a more basic level. What the CRTLS is not, is an unfunded mandate, a failed initiative, the 1619 Project, or an indoctrination of students.

How do we know? The CRTL standards were in a large part, educator-initiated and educator-driven.

But more importantly, the CRTL standards do not ask a teacher to do anything he or she is not already supposed to be doing: fostering an open learning environment for all students, of all walks of life.

22 • Illinois School Board Journal

In 2018, The Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher Network (DLRTN) was established to serve as an advisory board to ISBE, to help improve the disparity between teacher and student demographics, and to improve culturally responsive practices. Since 2008, the state’s “students of color” population has grown from 46% to 52%, while 80% of Illinois teachers are white. Closing the disparity gap between white and non-white is not merely a question of equality, but is about benefiting both students of color and white students alike.

Why is CRTLS Necessary?

According to many studies, specifically ones conducted by Indiana University over the past five years, seeing teachers of color counteracts

negative characterizations and implicit biases: those stereotypes which are unconscious but influence assumptions and decision-making. There is a powerful, positive impact on students when they see a teacher who looks like them or who shares the same culture as them.

Teachers serve as our children’s role models. Teachers are often the first

outside-of-the-home authority figures in a child’s life.

JCAR’s approval of CRTLS redefines, in a comprehensive and impactful way, what it means to be prepared to educate in Illinois.

The way teachers are mentored and trained matters, and these new standards ask teachers to critically think about their own biases and teaching practices, and specifically to better diminish racism, sexism, homophobia, unearned privilege, etc. The aim of the standards is to make every student — regardless of background — feel welcomed, comfortable, and represented both in the school and in the curriculum.

How do these standards translate to representation in the classroom and in pedagogy? The goal is to show that teachers can overcome

their biases, refute ethnocentrism, and create professional development that demonstrates a real commitment — not lip service — to diversity. The hope is, that if teachers are trained to explore the contributions made by all cultures of the world in every subject matter, then the field of teaching will attract a wider pool of diverse candidates, and students will see teaching in a new, more inclusive way.

In other words, if students see themselves better represented in the curriculum, they grow up believing education is for all children, regardless of background. When those children choose a profession, teaching may now be an option, whereas before it was not seen as a viable path because education was reserved for a person different from them.

CRTLS is both a short-term solution to inequity in representation and a long-term goal of attracting more diversity in the teaching pool. For examples of how standards might shift perspective, see page 24.

Criticism of CRTLS includes that it promotes a liberal political agenda, that the standards are the same as Critical Race Theory, and that there is a need for color-absent curriculum. In response, first, we must remember that CRT and CRTLS are not the same, and contrary to what pundits have said, CRTL standards do not promote a singular or specific curriculum.

Illinois State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, a 20-year veteran educator, clarified this point in a Chicago Tribune op-ed: “These standards are a crucial step toward facilitating

January/February 2022 • 23

greater equity for students who have historically been asked to check their culture and language at the school door.”

The Spectrum of Allies

As a lifelong educator and learner, as a local school board member, and as a parent, I believe — and want to believe — that a problem can be better understood by discussing, clarifying, and analyzing. Surely the issue of CRTLS is merely a matter of misinformation, right?

However, as I began to shape my explanation and differentiate CRT from CRTLS, I found myself losing steam. Like most social change situations, changing behaviors and winning the hearts and minds of vehement opposers seems insurmountable. The insistence that CRTLS is simply covert CRT goes to show that the research is right: convincing detractors is virtually impossible.

Unwilling to give up, I found an old idea from the 1960s that may provide the answer. Winning over the opponent is not necessary. The hardliners on either side of any argument are unlikely to budge. However, George Lakey and Martin Oppenheimer provide a tool and a little hope. Lakey’s and Oppenheimer’s “Spectrum of Allies” visualizes the sides of an issue along a spectrum ranging from “active allies” to “active opposition.”

In the center of the spectrum lies the undecided and neutral. According to Lakey and Oppenheimer, this is the sweet spot — the so-called, Goldilocks Zone: “Not too cool, not too hot.”

