The Illinois School Board Journal

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 Vol. 80, No. 5

READING • WRITING • ARITHMETIC • BEANS • BALLS • BUSES

Saving extracurricularswith ‘pay to play’ fees

As you open the pages of this edi-

tion, you may be asking your-

selves the same question that many

of us at IASB usually do at this time

of the year: Where did summer go?

Whether it’s because we’re get-

ting older or because the exhaustive

heat kept us confined to mostly air-

conditioned spaces during June, July

and August, it hardly seems possi-

ble that the buses are rolling again

and it’s time for football and volley-

ball, marching band and cross coun-

try.

For many students, school start-

ed earlier than the ringing of the offi-

cial bell. Athletes and band members

often find themselves in practice at

least a couple of weeks before class-

es begin. And those are the folks that

we’re going to talk about in this issue:

students who participate in extracur-

ricular activities and how to cover

the expenses of those activities.

It can be a “Catch 22” for dis-

tricts. You want to provide opportu-

nities for your students, but when

budgets are tight and it costs more

to refurbish the football helmets or

clean the band uniforms than stu-

dents pay in fees, then district bud-

gets need to pick up the extra costs.

Yes, gate receipts can help. But

some sports just don’t draw crowds

like football and basketball. And many

music events are offered free to the

public.

In our cover story, freelance writer

Terri McHugh looks at three Illinois

districts that are taking different

approaches in this new era of “pay-

to-play” in high school activities.

Either you’ll recognize a policy your

district has adopted, or maybe you’ll

get a new idea on price structures or

alternatives to “pay-to-play.”

__________

A few other recent items might

spur conversations around the board

table.

A recent TODAY.com article

reported that “kids who do more

homework actually perform worse

on standardized tests,” according to

a researcher at Sydney University.

Homework only boosts student test

scores in the final three years of high

school, according to Richard Walk-

er, author of “Reforming Homework:

Practices, Learning and Policies.”

And even then, too much homework

can cause students to have poor men-

tal and physical health … mostly from

a lack of sleep.

Some agree with the theory

of assigning 10 minutes of home-

work per grade level up to 90 min-

utes . Have you ta lked about

district homework policies and

procedures recently?

To read additional findings, go

to http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/

48343652/ns/today-back_to_school/.

__________

ACT, the well-known test pre-

parers, say they are working to cre-

ate “a new series of tests to measure

how students — as young as 5 — are

acquiring the skills and knowledge

they need to be ready for college and

careers.”

How could this be? It seems ACT

is designing the tests to look for “grade-

appropriate” and “foundational” skills

in reading and math that are impor-

tant building blocks for “longer-term,

higher order skills,” according to Edu-

cation Week.

One critic, however, says this all

sounds rather unreasonable to him.

“Kids aren’t set on a path that’s

immutable from birth or even from

kindergarten onward,” said Sam

Meisels, president of the Chicago-

based Erikson Institute, a graduate

school focused exclusively on early

childhood development, “and thank

goodness that’s the case.”

Case in point: look how the char-

acters from the movie “Animal House”

turned out! And they were already

in college!

__________

A year ago in The Journal, we

announced that we would be cutting

down on the amount of information

given in the “Milestones” section.

Contributions have increased again

to necessitate rolling out a new for-

mat with this issue. Information for

“achievements” will continue to fea-

ture a picture, if available, and a short

synopsis of the nature of the award

or career move. Obituaries of past or

current board members will be lim-

ited to date of death and school board

service. This in no way diminishes

the time and effort these board mem-

bers gave to their communities. How-

ever, pages in a magazine are like

acres on a farm: prime real estate that

needs to be put to its best use. Please

continue to notify IASB of any achieve-

ments or the passing of board mem-

bers. It’s information that we continue

to want to share.

Vol. 80, No. 5

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2

ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL(ISSN-0019-221X) is published every other month by the Illinois Associationof School Boards, 2921 Baker Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929, telephone217/528-9688. The IASB regional officeis located at One Imperial Place, 1 East22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120, telephone 630/629-3776.

The JOURNAL is supported by the duesof school boards holding active member-ship in the Illinois Association of SchoolBoards. Copies are mailed to all schoolboard members and the superintendentin each IASB member school district.

Non-member subscription rate: Domes-tic $18.00 per year. Foreign (includingCanada and Mexico) $21.00 per year.

PUBLICATION POLICYIASB believes that the domestic processfunctions best through frank and opendiscussion. Material published in the JOUR-NAL, therefore, often presents divergentand controversial points of view which donot necessarily represent the views orpolicies of IASB.

James Russell, Associate Executive Director

Linda Dawson, EditorGary Adkins, Contributing EditorDiane M. Cape, Design and

Production ManagerDana Heckrodt, Advertising Manager

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Cover by Corbin Design, PetersburgNovember/December Third B: BusesJanuary/February School design

COVER STORY

14 | Saving extracurriculars with ‘pay-to-play’ feesFacing uncertain finances, some districts are turning to fees to help continue extracurricular activities.

Terri McHugh

16 | Sidebar: A coach’s perspective

FEATURE STORIES

4 | Academic game changer …Charting the course for successful implementationThe school board can lead the way to successful implementation of new standards by setting a vision of commitment to change.

Stuart Yager, Carol Webb, Rene Noppe and Donna McCaw

8 | On/off-campus lines now blurred by Internet speechIn a question-and-answer format, an attorney explains how free speech is evolving in the cyber world.

Steven Puiszis

19 | Stand your ground …How to keep the peace at activities, conferencesSchool boards can adopt policies and procedures to address bad conduct on school grounds.

Shayne Aldridge

22 | Athletic fields and facilities …Not just extracurricular, but extra value for schoolsLearn how synthetic turf can add to a district’s flexible use space, while offering durability and increased accessibility.

Kevin Havens, Byron Wyns and Craig Polte

25 | EEE awards put emphasis on quality learning spacesThe Exhibition of Educational Environments at the 2012 Joint Annual Conference returns to the true intent of the awards.

David Henebry

28 | Questions I would ask politicians about educationAn education researcher would like to see certain questions answered about education policy before the November election.

Diane Ravitch

T O P I C S F O R U P C O M I N G I S S U E S

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2 THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012

Just this last summer, I took some

vacation days to visit my daugh-

ter and her family. Mr. Keck didn’t

mind that I was takin’ the time off so

close to the openin’ of school, as the

crew and I had worked hard and East-

side was as shiny as a new penny …

and ready as it could ever be.

My grandson, Michael, is in the

marching band at his high school.

Now, like at many schools, there’s a

fee attached to participatin’ in the

marching band, just like there are

fees connected to just about every

kind of extracurricular activity in

school.

My daughter had a “bone to pick”

over the fee schedule and intended

to voice her complaint during the

school’s registration process. She

asked me to accompany her for moral

support. I agreed, of course … plus I

always like to see other schools … to

see if they’re kept up as well as East-

side.

My daughter moved on down the

registration line peaceably enough,

holdin’ back her temper until she

reached the table where parents were

supposed to cough up “pay-to-play”

fees.

“Hey!” she began. “I want you

to explain something to me.”

“What?” asked the cashier, who

was actually an assistant librarian

makin’ extra cash by helpin’ out with

registration.

“Why is it that I have to pay $150

for my son to be in the marching band,

while my next-door neighbor only

pays $75 for her daughter to be in the

same band? Huh? Why?”

“Well, I really don’t know,”

answered the assistant librarian.

“Maybe you should see the principal

about your concern.”

“Fine! I want to see her RIGHT

NOW!”

The assistant librarian went to

find the principal. While we sat and

waited, I cautioned my daughter about

losin’ her temper. In about five min-

utes, the librarian/cashier returned.

“I couldn’t locate Mrs. Sebast-

ian, but I did find Mr. Trotter, here,

who’s on the school board. Maybe

you could voice your concerns to him

… the board approves the fee sched-

ules.”

“Fine! Mr. Trotter … how is it

that some parents who have kids in

the marching band have to pay a high-

er fee than some other parents who

have kids in the same band? Huh?

Why?”

“What instrument does your child

play?” Mr. Trotter asked calmly.

“He plays the trumpet!” respond-

ed my daughter, who couldn’t see

what that had to do with anything.

“Well,” said Trotter. “That explains

the high fee! You see, trumpets are

one of the main components in any

marching band. They play pretty

nearly all the time in any piece of

music. They’re right up there with

the snare drums … part of the mili-

tary tradition behind marching bands!

Gus, the custodi-

an at Eastside

Grammar, is the

creation of

Richard W.

Smelter, a retired

school principal,

now a Chicago-

based college

instructor and

author.

Sometimes it pays offfor tall triangle players

by “Gus”

B O I L E R R O O M

“Why is it that I have

to pay $150 for my

son to be in the

marching band,

while my next-door

neighbor only pays

$75 for her daughter

to be in the same

band? Huh? Why?”

What instrument does your neigh-

bor’s child play?”

“The tuba.”

“Well,” replied Trotter, a smile

creeping across his face. “That explains

the lower fee. You see, we wanted

to be fair in our pay-to-play policy.

We had our band director analyze a

typical piece of music to see which

musicians play more than their peers.

I can tell you, without hesitation, that

trumpet players play about four times

as many notes as tuba players. So,

the rationale is that parents who have

children who get to participate more

in extracurricular programs should

be assessed a higher fee than parents

who have children who participate

less.”

“You can’t be serious!” quipped

my daughter.

“Oh, I’m very serious,” Trotter

replied. “We try to follow this same

policy in all of our extracurricular

activities. In the case of the football

team, for instance, we actually wait

until the end of the season to assess

the pay-to-play fees. That way, we

have a clear record of which players

spent more time on the field as opposed

to being benched. Those who wind

up playing more get assessed higher

fees. Seems only fair. In the case of

the marching band, we’ve analyzed

the average playing time of all the

instruments. As I stated, trumpets

and snare drums are assessed the

highest fees.”

“Who gets assessed the lowest

fee?”

“The parents of triangle players

… they play even less than the tuba

players.”

“Exactly how much is that?”

“Let me see,” replied Trotter, as

he checked his master list of fees.

“Ah, yes … here it is. The fee to play

the triangle is $27 … $25 to rent the

uniform and $2 to play the triangle.”

“So, if the uniform rental fee is

$25, then the fee to play the trumpet

is $125.”

“Now you’ve got it!”

“Let me see the uniform my son

will be issued. I’ve seen your march-

ing band! The uniforms are supposed

to be red, but some of them look

pink!”

“The ones that look pink are the

more common sizes … the ones that

are rented out the most. The more

uncommon sizes tend to retain their

original color as they’re rented out

less frequently. You see, the constant

cleaning and the sun’s rays tend to

fade …”

“Yeah, I get it!” interrupted my

daughter. “I have to pay a whopping

fee and my son winds up in a pink

uniform!”

Well, you get it. My daughter left

registration angrier than she was

before.

When I returned to work, I ran

this by Mr. Keck.

“Gus, in this business it’s hard

to be fair to everybody. I know one

thing though …”

“What’s that boss?”

“Parents of kids who play the tri-

angle end up with a bit more dis-

cretionary income, at least in your

daughter’s school district. And, if

they’re really short or very tall, at

least they’re wearing the right color

uniform!”

Keck can always get to the heart

of things. He has to … he’s the prin-

cipal.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 / THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL 3

PresidentCarolyne Brooks

Vice PresidentKaren Fisher

ImmediatePast PresidentJoseph Alesandrini

IASB is a voluntary association of local boards ofeducation and is not affiliated with any branch ofgovernment.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Abe LincolnRoger Edgecombe

BlackhawkJackie Mickley

Central Illinois ValleyThomas Neeley

Cook NorthPhil Pritzker

Cook SouthTom Cunningham

Cook WestJoanne Zendol

Corn BeltMark Harms

DuPageRosemary Swanson

EgyptianJohn Metzger

IlliniMichelle Skinlo

KaskaskiaLinda Eades

KishwaukeeMary Stith

Lake CountyJoanne Osmond

NorthwestBen Andersen

ShawneeRoger Pfister

SouthwesternJohn Coers

Starved RockSimon Kampwerth Jr.