Unable to convince others that CRTLS is good for schools, test scores, curricula, and children, I realized my tactics were all wrong. Instead of trying to win everyone, it is with the neutral or undecided folks that alliances can be forged.

We need to divert attention to where it counts. We are beyond the point of convincing some people that CRT and CRTLS are not the same, and that CRT is not the evil it has been made out to be. Instead, we should support our administrators and teachers as they begin and continue to work towards implementation of robust, diverse, and inclusive curricula.  Aaron Lawler, Ph.D. is a school board member with Kaneland CUSD 302 and a professor at Waubonsee Community College. He is an educator with 20 years’ experience, mostly at the high school and college levels. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Philosophy from Concordia University

24 • Illinois School Board Journal

Shifting Perspectives Here are some examples of how these standards might shift perspective in mathematics curricula (often cited as one of the least diverse disciplines, and one that cannot easily adopt non-Western perspectives).

The University of Hawaii created the first academic program in the area of ethnomathematics. Lessons include learning the Fibonacci sequence from natural world observations, such as in leaves and trees, and studying sine curves through ocean wave patterns. Mathematical concepts at all levels can be woven into everyday life, as the indigenous peoples of Hawaii have been doing for centuries.

In the 1960s, Pierre Bézier discovered the Bézier polynomials used for smooth curves that can be scaled endlessly. These curves were important in automotive design, specifically the bodywork of Renault cars. Today the Bézier curve is used in mathematics, graphic design, and animation. Yet, indigenous groups from the North American woodland areas had been using the Bézier curve since time immemorial.

When asked where they learned how to use the curve to design boats and canoes, the answer was quite beautiful: the wind and water shaped the wood.

Fractals — a geometrical figure that repeats in a chaotic pattern at progressively smaller and smaller intervals — have been observed in corn-row hairstyles, the architecture in Yoruba villages, and traditional African art. Why not explore the Yoruba’s use of fractals instead of focusing on Benoit Mandelbrot or Helge von Koch (both Mandelbrot and von Koch famously discovered and demonstrated fractal patterns)?

Too often textbooks and standardized tests frame content Euro-centrically. CRTL standards encourage teachers to consider: Is Western perspective is the only or the best one? If not, could different materials be used to help include more backgrounds and cultures, especially those represented by diverse student groups?  — Aaron J. Lawler

Practical PR

Summer Musical a Success Despite Pandemic Challenges

By Stephanie Kim

P

Presented by THSD 214 in partnership with the Mount Prospect Park District, the summer show Disney’s Descendants: The Musical filled every seat at Lions Park this past July. The show was based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies featuring beloved Disney characters and descendants of famous Disney villains.

Undeterred by soggy weather, more than 50 students participated in the show, which drew rave reviews on social media. It was directed by Jeremy Morton, the district’s Fine Arts Coordinator, with assistance from performing arts teachers from throughout the district.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, THSD 214 collaborated with the Mount Prospect Park District to put on four outdoor performances at the Veterans Memorial Bandshell. This was the first time the groups held a production outdoors, and it was a challenge for everyone involved.

“It’s very different. Every rehearsal was in a mask; it was all very distanced from everyone,” said Ariel Williams, a recent graduate of Elk Grove High School who played Maleficent in the show. “We didn’t know that we would be able to perform without masks, so we were ready to perform with masks on the entire time,” she said.

“This really is the first large-scale theatre production we’ve ever hosted.

For us, it’s interesting to see how it works and how it could evolve into future programming,” said Cheryl Lufitz, the community relations and marketing manager with the Mount Prospect Park District.

D214 Summer Musicals have been a popular community event for the past eight years. In 2020, the district adjusted to the pandemic-related restrictions in place by creating a High School Musical music video, based on the Disney hit movie. The experience helped staff and students prepare for this year’s production, starting with a virtual audition process.

“A lot of the kids who participated in that [virtual] experience came back and auditioned again for a live experience, and they were so strong.

They were able to know how to

do an audition reel. It was really refreshing for us to see that last year’s training and experience really helped them grow and get ready for this year,” said Morton.

Rehearsals started right after school ended. Students trained to make sure they were physically fit to perform in the summer heat.

“We had to get our students ready for the heat, so we did rehearsals outside, warmups outside, we ran the show outside whether it was in warm weather, cold weather, windy weather,” said Morton. “We had them run in masks because we weren’t sure where we would be at the beginning of this process.”

“Doing that with masks on outside, exercising and doing full performances for hours is definitely really hard,” said Williams. “To be able to perform again, it’s definitely worth it.”

Seating for the show was also untraditional. Lawn circles were Columns are submitted by members drawn that could seat up to six of the Illinois Chapter of the National people. Staff with the Mount ProsSchool Public Relations Association pect Park District made additional January/February 2022 • 25

circles because of the large community response.

“There are a lot of families that are coming to this show because their kids are familiar with Disney and familiar with The Descendants. It’s going to be great exposure for them to see when they get older what they can do. I’m very happy to see people

not connected to the cast supporting this production,” said Lufitz.

Park District officials say the door is open for future collaborations. Morton says so far, this has been one of the most rewarding experiences.

“Not only did we get to be with each other again, but to watch these

students learn the craft of performing for a different venue was super cool. I couldn’t be more proud,” he said. 

Kenneth Shoemaker, 97, died November 2, 2021. He served as member and president of the Dakota CUSD 201 school board.

Richard Valack, 89, died October 15, 2021. He was a past member of the Darien SD 61 Board of Education.

Charles “Charlie” White Jr., 89, died November 4, 2021. He served on the Cahokia Unit SD 187 school board for 22 years, including serving as president and secretary. 

Stephanie Kim is High School District 214 Communications Coordinator. To watch a three-minute video about the THSD 214 musical, visit bit.ly/JF22-Jres.

Milestones

Continued from page 30

David L. Schafer, 92, died November 29, 2021. He had served on the Southwestern CUSD 9 and co-led the Brighton Farm Hands 4-H club for over 20 years.

John J. Sheen, 83, died November 18, 2021. He served on the Tri-Valley CUSD 3 school board in Downs.

26 • Illinois School Board Journal

The Journal appreciates contributions to the Milestones section. Please direct these to communications@iasb.com.

Service Associates Directory Appraisal Services INDUSTRIAL APPRAISAL COMPANY Building and fixed asset appraisals for insurance and accounting purposes.

Oak Brook (630) 575-0280

Architects/Engineers ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC. Full service firm specializing in educational facilities with services that include architecture, construction management, roof and masonry consulting, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting.

Lombard (630) 495-1900; www.arconassoc.com; rpcozzi@arconassoc.com BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD. Consulting engineers.

Schaumburg (847) 352-4500; www.berg-eng.com BLDD ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and engineering services for schools.

Decatur (217) 429-5105; Champaign (217) 356-9606; Bloomington (309) 828-5025; Chicago (312) 829-1987 CORDOGAN CLARK & ASSOCIATES Architects and engineers.

Aurora (630) 896-4678; www.cordoganclark.com; rmont@cordoganclark.com DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC. Architects, planners, landscape architecture, and engineers.

Peoria (309) 282-8000; Elgin (847) 695-5840 DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD. Architects specializing in preK-12 educational design, including a full range of architectural services, assessments, planning, feasibility studies, new construction, additions, remodeling, O&M and owner’s rep services.

Itasca (847) 742-4063; www.dla-ltd.com; info@dla-ltd.com DLR GROUP Educational facility design and master planning.

Chicago (312) 382-9980; dlrgroup.com; mengelhardt@dlrgoup.com

ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD. Site Planning/Studies, Civil Engineering, Traffic/Transportation, Landscape Architecture. Grayslake (847) 223-4804; Chicago (312) 463-0551; Mokena (708) 614-9720; www.eea-ltd.com; geriksson@eea-ltd.com FARNSWORTH GROUP, INC. Architectural and engineering professional services.