Three Rivers / TreasurerDale Hansen

Two RiversDavid Barton

Wabash ValleyTim Blair

WesternSue McCance

Chicago BoardJesse Ruiz

Service AssociatesSteve Larson


F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

Aschool district’s journey toward

implementation of Common

Core State Standards (CCSS) begins

with school board commitment. Ulti-

mately, this commitment is focused

on ensuring that high school gradu-

ates have the necessary skills to be

college- or career-ready when they

complete high school.

Commitment starts with the

board sharing a vision for CCSS imple-

mentation and communicating this

vision to all constituents in the dis-

trict.

Early on, the school board can

take steps to develop a shared vision

for implementing the new standards

by discussing and collectively answer-

ing essential questions at the board

table. Answering these important

questions during open meetings is

the best way to inform the public,

demonstrate commitment and encour-

age district employees about imple-

mentation.

The public should see the board

reaching consensus regarding a vision

for Common Core implementation.

However, many essential questions

exist for the board.

One of the most important is

to understand the rationale for why

we have new standards. Discussion

at the board table may center on the

level at which the district’s graduates

are ready for college or to enter a

career. From there, the discussion

may move in the direction of politi-

cal pressures being placed on public

education or even global economics.

Another top question for the

board is what their district’s high

school diploma currently means or

what it should mean. The board should

ask if high school graduation is seen

by the community as an important

achievement. Is it merely a rite of

passage or does the diploma repre-

sent a rigorous accomplishment? And

does that diploma stand for value?

The board also should consider

if the diploma is respected by those

who earn it. Often, achieving a high

school diploma has little to do with

what the graduate knows and can do

with the attained knowledge. Fre-

quently, the diploma means attend-

ing school for a specified number of

in-class hours and earning a mini-

mum passing grade in the required

courses.

Another question to consider:

What evidence is available to indi-

cate how successful the district’s grad-

uates are two, three or even five years

after graduation? School districts

should have mechanisms in place to

Stuart Yager is an

associate profes-

sor educational

leadership at

Western Illinois

University in

Macomb. Carol

Webb and Rene

Noppe are assis-

tant professors

in educational

leadership at

WIU. Donna

McCaw recently

retired from WIU

and currently

works with the

Common Core

Institute.

Academic game changer …Charting the coursefor successful implementation

by Stuart Yager, Carol Webb, Rene Noppe and Donna McCaw

Part III: Charting the courseSchool reform movements are not new to policy and decision

makers. Each decade seems to have brought at least one new idea

or program that would “fix” a system that many believed to be

broken. This is the third in a four-part series giving school board

members background knowledge on the Common Core State Stan-

dards (CCSS), the potential impact these new standards will have

on teaching and learning, things for boards to look for and dis-

trict implementation issues.


complete feedback loops in order

to study their high school graduates’

preparedness for college or careers.

This would include data from area

employers, college and university

admission offices, and satisfaction

surveys of graduates.

Include stakeholders

Another necessary step for school

boards to demonstrate support for

the implementation of the new stan-

dards is to provide awareness to all

stakeholders. This includes parents,

students, community leaders, facul-

ty and staff.

Often, school board members

forget about the importance of com-

municating commitment and vision

about change initiatives to students,

community leaders and non-teach-

ing staff. This is in contrast to intense-

ly communicating to teachers and

administrators.

Communicating to stakeholder

groups can often be best accomplished

in an open format where one or two

board members attend speaking events

to communicate the collective vision

and commitment of the board for

implementation. At each of these

forums, an opportunity for question

and answer is vitally important.

Board members must be absolute-

ly clear regarding the commitment

and vision regarding Common Core

State Standards. Also, after the pre-

sentation, the tone should be that of

non-judgmental listening. This includes

maintaining a relaxed, friendly body

posture, making eye contact and

thanking people for sharing their

thoughts.

Board members should provide

time for the audience to ask ques-

tions and then encourage people per-

sonally to follow-up by phone calls

or e-mails. Often it is helpful to have

someone attend the meeting to take

notes and record the names of those

asking questions. Follow-up letters

containing clear answers and a note

of thanks to those citizens who ask

questions will be beneficial.

Additionally, general awareness

sessions presented during school

board meetings can be a great use of

board meeting time by providing the

media with key points so that those

attending see the commitment being

demonstrated.

Finally, at the start of professional

development days for all district

employees, board members can give

opening remarks to communicate

commitment, vision and support for

all in attendance to hear.

Clearly, it is important to try to

have two school board members pre-

sent at Common Core awareness

activities to demonstrate support and

commitment for implementation.

Having groups of two, as opposed to

only one board member, attend speak-

ing engagements is a good way to

demonstrate support and solidarity.

This strategy provides a level

of accountability and communicates

a team approach to all who hear the

presentation. And it’s always good to

have an extra set of eyes and ears

paying attention to both the content

and the process of the dialogue.

Alignment

Aligning current district assess-

ments to the new standards is just as

important as creating awareness. Stu-

dents should begin to experience and

practice with the same types of assess-

ment that they will encounter later

on the new high-stakes tests begin-

ning in 2014.

Teachers should learn to devel-

op and incorporate these assessment

items into their regular classroom

instruction. Board members who

understand this will know the impor-

tance of providing release time for

teachers to develop these next-gen-

eration assessments to use in their

classrooms.

In addition to aligning assess-

ments, teachers will need consider-

able professional development about

how to adjust instruction to the rig-

or required in the new standards.

New instructional strategies will be

required for students to master the

rigor required by the new standards.

Finally, teachers will need sup-

port in mapping the district curriculum

to the CCSS. Mapping curriculum

into a scope and sequence aligned

with the new standards will require

considerable release time for teach-

ers.

The work of the board to achieve

these professional development out-

comes is twofold.

First, the board must allocate

funds to provide this necessary pro-

fessional development. This also

means providing release time for

teachers to attend workshops and to

develop district materials.

Board members must be absolutely

clear regarding the commitment and

vision regarding Common Core State

Standards. Also, after the presentation,

the tone should be that of non-judg-

mental listening.


Teachers and administrators also

will need to attend state and even

national conferences about transi-

tion to the CCSS. By attending these

workshops, teachers and adminis-

trators will learn about the time they

will need and how to use it to devel-

op assessments, instructional units

and curriculum maps. Principals will

need to develop tools to support their

teachers as the implementation begins

and evolves.

Second, the board must discuss

with district administrators how to

monitor the work of the teachers and

to ensure accountability for imple-

menting the work. The board should

expect periodic updates from teach-

ers and administrators at board meet-

ings about the implementation process

and status. These updates are best

done during board work sessions

where there can be a relaxed dialogue

between the board and the teacher

or administrator presenters.

Work sessions should occur about

once per quarter and last no more

than one hour. This communication

process also will inform the public

and media present at board meetings

where these updates occur.

By connecting the board’s vision

for the implementation of the CCSS

to the steps above, the board will best

be able to ensure expectations for

quality implementation. These action

steps represent a vibrant strategic

plan for implementation of the CCSS,

which includes providing frequent

communication to the public and the

district employees.

The steps also specify that

resources be provided to teachers to

get the job done as well as tools for

administrators and teacher leaders

for monitoring the implementation.

These steps can also help guide the

board through any future change

processes that will come about as

educational technologies advance.

The steps outlined here for imple-

mentation of the Common Core State

Standards — commitment, commu-

nication and resources — will sup-

port strong change management far

into the future.

Other parts in the series are:

Part I: May/June — Common

Core 101

Part II: July/August — Shifting

the focus

Part IV: November/December —

Eating the elephant

STAFFOFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORRoger L. Eddy,Executive DirectorBenjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive Director

Meetings ManagementPatricia Culler, Assistant to the Executive DirectorCarla S. Bolt, Director-designeeSandy Boston, Assistant Director

Office of General CounselMelinda Selbee, General CounselKimberly Small, Assistant General Counsel

Executive SearchesDonna Johnson, DirectorDoug Blair, ConsultantDawn Miller, ConsultantThomas Leahy, Consultant

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICESJennifer Feld, Associate ExecutiveDirector/Chief Financial Officer

Production ServicesDiane M. Cape, Senior Director

ADVOCACY/GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONSBenjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive DirectorDeanna L. Sullivan, DirectorSusan Hilton, Director

AdvocacyCynthia Woods, Director

BOARD DEVELOPMENT/TARGETING ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH GOVERNANCEAngie Peifer, Associate Executive Director

Board DevelopmentSandra Kwasa, DirectorNesa Brauer, Consultant

Targeting Achievement through GovernanceSteve Clark, Consultant

COMMUNICATIONSJames Russell, Associate Executive DirectorGary W. Adkins, Director/EditorialLinda Dawson, Director/EditorialJennifer Nelson, Director, Information ServicesGerald R. Glaub, Consultant

FIELD SERVICES/POLICY SERVICESCathy A. Talbert, Associate Executive Director

Field ServicesLarry Dirks, DirectorDean Langdon, DirectorPatrick Rice, DirectorJeff Cohn, DirectorBarbara B. Toney, DirectorLaurel DiPrima, Director

Policy ServicesAnna Lovern, DirectorNancy Bohl, ConsultantAndrea Dolgin, ConsultantJackie Griffith, ConsultantWayne Savageau, ConsultantBrian Zumpf, Consultant

IASB OFFICES

2921 Baker DriveSpringfield, Illinois 62703-5929217/528-9688 Fax 217/528-2831

www.iasb.com

One Imperial Place1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120630/629-3776 Fax 630/629-3940


Editor’s note: The answers to

the following questions, sub-

mitted to the author by The Journal,

are based on his article “‘Tinkering’

with the First Amendment’s Protec-

tion of Student Speech on the Inter-

net,” which is being published in

Volume 29, Issue 2 of the John Mar-

shall Law School’s Journal of Com-

puter and Information Law.

Tinker v. Des Moines Indepen-

dent Community School District set

a precedent for student First Amend-

ment rights in 1969. How have recent

federal circuit decisions interpreted

that decision regarding Internet

speech?

We have to recognize that the

Supreme Court’s student speech deci-

sions, including Tinker, involved dif-

ferent modes of communication that

arose in markedly different contexts

than a student’s use of the Internet.

It should come as no surprise, then,

that the circuit courts have taken

somewhat divergent approaches as

to when discipline can be imposed.

By and large, these decisions have

focused on Tinker’s substantial dis-

ruption test, and have generally failed

to consider another aspect of Tinker,

which allows discipline to be imposed

when a student’s speech or expres-

sive activities invades the rights of

others.

The Second Circuit, when apply-

ing Tinker’s substantial disruption

test, asks if it was reasonably fore-

seeable that a student’s off-campus

expression might reach the school

and, if so, would it foreseeably cre-

ate a risk of substantial disruption

within the school.

The Third Circuit, on the other

hand, has rejected a foreseeability

approach. In its Blue Mountain School

District decision, the Third Circuit,

sitting together to hear the case,

specifically observed that speech

originating off-campus is not trans-

formed into on-campus speech sim-

ply because it foreseeably makes its

way into a school. The concurring

judges in Blue Mountain, however,

were willing to apply Tinker when a

student’s off-campus Internet speech

was intentionally directed toward

a school.

The Fourth Circuit, like the Sec-

ond, would allow a student to be dis-

ciplined when it was foreseeable that

the student’s Internet activities would

reach the school via computers, smart

phones or other electronic devices.

The Fourth Circuit in Kowalski v.

Berkley County Schools addressed a

student’s Web page that targeted a

fellow student for ridicule and harass-

ment. The court in Kowalski rec-

ognized that schools have a

“compelling interest” in regulating

speech that involves “student harass-

ment and bullying.”

The Eighth Circuit also applied

a reasonable foreseeability approach

in its Hannibal Public School Dis-

trict decision, which addressed threat-

ening instant messages between two

students. While the Eighth Circuit in

Hannibal held that the instant mes-

sages constituted “true threats,” and

as a result did not constitute pro-

tected speech, the court also applied

Tinker and held that it was reason-

ably foreseeable that the student’s

threatening messages would be brought

to the attention of school authorities

and create a risk of substantial dis-

ruption.

It also is important to note that

the Fifth and Eleventh circuits have

broadly interpreted the Supreme

Court’s “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” decision,

Morse v. Frederick, as granting school

officials greater authority to address

threatening speech in order to pro-

tect students from potential harm.

Those courts base that conclusion

on Justice Alito’s opinion, which in

Steven Puiszis is

a partner with

Hinshaw &

Culbertson LLP

in Chicago,

where he serves

as deputy gener-

al counsel, heads

the firm’s Elec-

tronic Discovery

Response Team

and is a member

of its business

litigation practice

and school law

groups.