Normal, IL (309) 633-8436 FGM ARCHITECTS, INC. Architects. Chicago (312) 942-8461; Oak Brook (630) 574-8300; O’Fallon (618) 624-3364; St. Louis (314) 439-1601; www.fgmarchitects.com GREENASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture/construction services.

Deerfield (847) 317-0852; Pewaukee, Wisconsin (262) 746-125 HEALY BENDER PATTON & BEEN ARCHITECTS Architects/Planners.

Naperville (630) 904-4300; www.healybender.com; dpatton@healybender.com HURST-ROSCHE, INC. Architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design.

Hillsboro (217) 532-3959; East St. Louis (618) 398-0890; Marion (618) 998-0075; Springfield (217) 787-1199; dpool@hurst-rosche.com JMA ARCHITECTS Full service professional design firm specializing in K-12 educational design, construction management, strategic/ master planning, health/life safety compliance, building commissioning, and interior space design.

South Holland (708) 339-3900; www.jmaarchitects.com; allison@jmaarchitects.com

KLUBER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS Building design professionals specializing in architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and fire protection engineers. Batavia (630) 406-1213 LARSON & DARBY GROUP Architecture, engineering, interior design, and technology.

Rockford (815) 484-0739; St. Charles (630) 444-2112; www.larsondarby.com; snelson@larsondarby.com LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and educational planners who specialize in creating effective student learning environments.

Gurnee (847) 622-3535; Oak Brook (630) 990-3535; Chicago (312) 258-9595; www.legat.com PCM+DESIGN ARCHITECTS Provide a full range of architectural services including facility and feasibility studies, architectural design, construction consulting, and related services.

East Peoria (309) 694-5012; www.PCMPLUSD.com PERFORMANCE SERVICES, INC. An integrated design and delivery engineering company serving the design and construction facility needs of K-12 schools. Schaumburg (847) 466-7220 PERKINS AND WILL Architects. Chicago (312) 755-0770 RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture, educational planning.

Rockford (815) 398-1231; www.rljarch.com STR PARTNERS Architectural, interior design, planning, cost estimating, and building enclosure/roofing consulting.

Chicago (312) 464-1444 STUDIOGC ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS StudioGC is passionate communityminded partner, committed to creating imaginative and well-designed facilities.

StudioGC offers innovative planning, programming, architectural, interior design, and cost estimates.

Chicago (312) 253-3400

January/February 2022 • 27

Service Associates Directory TRIA ARCHITECTURE An architectural planning and interior design firm that provides services primarily to school districts in the Chicagoland area with an emphasis on service to their clients, and their communities.

Burr Ridge (630) 455-4500 WIGHT & COMPANY For over 77 years, Wight & Company has provided design and construction services for the built environment. As a pioneer of integrated Design & Delivery, we’ve worked with our clients to create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people’s lives and enhance the environment; Darien (630) 969-7000; www.wightco.com; bpaulsen@wightco.com WM. B. ITTNER, INC. Full service architectural firm serving the educational community since 1899.

Fairview Heights (618) 624-2080 WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS Specializing in Pre-K-12 educational design including master planning, sustainable design, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, quality review, cost estimation and management. Palatine (847) 241-6100

Building Construction

(continued)

FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION Construction management and general contracting. Addison (630) 628-8500; www.fquinncorp.com HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. Full service construction management and general contracting firm specializing in education facilities.

Swansea (618) 277-8870 IHC CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES LLC ICH Construction Companies LLC is a full-service construction management firm that delivers new construction, additions, and renovations for School District clients on-time and within budget.

Elgin (847) 742-1516 INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTORS, INC. (ICI) An award-winning construction management firm specializing in K-12 facilities. Our firm is currently partnering with eight Illinois School Districts on capital improvement projects.

Elmhurst (630) 641-6852 NICHOLAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. Construction management, general contracting, design and build.

Mt. Prospect (847) 394-6200 info@nicholasquality.com

BOLLER CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. Construction Manager and General Contractor specializing in building and renovating schools.

Waukegan (847) 662-5566

PEPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Construction management and general contracting services.