On/off-campus lines nowblurred by Internet speech

by Steve Puiszis



their view constitutes the “control-

ling” opinion in Morse. On the oth-

er hand, both the Third and Seventh

Circuits view Morse as narrowly decid-

ed, and the Seventh Circuit in its

Nuxoll decision observed that Jus-

tices Alito and Kennedy “joined the

majority opinion not just the deci-

sion and by doing so they made it the

majority opinion not merely, as the

plaintiff believes (as does the Fifth

Circuit) a plurality opinion.”

Please explain the two differ-

ent “prongs” involved in the Tinker

decision as they now relate to harass-

ment, bullying and cyberbullying?

Typically, when we think of Tin-

ker, we think of its substantial dis-

ruption test. Because cyberbullying

typically targets a single student or

discrete group of students, demon-

strating substantial disruption may

be difficult to establish. However, Tin-

ker also held that schools can disci-

pline speech that “invades the rights

of others.”

Since Tinker was originally decid-

ed, the Second, Third, Sixth, Eighth

and Ninth circuits have mentioned

Tinker’s “rights of others” prong. It

was the basis of the Eighth Circuit’s

decision in Hazelwood, before it went

to the U.S. Supreme Court. Howev-

er, because the Supreme Court held

that schools could exercise editorial

control over school-sponsored pub-

lications, the Court in Hazelwood

specifically noted that it was not

addressing whether the Eight Circuit

had “correctly construed” Tinker’s

“rights of others” prong.

Protecting the “rights of others”

is an underused aspect of Tinker. By

definition, speech that constitutes

harassment, bullying or cyberbully-

ing is speech that would seemingly

invade the rights of another student

and, thus, would fall under Tinker’s

second prong. There is no constitu-

tional right to be a bully or to abuse

or intimidate other students. Given

the potential for Title IX liability in

this context for deliberate indiffer-

ence to student-on-student harass-

ment, Tinker’s “rights of others” prong

can provide the means to address this

aspect of student Internet speech.

Substantial disruption should

not be required to invoke this aspect

of Tinker. Otherwise, there would

have been no need for the Court in

Tinker to mention speech that invades

the rights of others. Mere teasing and

name calling would not normally

be sufficient to trigger this aspect of

Tinker. However, when one student’s

speech or expressive activities on the

Internet is severe enough that it

impairs, or predictably could impair,

another student’s educational per-

formance, or the student’s ability to

interact with his or her peers at school,

or the student’s safety at school, school

officials and their counsel should con-

sider invoking Tinker’s rights of oth-

ers prong.

How does the Internet pose

unique challenges for schools as well

as the courts?

For school districts, Internet

speech poses several unique prob-

lems. Unlike other forms of media,

the Internet permits free and unfet-

tered discussion of ideas with prac-

tically no regulation or oversight. The

Internet removes the spatial distance

between the persons posting and view-

ing content on the Web. There are no

geographic or territorial limits on the

Internet.

Today, any student with a com-

puter can post information on the

Internet that can be accessed any-

where in the world almost instanta-

neously. Social networks encourage

the development of affinity groups

that can target individuals in the

school community. While schools

can attempt to block access to vari-

ous social networking sites on school

computers, students can use a num-

ber of online tools and applications

to circumvent a school district’s

attempt to block access to these types

of sites.

The Internet has expanded

schools’ boundaries and blurred when,

where and how students can enter

the schoolhouse gate. A two-dimen-

sional view of a school district’s edu-

cational setting and limits of its

By definition, speech that constitutes harassment, bullying or cyber-

bullying is speech that would seemingly invade the rights of anoth-

er student and, thus, would fall under Tinker’s second prong. There

is no constitutional right to be a bully or to abuse or intimidate other

students.


authority ignores the modern reali-

ty of education in light of online col-

laborative educational tools and the

proliferation of Web-based educa-

tional programs being offered to stu-

dents of all ages.

The concurring judges in the

Third Court’s decision in Layshock

recognized that, with the prolifera-

tion of wireless Internet access, smart

phones, tablets, laptop computers

and social networking sites like Face-

book and Twitter, any effort to tie the

disciplinary authority of school offi-

cials to the physical boundaries of a

school is “a recipe for serious prob-

lems in our public schools.”

Does it make any difference where

the message originated or where it

was read?

When we lived and worked in a

paper world, courts used the on-cam-

pus/off-campus distinction as a bright

line for when a school administrator

could discipline a student for his or

her speech or expressive activity.

With Internet speech, that approach

is untenable.

Internet speech can reach stu-

dents wherever they are so long as

they are carrying a laptop, a tablet or

smart phone. Communications via

the Internet can reach into a school

in ways not possible even 10 years

ago. Courts have been slow to pick

up on the distinguishing features of

Internet speech, but there seems to

be a growing awareness of some of

these distinctions in several of the

latest federal circuit opinions address-

ing Internet speech.

The concurring judges in the

Third Circuit’s Blue Mountain deci-

sion recognized that whether a stu-

dent’s Internet speech can be regulated

should not solely depend on where

the student was located when the

speech was originally generated.

How does the school district deter-

mine “material and substantial dis-

ruption” as referenced in Tinker?

This can be one of the more dif-

ficult aspects of Tinker to navigate.

It requires school districts and their

counsel to collaboratively focus on

marshaling the evidence to support

a school district’s disciplinary deci-

sion.

While school districts need not

wait until substantial disruption occurs

before they act, a disciplinary deci-

sion cannot be based on speculation,

conjecture or an unsubstantiated fear

of future disruption. School admin-

istrators must be prepared to present

facts supporting their conclusion that

substantial disruption was reason-

ably likely to occur.

The type of facts relevant to the

issue will vary depending on both

the content of the student’s speech

and the context in which it occurs.

However, prior acts of violence, threats

or confrontations between students

involving the same type of speech or

expressive activity are highly rele-

vant. Evidence concerning how the

learning environment in classrooms

was disrupted or the impact on the

district’s administrative offices should

be presented. The numbers of stu-

dents involved or the number of

administrative or teaching hours

impacted should be presented if it is

favorable.

Obviously, the greater the impact

on classroom performance, the

greater number of students and/or

the more egregious nature of the

speech, the better a district’s chances

that the disciplinary decision will

be upheld.

Also don’t overlook the nature

of the speech or expressive activities

involved. Remember that “true threats”

are not protected speech, and even

if a student’s speech does not quali-

fy as a true threat, where the safety

of a student or members of the stu-

dent body is involved, courts are less

likely to second-guess an adminis-

trator’s decision to discipline or sus-

pend another student.

Courts have been slow to pick up on

the distinguishing features of Internet

speech, but there seems to be a grow-

ing awareness of some of these dis-

tinctions in several of the latest feder-

al circuit opinions addressing Internet

speech.

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Please define what is meant by

a “true threat” and how that might

be interpreted in a school setting?

The Supreme Court in Virginia

v. Black defined a true threat as the

communication “of a serious expres-

sion of intent to commit an act of

unlawful violence on a particular indi-

vidual or group of individuals.” An

objective test is applied when deter-

mining if a statement meets the true-

threat test. The Seventh Circuit

evaluates not what a speaker intend-

ed, but whether the recipient could

have reasonably regarded the state-

ment as a true threat.

The Eighth Circuit in its Han-

nibal decision found one student’s

instant messages to another student

in which he discussed getting a gun

and shooting other students quali-

fied as a true threat. Several other

circuits have held statements made

in student essays or in a student’s

notebook describing the student

shooting a teacher and/or other stu-

dents also qualified as true threats.

Because a true threat does not

constitute protected speech, the First

Amendment does not provide any

impediment to disciplining a student

for making these types of threaten-

ing statements.

What’s the difference for free

speech rights for high school students

and those for elementary students,

or is there any?

The Seventh Circuit has rec-

ognized that the younger the student,

the more leeway school administra-

tors have in regulating their speech.

In other words, speech that may be

inappropriate for a third grader would

not be viewed as lewd or vulgar for

high school students. Like with any

other First Amendment issue, a con-

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text-specific approach has to be tak-

en involving student speech.

What about offensive speech,

such as those issues raised by the

breast cancer awareness bracelets?

The breast cancer awareness

(I love boobies) bracelets pose a dif-

ficult question for school districts,

and the answer will likely vary

depending on the age range of the

particular student body. At least

two federal district court decisions

address a school’s ban of these

bracelets and the courts reach con-

trary holdings. In one case out of

Pennsylvania, the court held ban-

ning the bracelets violated a stu-

dent’s First Amendment rights.

However, a district court in Wis-

consin rejected identical arguments

and concluded the ban was per-

missible under the First Amend-

ment. Clearly, this is an example

where context has to be considered.

These bracelets would not be

considered vulgar or lewd in a high

school setting. If an elementary or

middle school decides to ban these

bracelets, it should consider allow-

ing some other means for the stu-

dents to get out their message about

breast cancer awareness.

When addressing vulgar or lewd

speech, school districts should remem-

ber that the Supreme Court in Frasi-

er limited that exception to speech

that occurred in a school setting, and

it is an open question whether Inter-

net speech that is lewd or vulgar but

does not meet the test for obsceni-

ty can be a basis for student disci-

pline.

What should the district’s posi-

tion be about student Internet speech

that is not directed at the school or

a member of the school community?

How does such off-campus speech

find its way to school?

Anything posted on the Internet

can potentially make its way onto a

school campus simply by students

bringing their smart phones, tablets

or laptops to school. This question

strikes at a split in the circuits con-

cerning when Tinker’s substantial

disruption can be applied to student

Internet speech.

Most of the circuits when address-

ing this issue have applied a rea-

sonable foreseeability test. However,

the concurring judges in the Third

Circuit would only permit Tinker

to be applied when Internet speech

is intentionally directed toward the

school. A number of lower courts have

explained that school administrators

should not view themselves as cen-

sors of the Web.

Unfortunately for school districts

in Illinois, the Seventh Circuit has

not addressed this precise issue. Until

the Supreme Court addresses the

issue and provides further guidance,

where a student’s Internet speech

does not target the school, another

student or a member of the school’s

staff, and does not invade the rights

of others, school districts should con-

sider using the student’s inappropri-

ate speech as a teaching moment.

Bring it to the attention of the stu-

dent and his or her parents, explain

why you believe it is inappropriate

and let the student’s parents take the

disciplinary action.

How can board policy help ensure

that the district is acting within its

scope regarding these First Amend-

ment issues?

Before a school district can take

disciplinary action against a student

for misconduct involving the mis-

use of social media or the Internet,

students should have some prior

notice that the activity is prohibit-

ed, thereby affording the student

with an opportunity to conform his

or her conduct to the school district’s

code of conduct. Thus, a school

board’s disciplinary policy should

clearly define and prohibit bullying,

cyberbullying, harassing, threaten-

ing and intimidating speech or

behavior irrespective of how it is

com municated.

In Illinois, school districts have

an obligation to intervene with stu-

dents whose conduct “puts them at

risk for aggressive behavior, includ-

ing without limitation, bullying, as

defined in the [district’s disciplinary]

policy.” 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14(d).

Including cyberbullying in your school

district’s definition of bullying pro-

vides school administrators with a

basis to impose appropriate disci-

pline for the use of social media or

the Internet to intentionally intimi-

date, harass, threaten or otherwise

bully other students. A reference to

speech or the use of the Internet or

social media that invades the rights

of others should be incorporated into

the policy.

Consider explaining that stu-

dents can be disciplined for their

Internet speech or the use of social

media that targets other students for

harassment, intimidation or bully-

ing. Students should be warned that

their use of the Internet or social

media that could foreseeably reach

the school and could foreseeably cre-

ate a risk of substantial disruption or

that invades the rights of others at

school can provide a basis for disci-

pline.

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C O V E R S T O R Y

It’s fall. Cross country teams are

running a course through town.

Football players are tossing the pigskin.

Volleyball teams are working on the

bump, set and spike.

But can every student in the dis-

trict afford to play? Are there stu-

dents sitting out this season because

their families can’t afford the athlet-

ic fees?

And what can school board mem-

bers do to balance the goals of fiscal

responsibility with student partici-

pation in extracurricular activities?

As school boards debate fees,

they often discuss the importance of

extracurricular activities.

The National Center for Edu-

cation Statistics examined the rela-

tionship between extracurricular

participation and student engage-

ment in school using data from pub-

lic high school seniors in a 1992

National

Edu-

cation Longitudinal Study. Although

the analysis couldn’t ascertain defin-

itively whether participation in

extracurricular activities leads to

increased success at school, the data

did show that students who partici-

pated in extracurricular activities

had better attendance, were more

likely to have a GPA of 3.0 or greater

and were more likely to expect to

earn a bachelor’s degree.

In addition, the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services rec-

ommends at least 60 minutes daily

of physical activity for students ages

6 to 17. The Institute of Medi-

cine’s report Preventing

Childhood Obesity:

Health in the Balance

also recommends that

schools provide a sig-

nificant portion of a stu-

dent’s physical activity

minutes.

Extracurricular

sports, in addition to

physical education

classes, help meet those

goals.

However, school boards also face

uncertainty over state funding, prop-

erty tax appeals and the rising costs

of educating today’s students. How

can they continue to provide extracur-

Terri McHugh is

community rela-

tions director for

School District

54 in Schaum-

burg, Illinois.

Saving extracurricularswith ‘pay-to-play’ fees

by Terri McHugh


ricular activities for all students and

balance the budget at the same time?

“You’re never going to balance

your budget with the fees you charge

for activities or registration,” said Jeff

King, chief operations officer for School

District U-46 in Elgin. The U-46 bud-

get is more than $400 million; fees

account for only about $2.5 million

in revenue.

This year the U-46 school board

voted to increase the fees for football

— the most expensive sport in the

district — by $50, to $200. The fee

for other sports will remain at $150.

King said the only individuals who

spoke against the increase were some

of the football coaches.

In response, he provided them

with information that showed par-

ents paid up to $325 to enroll their

children in the youth feeder football

programs before the students entered

high school, and some of those fees

didn’t include equipment. For exam-

ple, the South Elgin youth football

league charges $325 for tackle foot-

ball, leaving parents with still need-

ing to purchase a practice jersey and

pants, pads for the pants, a cup and

a mouthpiece.

U-46 has looked at ways to cut

costs in the district instead of just boost-

ing extracurricular fees. Last year it

consolidated the high school trans-

portation program from 1,271 bus stops

to 271 by having high school students

walk up to a mile to a local elementary

school or park. With state funding for

transportation declining, the district’s

transportation fund is expected to have

a deficit again this year.

King said the district may imple-

ment a similar program with middle

school bus stops next year.

This summer, the district also

updated its routing software with a

program that will monitor when bus-

es are idling. King predicts a large

savings in fuel costs — up to 10 per-

cent — will be realized by moni-

toring drivers and enforcing more

efficient fuel usage.

Transportation is a factor in ath-

letic costs as well, as teams travel

to other schools for games. By mak-

ing these changes to the transporta-

tion program, U-46 may not have to

charge for transporting athletes home

after practices or to competitions —

costs that might make participa-

tion even more prohibitive.

Even with the $50 increase, the

football fees collected do not even

cover the cost of reconditioning hel-

mets and shoulder pads each year,

King said. In addition, U-46 waives

athletics fees for students who qual-

ify for the free lunch program, or

about 50 percent of the district’s stu-

dents. Although this is not state law,

it is U-46 board policy. In addition,

the district had about $500,000 in

uncollected fees this year.

“It’s complicated,” King said.

“Should the taxpayer be subsidizing

a student who wants to play football?

On the other hand, should I tell the

free lunch student he can’t play? We

are reallocating some resources for

those who don’t have them.”

King recommended that school

boards survey their citizens or bring

the discussion to a citizen group. He

plans to pursue one or both of those

options the next time U-46 consid-

ers a fee increase. Although the dis-

trict reviews fees every year, the board

hasn’t increased them each year.

Something has to give

The Minooka High School Dis-

trict 111 board of education debat-

ed extracurricular fees this spring.

Currently, the 2,500 students at the

two Minooka campuses do not pay a

fee for athletics or other extracur-

ricular activities. However, the dis-

trict faced a roughly $3.2 million

deficit for 2012-13 and something

needed to change.

“Our revenue is largely based on

property taxes,” said Todd Drafall,

district business manager. “We had

a significant drop in revenue due to

a drop in EAV (equalized assessed

valuation).”

The board voted not to imple-

ment a fee for 2012-13, but looked

at other ways to reduce expenditures.

Minooka did raise its registration

fee by $20 to $210. The board

approved cuts to capital expendi-

tures, reduced some administrative

positions, and made adjustments in

purchased services and supplies. In

addition, the administration office

moved from a leased storefront into

one of the district’s schools.

These adjustments reduced the

district’s deficit by $2.2 million with-

out cutting any certified staff or adding

a fee for extracurricular activities.

“The finance committee, which

“You’re never going to balance your

budget with the fees you charge for

activities or registration,” said Jeff

King, chief operations officer for School

District U-46 in Elgin. The U-46 budget

is more than $400 million; fees account

for only about $2.5 million in revenue.


includes board members, had some

concerns about reducing students’

options to be a part of athletics and

activities,” Drafall said. “The board

is very concerned about families’ abil-

ity to pay for services and programs.

They have tried to keep the educa-

tion costs down for the families at

these schools. Our goal is to mini-

mize impact to classroom and stu-

dents as much as possible.”

Minooka’s budget now is esti-

mated to end with a $1 million deficit

for 2012-13, but Drafall said the deficit

would be covered with district reserves

for the next two years. The option to

implement athletic fees will come up

again as the board reviews fees every

year.

Although Minooka doesn’t have

a participation fee, many families still

spend money on summer sports

camps, equipment and other costs

related to sports participation.

Successful athletic programs also

can prove costly. In addition to the

costs for coaches and equipment,

Minooka has had many teams advance

to post-season state competitions in

the past few years. At that point, the

district also covers the cost for trav-

el and hotel accommodations.

Although Minooka is not charg-

ing a fee for now, Drafall said public

sentiment is that if the district is ever

in a position of cutting extracurric-

ular programs or charging a fee, that

it should charge the fee.

If the fee should ever become

necessary, he said he would work

with the booster club or other spon-

sors to help cover the costs for fam-

ilies that cannot afford the fee. In

Minooka, 10 percent of families qual-

ify for the free lunch program, the

usual determinant for a family’s abil-

ity to pay.

“Any time you charge a fee you

create a barrier,” he said. “Our board

tries to keep those barriers as low as

possible.”

Another way

The board at Dixon Unit School

District 170 tried a different tactic.

The Student Worker Assistance Pro-

gram (SWAP) allows any student,

regardless of financial need, to work

for the district in the summer in order

to pay for the student’s athletic fee

for the upcoming seasons.

“We knew some of our parents

were struggling with paying the fees,

especially the athletic fees which are

not covered under the federal guide-

lines of free and reduced lunch,” said

Margo Empen, assistant superinten-

dent.

Dixon High School charges $125

A coach’s perspective by Christina Nevitt

Students can choose from a long list of after-school

activities these days: sports, theater, music, church

groups, volunteer work, jobs … the list is endless. A

job comes with pay, but the rest come at a cost. For those

that are school-related, it is becoming increasingly more

difficult for districts to figure out a way to foot the bill.

Some districts have chosen a “pay-to-play” plan for

students interested in participating in athletics at school

in order to help fill the money crunch. That approach

may solve part of the money issue, but what happens to

students who can’t afford to play? What happens to their

opportunity?

When I first heard about “pay-to-play” at the high

school level, I had mixed emotions. As a teacher and

cheerleading coach at my high school, I know times are

tough for schools where funding is concerned, but what

about my students who don’t qualify for free/reduced

lunch, but their families struggle financially? In a

“pay-to-play” situation, these kids get left out. They can’t

get assistance, because they aren’t bad off enough, but

they aren’t well off enough to pay the fee to participate.

I was active in high school. I ran cross-country in

the fall, track in the spring, and was a cheerleader through-

out. I also participated in theater and was a member of

our swing choir. Every year there was a cost for it all. I

needed new running shoes for cross country, new spikes

for track, a new dress for swing choir, a costume for

the musical, and cheerleading … well that topped them

all!

My parents worked hard to make sure I could do all

of these things, but it was expensive. If I would have had

to pay-to-play my sports on top of purchasing all the

things I needed to participate, I am not sure I would have

been able to do it all.

Dani Molifua is one of my cheer parents. She dis-

agrees with “pay-to-play.”


for the first sport and $75 for each

additional sport, with a family cap of

$300.

SWAP was the idea of Empen and

Laura Sward, a student services sec-

retary at Reagan Middle School. The

idea emerged as they were discussing

how to help families in need after a

plant in the area closed, putting many

families on unemployment. The num-

ber of students receiving free and

reduced lunch rose to nearly 50 per-

cent.

“We have to be able to meet the

needs of our families,” Sward said.

“It’s hard enough being a parent, but

to be a parent in these economic times

and give our children what they need

is very hard. Parents, what are you

going to do — pay the electric bill or

pay for Danny to go to football?”

This summer, 167 students

worked for the district at $8 an hour

in various maintenance, custodial

and summer school jobs. A student

who only plays one sport can earn

his or her fee in fewer than 16 hours.

Dixon High School has about 800 stu-

dents.

Each spring, students who will

be in high school the following year

receive a letter inviting them to par-

ticipate in SWAP. (A copy of the let-

ter and application can be found online

at http://www.dixonschools.org/index.

php/students/swap-information.)

The application includes a contract

which spells out expectations for the

students and must be signed by the

student and a parent.

More than one-third of students

who play sports participate in SWAP.

High school students can also work

to pay the cost of sports for a middle

school sibling. Middle school students,

who must pay $50 to participate in

a sport at school, aren’t eligible for

the SWAP program.

Students are assigned to a vari-

ety of jobs including painting, mov-

ing classrooms, doing custodial or

light maintenance work, or work-

ing in summer school programs.

Because they are employees of the

district, the students are covered

under the district’s workman’s comp

insurance but do not receive bene-

fits.

“One of our goals is that we place

a lot of eighth-graders into positions

at the high school to give them a real-

ly good connection before they start

high school,” Empen said.

Sward shared a story of one fresh-

man who qualifies for special edu-

cation services and is a gifted athlete.

She worked in the high school office

this past summer so she will know

her way around the school and meet

“We are a family of six who has always struggled

financially. [Pay-to-play] may require a family to have

to pick and choose which child (if any) can play and what

they can play,” said Molifua. “Kids need the opportuni-

ty to explore their likes and dislikes to further develop

and decide what they want to do with their lives. Play-

ing sports and being involved in other school activities

has required that [my kids] maintain good grades and

adhere to rules that they might not otherwise have adhered

to if not for playing ball.”

Both of Molifua’s older sons went to college on schol-

arships to play football. If they had been required to pay,

they might not have been able to play, which means they

would not have been offered a scholarship, and ultimately

may not have had the opportunity to go to college at all.

Are “pay-to-play” districts creating a disservice to

their students who can’t afford to pay, but are also inel-

igible for assistance? What if fundraising isn’t an option?

How can we make sure to involve those students who

would benefit so much from organized sports/activities?

A right or easy answer to this debate doesn’t exist.

Districts must do what is best financially for the district

and their students. “Pay-to-play” should be revisited

every year, and districts should have a plan in place for

students who fall through the “can’t-afford-to-pay-but-

don’t-qualify-for-assistance crack.”

As a teacher, coach and parent, however, I will con-

tinue to try to make sure I can give them every possi-

ble opportunity to participate in what they are passionate

about … whether it’s football, baseball, cheerleading,

theater, music or even the ping-pong club.

Christina Nevitt teaches journalism and photography and is

cheerleading coach at North Star High School in Lincoln,

Nebraska. She is the daughter of Journal editor Linda

Dawson.


staff members before the first day of

school.

Empen and Sward said they have

received only positive feedback about

the program.

“One of the big things we’re hear-

ing from the state is not only acade-

mically how can we get kids college-

and career-ready, but also on the

social/emotional level,” Empen said.

“We talk to the SWAP kids about their

clothing and cell phone usage. We

have a two-strikes-and-you’re-out

policy. After the second warning, the

athletic fee becomes the responsi-

bility of the parent.”

Although SWAP was started to

help offset the costs of athletic fees,

it has produced other benefits as well:

• Parents are using the SWAP pro-

gram to teach their children to be

responsible by having them pay to

participate in sports.