Barrington (847) 381-2760; www.pepperconstruction; jripsky@pepperconstruction.com

CORE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OF IL., INC. Professional construction management, design-build, and general contracting services. Peoria (309) 404-4700; COREconstruction.com; mikaylavincent@coreconstruction.com

POETTKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Specializing in construction management, design/build, construction consulting services, and energy solutions for education clients. Breese (618) 526-7213; www.poettkerconstruction.com

F. H. PASCHEN A general/construction manager with extensive experience in new construction and renovation of educational and institutional facilities in the public/ private sectors. Chicago (773) 444-1525; www.fhpaschen.com

RUSSELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. Russell provides successful, knowledgeable construction management and contracting services in the PreK-12 market from concept to completion and continuing care for your facility needs.

Davenport, Iowa (563) 459-4600

28 • Illinois School Board Journal

IASB Service Associates are businesses which offer school-related products and services and which have earned favorable reputations for quality and integrity. Only after careful screening is a business firm invited to become a Service Associate.

To learn more about IASB Service Associates membership, visit www.iasb.com or contact IASB at communications@iasb.com

S.M. WILSON & CO. Provides construction management and general construction services to education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and industrial clients.

St. Louis (314) 645-9595; www.smwilson.com; judd.presley@smwilson.com TRANE HVAC company specializing in design, build, and retrofit.

Willowbrook (630) 734-6033

Computer Software, Supplies, Services COMPUTER INFORMATION CONCEPTS, INC. Infinite Campus student information System and Finance Suite, and Tableau Data Visualization/Analytics.

Greeley, Colorado (312) 995-3342 EDMENTUM We provide fully digital curriculum and assessment tools for educators to utilize in K-12 classrooms to establish blended and personalized environments and advance student learning.

Bloomington, Minnesota (952) 832-1570

Consulting DECISIONINSITE, LLC DecisionInsite provides the nation’s school district leaders with the technology, enrollment forecasts, and expertise they need to understand how enrollment impacts their district.

Irvine, California (877) 204-1392 EOSULLIVAN CONSULTING Illinois-based EOSullivan Consulting has developed a proven process the helps school districts with community engagement, survey research, messaging, informational campaigns and referendums. Libertyville (815) 353-1991 ROOM READY Highly qualified audiovisual specialists who specialize in removing the complexity and ensuring that your audiovisual installations just work, both today and in the future. Normal (309) 261-3794

Environmental Services ALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC We deliver energy cost justified solutions that make the learning environment comfortable, secure, and efficient. Rockford, Springfield, Champaign (815) 227-4000; www.alpaacs.com; jasonv@alphaacs.com CTS GROUP, A VEREGY COMPANY Dedicated to assisting K-12 education meet the challenge of providing healthy, safe, and educational appropriate learning environments.

St. Louis (636) 230-0843; Chicago (773) 633-0691; www.ctsgroup.com; rbennett@ctsgroup.com ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP A comprehensive energy services and performance contracting company providing energy, facility and financial solutions. Itasca (630) 773-7201; smcivor@energysystemsgroup.com GRP MECHANICAL CO., INC. Renovating buildings through energy savings performance contracting to provide the best learning environment.

HVAC, plumbing, windows, doors, and mechanical services.

Bethalto (618) 779-0050 IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC. Asbestos and environmental services.

Bloomington (309) 828-4259

ILLINOIS ENERGY CONSORTIUM Sells electricity and natural gas to school districts, colleges, and universities.

DeKalb (815) 753-9083; www.ILLec.org; hwallace@iasbo.org

SPEER FINANCIAL, INC. Financial planning and bond issue services.

Chicago (312) 346-3700; www.speerfinancial.com; dphillips@speerfinancial.com

ENGIE SERVICES U.S. Turnkey partnership programs that enable K12 school districts in Illinois to modernize their facilities; increase safety, security and efficiency; reduce operations costs; and maximize the lifespan of critical assets. Chicago (312) 498-7792; sharon@opterraenergy.com

STIFEL Full service securities firm providing investment banking and advisory services including strategic financial planning; bond underwriting; referendum and legislative assistance.