• Students have listed Empen and

Sward as references when they

apply for other jobs.

• Students are taking pride and own-

ership in their schools because

they are helping prepare the schools

for the next school year or helping

prepare younger students acade-

mically.

Although the district is now col-

lecting fewer athletic fees, it is sav-

ing money on other expenditures.

For example, the district used to hire

college students each summer for

painting, general custodial and main-

tenance work. That cost has been

eliminated.

“We could not have hired one

individual for an entire year with full-

time benefits for the cost of this pro-

gram,” Sward said.

The students never receive mon-

ey. Rather the money is transferred

from the Operations and Maintenance

Fund to the Education Fund, where

athletic fees are normally deposited.

The program only covers the cost of

the participation fee. Summer camps

and other costs are still absorbed by

parents, student fundraisers or the

booster club.

Empen and Sward are willing to

share the details behind the Student

Worker Assistance Program with oth-

er interested districts.

“It’s immeasurable in terms of

what this program has done for our

community,” Empen said. “I think

this is something we would offer even

if only 1 percent of our students qual-

ified for free lunch. The college and

career readiness, the social/emotional

benefit, the pride in their school and

the pride in the work they’ve done

— that’s immeasurable.

“We’re teaching kids about life

and good work ethics.”

And that would seem to be the

underlying goal of all extracurricu-

lar activities.

References

Institute of Medicine of the Nation-

al Academies, Preventing Childhood

Obesity: Health in the Balance, 2005

National Center for Education

Statistics, “Extracurricular Partici-

pation and Student Engagement,”

June 1995, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs95/

web/95741.asp

Attend an IASB division meeting at a location near you. Division meetings provide opportunities for networking, professional development, peer recognition,participation in Association governance and learning about IASB resources.

Mark your calendars now!For fall 2012 dates and locations near you, visit www.iasb.com and click on Events Calendar.

DivisionMeetings

Invest one evening, gain benefitsthroughout the year for ...

✔ yourself,✔ your school board, and ✔ your district

THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 19


Setting district prohibitions usu-

ally poses few problems. No

guns at school, no problem. No drugs,

no problem. No tobacco, no alcohol,

no problem.

But, prohibiting obscenities from

being hurled at the referees, umpires,

line judges, the other team’s coach-

es, our own coaches, teachers, the

principal, the superintendent or school

board members? Now that’s a prob-

lem.

“As a taxpaying resident of this

school district (insert name of any

district in Illinois), I have a right to

say what I want, where I want and to

whom I want. And this school district

can’t stop me.”

So goes the thinking of many par-

ents, grandparents, visitors and oth-

ers who venture onto school property

for school functions. Of course peo-

ple become upset when the umpire’s

call goes against the home team …

or when a child’s teacher sends home

bad news about grades. But no rea-

son excuses unsportsmanlike con-

duct at an athletic event or rude

behavior aimed at a teacher in a par-

ent conference.

Luckily, local school boards can

adopt policies and procedures to

address those who display such con-

duct on school property.

The Illinois School Code (105

ILCS 5/1 et seq) empowers school

boards with the authority to make

and enforce rules for school visitors.

Whether at the Friday night football

game or parent-teacher conferences,

school boards (through policy) and

administrators (through their actions)

must control and protect the school

premises, which in most cases, also

means protecting school staff and

athletic officials.

To do so, school boards can

restrict visitors from being on school

property if they have been found in

violation of the board’s visitation pol-

icy rules. School boards can and should

develop reasonable rules for the con-

duct visitors demonstrate on school

property.

105 ILCS 5/24-24 provides, in

part: The board may make and

enforce reasonable rules of con-

duct and sportsmanship for ath-

letic and extracurricular school

events. Any person who violates

such rules may be denied admis-

sion to school events for not more

than one year, provided that writ-

ten 10 days notice of the viola-

tion is given such person and a

hearing had thereon by the board

pursuant to its rules and regu-

lations. The administration of

any school may sign complaints

as agents of the school against

persons committing any offense

at school events.

This code section gives school

boards great latitude but little guid-

ance. The questions become, if a

school board can reasonably limit

visitor conduct then how far do the

prohibitions extend? Second, what

should those “reasonable” rules look

like? And finally, how should the dis-

trict administration enforce those

rules at the violation site and beyond?

Long arm of the law

Section 24-24 does not define its

operative language, so school board’s

policies should provide definitions

needed to enforce the law. PRESS

Board Policy 8:40 defines school prop-

erty as “school buildings, district

Shayne Aldridge,

a former teacher

and special edu-

cation adminis-

trator, is a school

law attorney from

Pleasant Plains.

Stand your ground …How to keep the peaceat activities, conferences

by Shayne Aldridge


buildings not being used as a school,

vehicles used for school purposes,

any location during a school ath-

letic and other school-sponsored

event, and school grounds.”

We can all agree that a school

board has the right to enforce its pol-

icy rules in areas it clearly owns, but

this policy goes well beyond the

school’s property as it extends to “any

location” during a school-sponsored

activity.

The PRESS policy’s definition of

“school property” allows a school

board to discipline individuals con-

nected to its district who visit the

grounds of another school district to

attend a school-sponsored event.

That means a parent who attends the

academic team’s tournament at an

opposing school’s building and who

violates the “reasonable rules of con-

duct and sportsmanship for athlet-

ic and extracurricular school events”

may be asked to leave the building

and could face further possible dis-

cipline from his or her resident school

district.

Having authority to promulgate

“reasonable” rules of conduct, school

districts should express their expec-

tations for “mutual respect, civility,

and orderly conduct among all indi-

viduals on school property or at a

school event.” Local school boards

should review their board policies to

determine if those policies address

the conduct most likely to occur

on school property. The policy should

cover all prohibited conduct man-

dated in the School Code, and also

conduct unique to a school district.

For example, if a high school his-

torically had specific misconduct,

the board also should include that

conduct in its prohibited conduct

list. The list, at a minimum, should

For information, contact:Anna Lovern

Phone: 217-528-9688, ext. 1125E-mail: [email protected]

Based on IASB’s popular sample updating service,PRESS, and using the information provided by that service, PRESS Plus provides additional assistance inkeeping your policy manual up to date by

• identifying suggested policy changes for yourunique district,

• providing quick and easy checklists for policyoptions,

• maintaining and updating legal references, crossreferences, tables of contents, and indexes,

• maintaining a consistent style and format ,

• providing the word processing support necessaryto incorporate policy revisions into your localboard policy manual.

IS HARDTO DO

KEEPING UP

With changes to policy that is.

IASB can help.


include the following:

• Injuring, threatening, or intimi-

dating district staff, sports officials

or coaches;

• Damaging or defacing district

property;

• Smoking or otherwise using tobac-

co products in any form;

• Consuming, distributing, or being

under the influence of alcohol or

drugs;

• Possessing dangerous devices or

weapons; and

• Disrupting or interfering with school

activities.

The above list sets forth specif-

ic misconduct, which when com-

mitted on school property will result

in some type of discipline, whether

it’s ejection from property, confisca-

tion of prohibited items or even police

intervention.

The misconduct list does not

include behaviors considered unsports-

manlike during an athletic or extracur-

ricular event. Unsportsmanlike conduct

may not rise to the culpability levels

in the misconduct list, so the school

board should adopt a policy address-

ing unsportsmanlike conduct for

which an individual may be ejected

from the event or even denied admis-

sion to future school events for up to

one calendar year.

Specific behaviors

Below are some unsportsman-

like conduct examples a school board

may want to include in its policy

regarding behavior during a school-

sponsored event:

One prolific unsportsmanlike

behavior at athletic events is using

vulgar or obscene language. Who has-

n’t tossed an epitaph or two at a ref-

eree during a heated contest? But

there is a line that, when crossed, the

school board policy must allow eject-

ing the individual from the school

property.

Friday night lights and alcohol

mix like fire and gasoline. At times

tempers flare, so possessing or being

under the influence cannot be allowed

at school events.

And then, when an individual’s

conduct becomes out of control, some-

one from the school must ask the per-

son to leave school property. At times,

individuals refuse to leave, so the pol-

icy should include language regard-

ing an attendee’s failure to obey the

instructions of a security officer or

school district employee as unsports-

manlike conduct that could result in

further disciplinary action. Other

than kicking the person out of the

volleyball game, what can a district

do?

School administrators have to

take appropriate action to enforce

board policy. However, there are only

so many ways to handle the violations:

• asking the individual to refrain

from the offensive conduct,

• ejecting offender from the site,

• disciplining under the student con-

duct code, or

• calling law enforcement for tres-

passing.

The School Code allows a board

of education the extreme option to

“expel” a policy violator for up to one

calendar year. The process begins

when a superintendent schedules a

school board hearing and sends a

hearing notice by certified mail with

return receipt requested to the offend-

ing party.

The notice must be delivered at

least 10 days before the school board

hearing date, and must contain the

same type of information contained

in a student expulsion notice. The

school board then hears the evidence

and makes a determination of guilt

and punishment. The offender can

avoid this public process by waiving

the board hearing, if desired.

School boards have the author-

ity and process for denying individ-

uals and students from attending

future games, contests and events. It

doesn’t matter if the misconduct was

at a different school building or prop-

erty; the home school has the abili-

ty to ban the offender from all events,

both home and away.

Yet, with this power comes respon-

sibility. All school boards should have

such participant policies in place and

should review them with all partici-

pants at the season’s start so that

administrators can stand their ground

and keep peace on school property.

“This resume is filled with lies and distortions. How’d you like to write political campaign attack ads?”



School districts across Illinois

are constantly challenged to

do more with less and tighten their

fiscal belts. Yet, at many high schools,

the largest part of their campus (besides

the main building) typically receives

scant attention, even though it’s often

both costly and wasteful.

We’re talking about competition

athletic fields made of natural grass,

which lack durability, have high main-

tenance costs and require large vol-

umes of water for irrigation. Depending

on the region, a typical grass sports

field can use between 500,000 to one

million gallons of water or more each

year. Although space for outdoor activ-

ities is limited at many high schools,

this expansive piece of real estate

often lies unused for all but 400 hours

or so each year.

Such shortcomings are the main

reason why many schools are replac-

ing their sod with synthetic turf. This

conversion turns a part-time gridiron

into a multi-purpose venue for oth-

er sports, PE classes, marching band

practices and community events.

Some synthetic fields get more than

3,000 hours of use each year.

As districts look for ways to con-

tinue offering students a variety of

extracurricular activities without

depleting their shrinking budgets,

school boards and administrators might

want to consider various creative strate-

gies to get more value from all their

athletic fields and related facilities.

Replacing sod fields with synthetic

turf is one obvious option, which often

involves upgrading running tracks,

bleachers, lighting and/or scoreboards.

Renovating field houses is another

possibility that can provide oppor-

tunities to build fitness centers for stu-

dents and the community.

These projects usually are on

extremely tight schedules because

they can be done only during sum-

mer break. The keys to success for

such projects are 1) planning to avoid

problems likely to occur, 2) adapting

quickly to the unexpected and 3)

anticipating future needs for students,

as well as the infrastructure. Here are

some of the insights gained and lessons

learned from our experiences on pro-

jects for high schools throughout the

Chicago area.

Why synthetic turf

With high schools giving students

more options for extracurricular activ-

ities in sports, the arts, and special

interest clubs and groups, space lim-

itations and scheduling are knotty

issues. At a number of schools, it’s

not uncommon to see track athletes

running in the corridors after regu-

lar hours. Rain or inclement weath-

er can exacerbate the problem.

The solution: multi-functional

spaces. As noted, one of the best ways

to “gain” flexible space is by con-

verting grass fields to synthetic turf.

This provides a consistent year-round,

all-weather playing surface built to

withstand extended use without down-

time for recovery.

The latest generation of synthetic

turf replicates lush natural grass in

appearance, function and safety for

athletes. Its biggest advantages over

grass are durability and versatility.

A heavy rain can render a grass foot-

ball field useless for days, and nat-

ural grass cannot withstand getting

trampled down and compacted by

hundreds of feet in tight formation.

(Now you know why marching bands

usually practice on paved surfaces!)

In contrast, high schools can put

synthetic turf fields to good use from

Kevin Havens is

senior vice presi-

dent and director

of design, Craig

Polte is construc-

tion project

manager and

Byron Wyns is

director of land

development

for Wight &

Company,

Darien, Illinois.