Edwardsville (800) 230-5151; noblea@stifel.com

RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS Radon measurements in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as all DCFS licensed spaces. We service the entire state of Illinois.

Westmont (630) 325-4443 or (800) 244-4242; www.radondetection.net; KirstenS@radondetection.net

WINTRUST FINANCIAL Financial services holding company engaging in community banking, wealth management, commercial insurance premium financing, and mortgage origination. Rosemont (630) 560-2120

Financial Services

BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC. Human resource, safety and risk management, and insurance consulting.

Effingham (217) 342-3042; www.bushuehr.com; steve@bushuehr.com

BERNARDI SECURITIES, INC. Municipal bond specialty firm; offers a full range of school bond underwriting services, including capital needs financing and debt refinancing.

O’Fallon (618) 206-4180; Peru (815) 587-8972; Chicago (312) 281-2014; jvezzetti@bernardisecurities.com BMO HARRIS BANK BMO Harris Bank’s experienced specialists can help you build a sound strategy to help close budget gaps, manage day-to-day cash flow and maximize your resources.

Chicago (312) 461-7895 EHLERS AND ASSOCIATES School bond issues; referendum help; financial and enrollment studies Roseville, MN (312) 638-5250 GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. Auditing and financial consulting.

Peoria (309) 685-7621; www.gorenzcpa.com; tcustis@gorenzcpa.com

Human Resource Consulting

Insurance THE SANDNER GROUP Insurance program management, marketing & claims services for workers’ compensation, property & liability.

Chicago (800) 654-9504

Office Equipment EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS BY FRANK COONEY COMPANY, INC. Furniture for educational environments.

Wood Dale (630) 694-8800

Superintendent Searches ECRA GROUP Superintendent searches, board and superintendent workshops.

Schaumburg (847) 318-0072

ICE MILLER, LLP Nationally recognized bond counsel services. Chicago (312) 726-7127 KINGS FINANCIAL CONSULTING, INC. Municipal bond financial advisory service including all types of school bonds; school referenda, county school sales tax; tax revenue forecasts/projections.

Monticello (217) 762-4578

January/February 2022 • 29

Milestones

In Memoriam William Sherman Adsit, 96, died November 7, 2021. He served on the Milford THSD 233 in Iroquois County, including time as president.

Milton Andrew Anderson, 93, died October 7, 2021. An engineer and author of a book on quality control, he served on the Millburn CCSD 24 school board.

Nicholas C. Bellios MD, 92, died November 26, 2021. He was a past member and president of the school board for Waukegan CUSD 60.

Diane Bluthardt, 79, died November 11, 2021. She was a member of the school board for Schiller Park SD 81.

William Franklin Boyer, 98, died November 23, 2021. He had served on the school board for Ferris Grade School in Hancock County.

Miriam T. Bramschreiber, 91, died November 24, 2021. She was a member of the Homewood SD 153 Board of Education for over 20 years, including terms as president.

Jim Brandt, 84, died November 24, 2021. He was the Illinois State FFA President from 1956 to 1957 and a past member of the Pearl City CUSD 200 school board.

Leroy E. Brinkman, 91, died October 14, 2021. He was a past member of the Payson CUSD 1 school board.

Wilbert J. Buhr, 94, died October 24, 2021. He served on the school board for Gifford CCSD 188.

30 • Illinois School Board Journal

Janis Fineberg, 73, has died.

She served on the Avoca SD 37 for eight years, including two years as president.

Leo Floros, 94, died October 30, 2021. At one time a journalist with the Chicago Sun-Times, he served on the school board for Mt. Prospect SD 57.

Thomas J. Gorden, 91, died October 3, 2021. He was a past member of the Moweaqua School Board in Christian County.

Robert Grabnik, 74, died October 28, 2021. He had served on the board of education for Winthrop Harbor SD 1.

Catherine “Katy” Hall, 94, died October 8, 2021. She was a past member of the school board for Waukegan CUSD 60.