Athletic fields and facilities …Not just extracurricular,but extra value for schools

by Kevin Havens, Byron Wyns and Craig Polte


sunrise until late in the evening. They

can be used for PE classes, or as

makeshift practice fields for other

sports such as baseball or softball

when, for example, dirt infields become

too muddy following a rain. Other

uses might include middle school

sports programs, community groups,

summer camps and local youth foot-

ball programs.

Also consider that synthetic turf

fields are less costly to maintain and

have environmental benefits. The

Synthetic Turf Council estimates that,

in 2010, the use of synthetic turf con-

served between three billion to six

billion gallons of water. It’s no won-

der that more than 6,000 multi-use

synthetic turf sports fields are now

being used at schools, colleges, parks

and professional sports stadiums

throughout North America.

Planning considerations

Athletic field renovations are not

as simple as re-sodding your lawn. A

number of factors must be carefully

considered and effectively managed

throughout the design, project man-

agement and construction phases for

such projects. These include:

• Turf product selection, procure-

ment and installation

• Accommodating the needs of oth-

er sports, especially track and field,

and soccer

• Athletic schedule coordination

• Upgrading bleachers, concession

areas, lighting and other amenities

• Comprehensive scope consider -

ations

• “Under turf” utilities coordination

• Regulatory compliance regarding

drainage and stormwater detention

• Applying sustainability best prac-

tices in design, construction and

maintenance

Extremely tight construction

schedules demand careful planning

and preparation to avoid costly delays.

For example, it’s important to pro-

cure the turf as early as possible (we

usually purchase our turf systems for

clients the previous December) and

schedule the installation with con-

tractors.

Since all high schools are doing

their field renovations at the same

time and the top turf suppliers get

the lion’s share of this business, lock-

ing down your installation dates

means you won’t have to wait on con-

tractors getting tied up on other pro-

jects.

An integrated approach

Thoughtful planning and an inte-

grated approach to design and con-

struction not only gain efficiencies

in project management, but also can

provide significant financial benefits.

At Community High School District

99, for example, extensive athletic

field renovations at Downers Grove

North and South high schools were

part of a comprehensive site mas-

ter plan that touched all areas of their

campuses.

By integrating planning, archi-

tecture, engineering, estimating and

construction management for new

football fields, running tracks and

other synthetic grass and hybrid sur-

face athletic fields at both schools,

District 99 was able to work through

some difficult planning circumstances

beyond its control.

This integrated design-build pro-

ject approach helped the school suc-

cessfully resolve a sticky permit issue.

Although local stormwater ordinances

were expected to change in the dis-

trict’s favor, District 99 could not get

a construction permit for the field at

South High unless its plans complied

with the existing regulations.

Our solution was to design the

project for two scenarios — one if the

changes didn’t occur and the other

if they did. This enabled the dis-

trict to proceed with construction as

scheduled, and, when the new, less

restrictive ordinances did go into

effect, it was able to switch plans and

consequently did not have to build

an underground detention vault.

“We avoided spending more than

$500,000 on this, which gave us the

funds for an extra athletic field,” said

Martin Schack, director of physical

plant and operations for CHSD 99.

“We also saved money by following

a .recommendation to recycle demol-

ished concrete and asphalt materi-

als on-site or ship them between

schools instead of to a landfill.”

Both projects involved widening

and striping the synthetic fields for

soccer games, resurfacing the run-

ning tracks and enhancing the plaza

areas. These upgrades were a factor

in the IHSA’s decision to select the

schools to host boys’ and girls’ soc-

cer sectionals, which enabled boost-

er clubs to make additional revenues

from concession stands.

Rethinking functionality

As extracurricular activities pro-

liferate (Who could have anticipat-

ed the popularity of pep flags?), a

shortage of space can be problemat-

ic, even for schools with several aux-

iliary gyms. Rethinking areas in terms

of their potential functionality can

sometimes lead to adaptive repur-

posing that better suits a school’s cur-

rent needs.

For example, York High School

in Elmhurst CUSD 205 converted its

auto shop into a fitness center. Lemont


THSD 210, however, went in the oppo-

site direction with an old spectator

gym by inserting a mezzanine lev-

el, which doubled its available floor

space at Lemont High. One level is

used for dining and food service, while

the other has practice areas for band

and orchestra programs.

At Joliet Central High School,

which is listed on the National Reg-

ister of Historic Places, field house

additions designed to blend with the

character of the existing campus

enabled the school to expand its ath-

letic and intramural programs from

a joint program with Joliet West to

two separate programs in Joliet THSD

204.

Common areas also are prime

candidates for repurposing, as

Naperville CUSD 203 learned. The

student commons at Naperville Cen-

tral High School (created from a new-

ly enclosed open courtyard) was

cleared out after school and used as

a practice area for pom-pom squads

and cheerleading teams, which require

high ceilings for their pyramid rou-

tines.

Lessons learned

Here are some additional ideas

gleaned from our experiences that

may be helpful to high school admin-

istrators and facilities managers

involved in these types of projects:

• Take a big-picture view of your

project, encompassing current and

future needs regarding:

✦ Stadium structure, bleachers,

press boxes and concession

areas;

✦ Lockers and training facilities;

✦ Utilities infrastructure, includ-

ing electronics for scoreboards

and timing systems for track

and field;

✦ A/V feeds from press boxes back

to the school facility for future

use;

✦ Pedestrian and vehicular cir-

culation and parking.

• Get construction and project man-

agement professionals involved

during the design phase to iden-

tify and address potential prob-

lems before they occur in the field.

• Make sure you and your con-

struction partner are familiar with

all applicable regulatory ordinances,

as stormwater and drainage issues

will likely be your biggest challenges.

• Put bids out early, no later than

January for a June installation.

• Be aware of neighborhood light-

ing thresholds if you’re installing

new lights.

• Put in markings that that will make

it easy to add temporary striping

for other sports (e.g., lacrosse,

which is becoming more popular),

when installing a new field.

By thinking through the district’s

current needs and anticipating oth-

er possibilities, school boards will be

able to optimize their expenditures

while increasing their options for

student activities and community

use.

Heartfelt

Thanks!

School Board

Members Day

NOVEMBER 152 0 1 2

Thanks!Heartfelt

www.iasb.com/sbmd.cfm

SCHOOLBOARD

MEMBERS DAY

New Materialsfor

SCHOOLBOARD

MEMBERS DAY

will be available

beginning

Monday,

September 10

at

THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012 25


After several years of partici-

pating and observing the jury

process for IASB’s annual Exhibit

of Educational Environments (EEE),

combined with the evolution of knowl-

edge about what education environ-

ments should be, the committee in

charge of this conference event decid-

ed to revisit how the submissions are

made and juried.

Much of the evaluation previ-

ously was based on technical aspects

and architectural appeal of the school

design. However, these criteria did

not fit well into the actual jury dis-

cussion once the field of projects was

narrowed.

In addition, too many of the pho-

tographs submitted with the projects

focused on the building lobby or exte-

rior, often leaving the jury guessing

and searching the floor plans to deter-

mine if the design provided a quali-

ty learning environment.

To clarify the process both for

the judges and the entrants, we have

returned to the true intent of the EEE

awards program. We started with the

title: “Exhibition of Education Envi-

ronments,” which we believe was and

is very clear in its intent.

Next, we examined what the term

“Award of Distinction” implied. As

the highest of three awards given in

this program, we believe it clearly

indicates that a certain standard of

excellence must be met to qualify for

the recognition.

The primary purpose of the jury

is to recognize districts that have

invested in providing the best learn-

ing environments for students to suc-

ceed. That’s why we refocused the

judging criteria to look at each school

project as a pliable, flexible instru-

ment for educators to use and adapt

with future shifts and change. With

an occasional exception, we have

found that most architectural firms

delivering these qualities tend also

to have exceptional skill at creating

aesthetic solutions.

While we know several new

schools and major additions always

will be submitted to the program, the

other categories tended to vary from

year to year. Therefore, the com-

mittee decided to expand the cate-

gories in order to: (1) improve the

opportunity for recognition and; (2)

encourage submissions that other-

wise would not be entered or would

have difficulty competing.

Although the EEE program now

has three additional categories, there

is no guarantee that an award will be

made in each category. With that said,

here are the six categories for school

design projects:

• New Schools

• Major Additions

• Minor Additions (under 10,000

gross square feet)

• Major Renovation or Adaptive Reuse

• Special Project — Historic Preser-

vation or Sensitive Rehab

• Special Project — Small Projects

under $4 million or single spaces

Moving from the submissions to

the jury side of the discussion, the

committee also reorganized and

weighted how the jury scores each

project. This serves two purposes:

(1) to clearly communicate to school

boards, administrators and architects

what is expected to achieve an Award

of Distinction; and (2) to give appro-

priate weight to a project’s ability

to create an exceptional learning envi-

ronment.

To accomplish this, each entrant

is required to write a short synopsis

for each of the five criteria. By fol-

lowing the suggested characteristics

as guidance, submitters have a chance

to “tell the story” behind their pro-

ject. Here are the five criteria, weight-

ed grades and characteristics:

• Program/Challenge (0-30 pts)

David Henebry is

a principal with

LZT Associates,

Inc./Larson &

Darby Group. He

is also chairman

of the IASB Invi-

tational Exhibit of

Educational Envi-

ronments on

behalf of the

IASB Service

Associates,

which sponsors

the school design

awards program

at the Joint Annu-

al Conference.

Also serving on

the EEE commit-

tee are: Mark Joli-

coeur, principal

with Perkins+

Will, and Glenn

Eriksson, presi-

dent, Eriksson

Engineering

Associates.

EEE awards put emphasison quality learning spaces

by David Henebry


✦ Functional relationships

✦ Special challenges met

✦ Community partnerships

✦ Context: urban/suburban/rural

• How the facility meets 21st cen-

tury education environmental needs

(0-30 pts)

✦ Project-based learning

✦ Integrated curriculum

✦ Integration of technology with

curriculum

✦ Learning styles/multiple intel -

ligences

• Design (0-20 pts)

✦ Context

✦ Color

✦ Pleasant learning environment

✦ Age appropriate

✦ Furnishings

• Unique energy efficiency or green

features (0-10 pts)

✦ Green power

✦ Innovative design

• Safety (N/A to renovation/rehab/spe-

cial projects) (0-10 pts)

✦ Passive security design

✦ Traffic patterns

In addition to these narratives,

projects are judged by the submitted

drawings and photographs that sup-

port the “story” of how they suc-

cessfully designed and implemented

an educational environment to meet

the needs of that district.

While architectural features and

elements significantly affect the cul-

ture of the school, the EEE jury looks

primarily at the learning spaces and

how the district and architect met

the challenge of providing students

the best and most effective opportu-

nity to learn, through visual stimu-

lation, interaction and expression of

systems.

One final change has been made

to the 2012 exhibition. Although the

committee has traditionally recog-

nized specific “green” projects, we

acknowledge that even poorly designed

schools can achieve LEED (Leader-

ship in Energy and Environmental

Design) certification. With that in

mind, the committee has elected to

identify all exhibited projects that

presents

WORKSHOPSat the 2012 80th IASB•IASA•IASBOJoint Annual Conference

November 16, 2012 • Sheraton Chicago Hotel

CORE CREDIT WORKSHOPS:• The Basics of Governance

• Financial Oversight Essentials for School Boards

• School Board Accountability: Monitoring District Performance

• The Board and its Superintendent:Developing and Maintaining an

Effective Relationship (Half-Day Workshop)

ELECTIVE CREDIT WORKSHOPS:

• Comprehensive Workshop for Board Presidents

• An Introduction to CollectiveBargaining for School Board Members

and Administrators• Diversity and Inclusion Awareness

(Half-Day Workshop)

• Leading Across Generations (Half-Day Workshop)

• Inspiring Trust (Half-Day Workshop)

9 NINEFRIDAY


are LEED-certified Silver or higher

with a green tag designation.

The Exhibition of Educational

Environments is an important part

of the Joint Annual Conference

because it recognizes that it requires

an entire “team” to create a solution

worthy of distinction. It begins with

the school district making a com-

mitment to provide exceptional learn-

ing environments and a willingness

to invest in their creation. And it con-

tinues with the architect providing

an exceptional response to the oppor-

tunity to create a solution.

Good luck to all of this year’s

entries. Entries for the 2012 Exhib-

it were due at the IASB office by July

20 and preliminary materials by Sep-

tember 10, to be evaluated on Sep-

tember 13. The judging will be done

in Springfield on a blind basis by a

jury of three school board mem-

bers or administrators and three archi-

tects, appointed by IASB and

experienced in school facilities or

design.

All awards will be announced at

the conference, with awards of dis-

tinction to be featured and present-

ed at the first general session. All

entries chosen by the jury will be dis-

played all three days of the confer-

ence, Nov. 16-18, in the Columbus

Ballroom hallway at the Hyatt Regency,

East Tower, next to the conference

bookstore.

Additional resources

For more information about the

annual Exhibit of Educational Envi-

ronments, visit the IASB website

at: https://www.iasb.com/jac12/eee.

cfm.

For more information about IASB

Service Associates, visit their link at:

https://www.iasb.com/associates/.

Using technology toenhance your

board effectiveness through online

services, such as ...

PRESS, the IASB sample policy and procedure service —

A calendar year subscription to PRESS provides easy Internetaccess 24/7 to sample board policies and administrative procedures, links to legal references and cross references, and an excellent search engine.

School Board Policies Online — IASB will publish your board policy manual online for easyInternet access by the board, staff, students, parents and thecommunity. This online manual will have all of the featuresessential for effectively communicating your board policy,including links to legal references, jumps to cross references,and the same excellent search engine used for PRESS online.

BoardBook® — IASB’s newest online service provides for electronic boardmeetings and board packet preparation and distribution.

Contact IASB Policy Services today for information:630/629-3776 or 217/528-9688Ext. 1214 or [email protected] or [email protected]

IASBPolicyServices



Question 1: Both Republican can-

didates and President Obama are enam-

ored of charter schools — that is,

schools that are privately managed

and deregulated. Are you aware that

studies consistently show that char-

ter schools don’t get better results than

regular public schools? Are you aware

that studies show that, like any dereg-

ulated sector, some charter schools

get high test scores, many more get

low scores, but most are no different

from regular public schools? Do you

recognize the danger in handing pub-

lic schools and public monies over to

private entities with weak oversight?

Didn’t we learn some lessons from the

stock collapse of 2008 about the risk

of deregulation?

Question 2: Both Republican can-

didates and President Obama are enam-

ored of merit pay for teachers based

on test scores. Are you aware that mer-

it pay has been tried in the schools

again and again since the 1920s and

it has never worked? Are you aware

of the exhaustive study of merit pay

in the Nashville schools, conducted

by the National Center for Performance

Incentives at Vanderbilt, which found

that a bonus of $15,000 per teacher

for higher test scores made no dif-

ference?

Question 3: Are you aware that

Milwaukee has had vouchers for low-

income students since 1990, and now

state scores in Wisconsin show that

low-income students in voucher schools

get no better test scores than low-

income students in the Milwaukee

public schools? Are you aware that

the federal test (the National Assess-

ment of Educational Progress) shows

that — after 21 years of vouchers in

Milwaukee — black students in the

Milwaukee public schools score on par

with black students in Mississippi,

Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana?

Question 4: Does it concern you

that cyber charters and virtual acad-

emies make millions for their spon-

sors yet get terrible results for their

students?

Question 5: Are you concerned

that charters will skim off the best-

performing students and weaken our

nation’s public education system?

Question 6: Are you aware that

there is a large body of research by

testing experts warning that it is wrong

to judge teacher quality by student

test scores? Are you aware that these

measures are considered inaccurate

and unstable, that a teacher may be

labeled effective one year, then inef-

fective the next one? Are you aware

that these measures may be strong-

ly influenced by the composition of a

teacher’s classroom, over which she

or he has no control? Do you think

there is a long line of excellent teach-

ers waiting to replace those who are

(in many cases, wrongly) fired?

Question 7: Although elected offi-

cials like to complain about our stand-

ing on international tests, did you

know that students in the United States

have never done well on those tests?

Did you know that when the first inter-

national test was given in the mid-

Diane Ravitch is a

research profes-

sor at New York

University and a

former U.S. assis-

tant secretary of

education. She

has a new blog at

dianeravitch.net .

Her article origi-

nally appeared on

www.neiman-

watchdog.com

and is reprinted

with the author’s

permission.

Questions I would askpoliticians about education

by Diane Ravitch

Don’t miss DianeRavitch Saturday, Nov.17, 2012, as keynote

speaker for the SecondGeneral Session at theIASB/IASA/IASBO Joint

Annual Conference


1960s, the United States came in 12th

out of 12? Did you know that over the

past half-century, our students have

typically scored no better than aver-

age and often in the bottom quartile

on international tests? Have you ever

wondered how our nation developed

the world’s most successful economy

when we scored so poorly over the

decades on those tests?

Question 8: Did you know that

American schools where less than 10

percent of the students were poor

scored above those of Finland, Japan

and Korea in the last international

assessment? Did you know that Amer-

ican schools where 25 percent of the

students were poor scored the same

as the international leaders Finland,

Japan and Korea? Did you know that

the U.S. is #1 among advanced nations

in child poverty? Did you know that

more than 20 percent of our children

live in poverty and that this is far greater

than in the nations to which we com-

pare ourselves?

Question 9: Did you know that

family income is the single most reli-

able predictor of student test scores?

Did you know that every testing pro-

gram — the SAT, the ACT, the NAEP,

state tests and international tests —

shows the same tight correlation

between family income and test scores?

Affluence helps — children in afflu-

ent homes have educated parents,

more books in the home, more vocab-

ulary spoken around them, better med-

ical care, more access to travel and

libraries, more economic security —

as compared to students who live in

poverty, who are more likely to have

poor medical care, poor nutrition, une-

ducated parents, more instability in

their lives. Do you think these things

matter?

Question 10: Are you concerned

that closing schools in low-income

neighborhoods will further weaken

fragile communities?

Question 11: Are you worried that

annual firings of teachers will cause

demoralization and loss of prestige for

teachers? Any ideas about who will

replace those fired because they taught

too many low-scoring students?

Question 12: Why is it that politi-

cians don’t pay attention to research

and studies?

Question 13: Do you know of any

high-performing nation in the world

that got that way by privatizing pub-

lic schools, closing those with low test

scores and firing teachers? The answer:

none.

ExecutiveSearchES

ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS

The Gold Standard of Executive Searches

Selecting a superintendent is the most important decision you will make asschool board members. Our team of highly qualified professionals has boththe experience and expertise to ensure your district finds the best candidate.

IASB is YOUR advocate.• Our executive search team has more than 40 years combined experience in leading searches.

• From 2005-2012, more than 250 Illinois school boards chose IASB to facilitate their search for anew superintendent.

• IASB's competitive search price means you receive the expertise of a highly specialized team of professionals for a tremendous value.

For information contact:

2921 Baker Drive One Imperial Place

Springfield, IL 62703 1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20

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630/629-3776, ext. 1217

www.iasb.com/executive


A Directory of your

IASB ServiceAssociates

IASB Service Associates are businesses whichoffer school-related products and services andwhich have earned favorable repu tations for qual-ity and integrity. Only after screening by theService Associates Executive Committee is abusiness firm invited by the IASB Board ofDirectors to become a Service Associate.

Appraisal ServicesINDUSTRIAL APPRAISAL COMPANY — Insurance

appraisals, property control reports. OakwoodTerrace - 630/827-0280

Architects/EngineersALLIED DESIGN CONSULTANTS, INC. —

Architectural programming, site planning & design,architectural and interior design, and constructionadministration. Springfield - 217/522-3355

ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC. — Architectural, con-struction management and roof consulting. Lombard- 630/495-1900; website: www.arconassoc.com; e-mail: [email protected]

BAYSINGER DESIGN GROUP, INC. — Architecturaldesign services. Marion - 618/998-8015

BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD. —Consulting engineers. Schaumburg - 847/352-4500;website: http://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; website:http://www.bldd.com; e-mail: [email protected]

BRADLEY & BRADLEY — Architects, engineers andasbestos consultants. Rockford - 815/968-9631; web-site: http://www.bradleyandbradley.net/

CANNON DESIGN — Architects. Chicago - 312/960-8034; website: www.cannondesign.com; e-mail:[email protected]

CM ENGINEERING, INC. — Specializing in ultra effi-cient geo-exchange HVAC engineering solutions forschools, universities and commercial facilities.Columbia, MO - 573/874-9455; website: www.cmeng.com

CORDOGAN CLARK & ASSOCIATES — Architectsand engineers; Aurora - 630/896-4678; website:www.cordoganclark.com; e-mail: [email protected]

DESIGN ARCHITECTS, INC. — Architecture, engi-neering, planning and interior design. Hillsboro -217/532-5600; East St. Louis - 618/398-0890; Marion- 618/998-0075; Springfield - 217/787-1199; e-mail:[email protected]

DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC. — Architects, plan-ners, landscape architecture and engineers. Peoria -309/282-8000; Chicago - 312/660-8800; Elgin -847/695-5480; website: www.dewberry.com

DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD. — Architects specializing inpreK-12 educational design, including a full range ofarchitectural services; assessments, planning, feasi-bility studies, new construction, additions, remodel-ing, O&M and owner's rep services. Itasca - 847/742-4063; website: www.dla-ltd.com; e-mail: [email protected]

DLR GROUP, INC. — Educational facility design andmaster planning. Chicago - 312/382-9980; website:www.dlrgroup.com; e-mail: [email protected]

ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD. —Consulting civil engineers and planners. Grayslake -847/223-4804

FANNING/HOWEY ASSOCIATES, INC. — Schoolplanning and design, with a focus on K-12 schools.Park Ridge - 847/292-1039

FGM ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS, INC. — Architects.Oak Brook - 630/574-8300; Peoria - 309/669-0012;Mt. Vernon - 618/242-5620; O’Fallon - 618/624-3364;website: http://www.fgm-inc.com

GREENASSOCIATES, INC. — Architecture/construc-tion services. Deerfield - 847/317-0852, Pewaukee,WI - 262/746-1254; website: www.greenassociates.com; e-mail: [email protected]

HEALY, BENDER & ASSOCIATES, INC. — Archi -tects/Planners. Naperville, 630/904-4300; website:www.healybender.com; e-mail: [email protected]

HUFF ARCHITECTURAL GROUP, INC. — Architects,engineers, construction managers and school con-sultants. Springfield - 217/698-8250; Champaign -217/352-5887

IMAGE ARCHITECTS, INC. — Architects. Carbondale- 618/457-2128

JH2B ARCHITECTS — Architects. Kankakee - 815/933-5529

KENYON & ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS —Complete architectural services for education. Peoria- 309/674-7121

KJWW ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS — Facilityassessments, infrastructure master planning,acoustical engineering, architectural lighting, con-struction administration, systems commissioning.Naperville - 630/753-8500

LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC. — Architects. Chicago -312/258-1555; Oak Brook - 630/990-3535; Wauke -gan - 847/263-3535; Crystal Lake - 815/477-4545

LZT ASSOCIATES, INC./LARSON & DARBY GROUPArchitecture, planning, engineering. Peoria - 309/673-3100; Rockford - 815/484/0739; St. Charles, MO -630/444-2112; website: www.larsondarby.com; e-mail: [email protected]

MECHANICAL SERVICES ASSOCIATES CORP. —HVAC, plumbing and electrical design. Crystal Lake -815/788-8901

MELOTTE-MORSE-LEONATTI, LTD — Architectural,industrial, hygiene and environmental service.Springfield - 217/789-9515

PCM+D — Provide a full range of architectural ser-vices including facility and feasibility studies, architec-tural design construction, consulting and related ser-vices. East Peoria - 309/694-5012

PERKINS+WILL — Architects; Chicago - 312/755-0770; website: www.perkinswill.com; e-mail: [email protected]

RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC. —Architecture, educational planning. Rockford -815/398-1231

RUCKPATE ARCHITECTURE — Architects, engi-neers, interior design. Barrington - 847/381-2946;website: http://www.ruckpate.com; e-mail: [email protected]

SARTI ARCHITECTURAL GROUP, INC. —Architecture, engineering, life safety consulting, inte-rior design and asbestos consultants. Springfield -217/585-9111; e-mail: [email protected]