Karen Marie Hunt, 82, died September 12, 2021. She was a past member of the Morris CHSD 101 Board of Education.

Larry “Roger” Hunt, 79, died October 19, 2021. He had served on the Southwestern CUSD 9 school board.

Robert Kaufman, 95, died October 31, 2021. He served on the Danvers school board in McLean County during its merger with other communities to form Olympia CUSD 16.

Albert G. Kellerhals, 74, died November 5, 2021. He served on the Milford THSD 233 in Iroquois County for 23 years.

Margaret “Sue” Leahy, 76, died November 26, 2021.

She was a past member of the Burlington Central CUSD 301 school board.

Alan Miller Lehman, 94, died November 7, 2021. He served as member and president of the Congerville School Board in Woodford County.

Melvin H. Matter, 95, died October 21, 2021. He was a member of the Minonk-Dana-Rutland Board of Education in Woodford County.

Robert F. Maxwell, 78, died November 15, 2021. He was a past member of the school board for Granite City CUSD 9.

William “Bill” McAdams, 86, died November 4, 2021. He served on the school board for his alma mater, Hall THSD 502, where he was also in the school’s Hall of Fame.

Elmer K. Osborn, 100, died October 21, 2021. He served on the McLean-Waynesville Board of Education in McLean County.

Bruce Prindle, 81, died November 20, 2021. He served on the Quincy SD 172 school board for 13 years, including two years as president.

Karen K. Ranger, 76, died November 7, 2021. She was a past member of the Deer Park CCSD 82 Board of Education.

William R. Redlich, 100, died November 22, 2021. He was a member of the Winnetka SD 36 school board and was awarded a Bronze Star for service during WWII. John B. Rochetti, 61, died November 29, 2021. He served on the Coal City CUSD 1 school board.

Continued on page 26

Insights “’I don’t think there’s a single elected position that has more impact on the future of our nation than those that are elected to an education position,’ said Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota’s elected state school superintendent. ‘School boards have always been political … It’s now just exacerbated by social media. It’s become not just a local conversation, it’s a national conversation.”’

a smaller loss, of 1.4% of students, from spring 2019 to 2020, when the pandemic forced the closure of schools statewide. Since 2011, Illinois has lost 9% of its public school enrollment. State Superintendent Carmen Ayala said this week that the state is working on a campaign with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office of Early Childhood Development to re-engage families and enroll young students.”

Juan Perez Junior, Politico Weekly Education, November 29, 2021

Samantha Smylie, “Illinois enrollment declines driven by loss of pre-kindergarten, kindergarten students.” Chalkbeat Chicago, October 29, 2021.

“The [Illinois] state board of education reported that nearly 70,000 students, or 3.6%, left schools statewide during the same time frame — compared to a national decline of 3%. That compares to

“Violence in schools seemed on an uptick before the Oxford [Michigan] shooting. Around the country, teachers, district leaders,

and students have been frightened by what appears to be an increase in violence roughly paralleling the return of most students to in-person learning this school year.

District leaders have been under pressure to address these outbreaks and respond to a mental health crisis among youth. Empirical data on school violence trends are hard to come by, but homicides have generally risen during the pandemic, and some kinds of violent crime in schools were on the rise even before COVID-19 hit schools.”

Stephen Sawchuk, “What This Week’s Mass Shooting Can Teach Us About School Safety,” Education Week, December 1, 2021.

January/February 2022 • 31

NON-PROFIT PRST STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS

2921 Baker Drive Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 Address Service Requested

VIRTUAL E VENT

Trends in Collective Bargaining for school board members

Attend this timely event to learn and discuss key collective bargaining issues such as:

• compensation • the impact of staff shortages • benefits • working conditions • COVID-related mandates

Saturday, January 29, 2022, 9 a.m.–noon This virtual event is a complimentary benefit of IASB membership.

Registration required at iasb.com/calendar.

School board members receive five points in the Board Leader Recognition Program.

For more information, visit www.iasb.com or contact Peggy Goone at pgoone@iasb.com; (217) 528-9688, ext. 1103.