WIGHT & COMPANY — An integrated services firmwith solutions for the built environment. Darien -630/696-7000; website: http://www.wightco.com; e-mail: [email protected]

WM. B. ITTNER, INC. — Full service architectural firmserving the educational community since 1899.Fairview Heights - 618/624-2080

WRIGHT & ASSOCIATES, INC. — Architecture andconstruction management. Metamora - 309/367-2924

Building ConstructionBOVIS LEND LEASE — Construction Man -

agement/Program Management. Contact JohnDoherty. Chicago - 312/245-1393; website: www.bovislendlease.com; e-mail: [email protected]

CORE CONSTRUCTION — Professional constructionmanagement, design-build and general contractingservices. Morton - 309/266-9768; website: www.COREconstruct.com

FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION — Constructionmanagement and general contracting. Addison -630/628-8500; webite: www.fquinncorp.com

HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. — Fullservice Construction Management and GeneralContracting firm specializing in education facilities.Swansea - 618/277-8870

MANGIERI COMPANIES, INC. — Construction man-agement and general contractor capabilities. Peoria -309/688-6845

POETTKER CONSTRUCTION — Construction man-agement, design/build and general contracting ser-vices. Hillsboro - 217/532-2507

PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT,INC. — Construction management. Mundelein - 847/382-3680

S.M. WILSON & CO. — Provides construction man-agement and general construction services to educa-tion, healthcare, commercial, retail and industrialclients. St. Louis, MO - 314/645-9595

THE GEORGE SOLLITT CONSTRUCTION COM - PANY — Full-service construction managementgeneral contractor with a primary focus on educa-tional facilities. Wood Dale - 630/860-7333; website:www.sollitt.com; e-mail: [email protected]

TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY —Referendum assistance, conceptual and masterplanning, budget assistance or verification, partici-pant in panels, construction management and con-sulting. Chicago - 312/327-2860; website: http://www.turnerconstruction.com; e-mail: [email protected]

Computer SoftwareSOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. — Administrative

Software. Tremont - 888/776-3897; website: http://www.sti-k12.com; e-mail: [email protected]


Environmental ServicesALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC — Facility

Management Systems, Automatic Temperature Con- -trols, Access Control Systems, Energy Saving Solu -tions; Sales, Engineering, Installation, Commis -sioning and Service. Rockford - 815-227-4000; Peoria- 309-688-7411; Springfield - 217-529-3111; Toll-Free- 866-ALPHA-01

CTS-CONTROL TECHNOLOGY & SOLUTIONS —Performance contracting, facility improvements and energy conservation projects. St. Louis, MO -636/230-0843; Chicago - 773/633-0691; website:www.thectsgroup.com; e-mail: [email protected]

ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP — A comprehensiveenergy services and performance contracting com-pany providing energy, facility and financial solutions.Itasca - 630/773-7203

GRP MECHANICAL, INC. — Performance contracting,basic and comprehensive building renovations with afocus on energy and mechanical maintenance ser-vices. Bethalto - 618/779-0050

HONEYWELL, INC. — Controls, maintenance, energymanagement, performance contracting and security.St. Louis, Mo - 314-548-4136; Arlington Heights -847/391-3133; e-mail: [email protected]

IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC. —Asbestos and environmental services. Bloomington -309/828-4259

MECHANICAL INCORPORATED — New construc-tion, renovation, comprehensive and basic preventa-tive maintenance service contracts. Freeport - 815/235-1955; Hillside - 708/449-8080; Rockford - 815/398-1973; Fox Lake - 847/973-1123; website: www.mechinc.com; e-mail: [email protected]

OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHSOLUTIONS, INC. (OEHS) — Industrial hygiene,microbiological evaluations and ergonomics.Chatham - 217/483-9296

RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS — Commercialradon surveys. Burr Ridge - 800/244-4242; website:www.radondetection.net; e-mail: [email protected]

RCM LABORATORIES, INC. — Environmental, healthand safety services. Countryside - 708/485-8600

SECURITY ALARM SYSTEMS — Burglar and firealarms, video camera systems, door access systems,door locking systems, and alarm monitoring. Salem -618/548-5768

Financial ServicesBERNARDI SECURITIES, INC. — Public finance con-

sulting, bond issue services and referendum support.Fairview Heights - 618/206-4180; Chicago - 800/367-8757

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS/GKST, Inc. — Full servicebroker/dealer specializing in debt securities, includingmunicipal bonds, U.S. Treasury debt, agencies, andmortgage-backed securities. Chicago - 312/441-2601; website: www.bmo.com/industry/uspublicfi-nance/default.aspx; e-mail: [email protected]

EHLERS & ASSOCIATES — School bond issues; ref-erendum help; financial and enrollment studies. Lisle- 630/271-3330; website: http://www.ehlers-inc.com;e-mail: [email protected]

FIRST MIDSTATE, INC. — Bond issue consultants.Bloomington - 309/829-3311; e-mail: [email protected]

GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. — Auditing andfinancial consulting. Peoria - 309/685-7621; website:http://www.gorenzcpa.com; e-mail: [email protected]

HUTCHINSON, SHOCKEY, ERLEY & COMPANY —Debt issuance, referendum planning, financial assis-tance. Chicago - 312/443-1566; website: www.hse-muni.com; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC. — Full ser-vice Investment Banking firm. Chicago - 312/612-7814

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. INC. — Financial consult-ing; debt issuance specialist; bond underwriting; ref-erendum assistance. St. Charles - 630-584-4994;website: www.rwbaird.com; e-mail: [email protected]

SPEER FINANCIAL, INC. — Financial planning andbond issue services. Chicago - 312/346-3700; website: http://www.speerfinancial.com; e-mail:[email protected]

STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INC. — Full ser-vice securities firm providing investment banking andadvisory services including strategic financial plan-ning; bond underwriting; and referendum and legisla-tive assistance - Edwardsville - 800/230-5151; e-mail:[email protected]

WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY — Bond issuance,financial advisory services. Chicago - 312/364-8955; e-mail: [email protected]

WINTRUST FINANCIAL — Financial services hold-ing company engaging in community banking,wealth management, commercial insurance premi-um financing, and mortgage origination. Willow -brook - 630/560-2120

Human Resource ConsultingBUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC. — Human

resource, safety and risk management, insurance consulting. Effingham - 217/342-3042; website: http://www.bushuehr.com; e-mail: [email protected]

InsuranceTHE SANDNER GROUP CLAIMS MANAGEMENT,

INC. — Third party administrator for worker's compand insurance claims. Chicago - 800/654-9504

Office EquipmentINTERIORS FOR BUSINESS, INC. — Classroom fur-

niture and classroom technology services, classroomtechnology assessment, space planning, CEU’s, andties to the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) foradditional environmental assessments. Batavia -630/761-1070

Superintendent SearchesHAZARD, YOUNG, ATTEA & ASSOCIATES, LTD —

Superintendent searches, board and superintendentworkshops. Glenview - 847/724-8465

Delmar W. Martin, 77, died May 30,

2012. He previously was a mem-

ber of the Elverado CUSD 196

board.

Milton C. Meyer, 89, died July 1, 2012.

He had been a member of both the

Rankin ESD 98 and Rankin high

school board.

Nancy J. Pesz, 76, died June 15, 2012.

She had been a five-term mem-

ber of the Wauconda CUSD 118

board.

Richard D. Schweighart, 80, died June

25, 2012. He formerly served as

president of the Morris CHSD 101

board.

Burell W. Shull, 88, died June 16,

2012. He served on the Hidalgo

school board, as well as the Jasper

County CUSD 1 board.

Edward “Bud” Smith, 85, died June

12, 2012. He had served on the

Burnham school board for eight

years.

EuGene Smith, 67, died July 10,

2012. He had been a member of

the Deer Creek-Mackinaw CUSD

701 board.

John W. “Jack” Snell, 97, died July

12, 2012. He had been a mem-

ber of the school board in Deer

Park CCSD 82, Ottawa.

Doris M. Williams, 81, died May 31,

2012. She had served on the Dupo

CUSD 196 board.

Milestones continued from page 32


George Becker,

Northbrook/ Glen-

view School District

30’s supervisor of

buildings and

grounds since 1992,

was recently hon-

ored for his excellent service. Super-

intendent Edward Tivador and board

president James Bream presented

Becker with a watch at a May 4 board

meeting. Becker retired June 30,

2012. Donald Zabski is District 30’s

new supervisor of buildings and

grounds.

Randy K. Crump,

former superinten-

dent of Eureka

CUSD 140, now has

an auditorium at

Eureka High School

named for him.

“The board members wanted to do

something special as a lasting trib-

ute to the contributions Dr. Crump

has made to our district over the past

22 years,” Teri Ehrenhardt, board

president, said of the August 13 res-

olution. Crump was a band and cho-

rus teacher in LeRoy before he was

superintendent, first in LeRoy, then

in Eureka. During his time in Dis-

trict 140, Crump was instrumental

in the renovation of the EHS audi-

torium.

Milestones

continued on page 31

M I L E S T O N E S

Achievements

In memoriamDonald L. Barker Sr., 87, died June

15, 2012. He served six years on

the Orangeville CUSD 203 board.

Gilbert F. Bellot, 83, died May 31,

2012. He served on the St. Paul

and Odell CCSD 435 boards.

John R Biggerstaff, 67, died April 20,

2012. He served on the Enfield

school board.

Daniel Brandolino, 71, died June 13,

2012. He served on the board of

Richland SD 88A, Crest Hill.

Mary Alice Brian, 83, died June 18,

2012. She served on the Danville

CCSD 118 board from 1991 to

2006.

Cletus A. Brummer, 94, died June 13,

2012. He served and was past pres-

ident of the Teutopolis CUSD 50

board.

Roy G. Burgoyne, 80, died July 16,

2012. He was president of the

Georgetown school board for 30

years.

George C. DeYoung, 94, died June

15, 2012. He was a former Mill-

burn CCSD 24 board member.

Ronald J. Dodd, 88, died June 25,

2012. He was a former member

and president of the Cissna Park

CUSD 6 board.

Lyle R. Eiten, 87, died June 25, 2012.

He previously served as president

of the Ladd CCSD 94 board.

William J. Fischer, 88, died June 2,

2012. He was a former Beardstown

CUSD 15 board member.

J. Thomas Hayes, 92, died July 22,

2012. He served on the San Jose

board for eight years.

Merle A. Hayward, 89, died July 18,

2012. He served on the Plainfield

CCSD 202 board from 1970 to

1984.

John W. Jones, 91, died June 5, 2012.

He was a former Windsor CUSD 1

board member.

Robert H. Kircher, 90, died July 4,

2012. He served on the Triopia

CUSD 27 board for nine years.

James P. Klover Sr., 80, died June 12,

2012. He was a former board mem-

ber for Troy CCSD 30C, Plainfield.

Question: “How can I get more

involved in IASB and its lead-

ership?”

Answer: There are a number of

ways school board members can

become more involved in IASB.

At the local board level, every

member district has the opportuni-

ty to appoint an IASB governing board

representative. This individual serves

as the primary liaison between his/her

local board of education and the Asso-

ciation.

A governing board representa-

tive receives meeting notices, newslet-

ters and other correspondence from

IASB. He/she encourages fellow board

members to attend division dinner

meetings and other IASB sponsored

events.

A governing board representa-

tive is generally the board member

who represents the board at the Del-

egate Assembly held each November

during the Joint Annual Conference

in Chicago. The Delegate Assembly

considers and votes on resolutions

submitted by member districts which,

when approved, become the basis for

the Association’s stance on legisla-

tion and related matters of public pol-

icy.

The Delegate Assembly also elects

the Association’s officers for the com-

ing year.

Your division’s bylaws will guide

member participation at the division

level. Typically the governing board

representative or designee votes on

matters that come before the divi-

sion membership and, in some divi-

sions, assists in planning programs

for division dinner meetings. If you

would be interested in serving your

board in this capacity, let your fellow

board members know.

A great way to participate in IASB

leadership is to become involved at

the division level. IASB divides the

state into 21 geographical regions as

a basis for governance and for ser-

vice delivery.

Each division has its own gov-

erning committee usually consisting

of a chair, vice-chair, a resolutions

chair and sometimes several “at large”

committee members. Most impor-

tantly, each division elects a direc-

tor who serves on the IASB Board

of Directors.

Not unlike your own school board,

the IASB Board of Directors has super-

vision, control and direction of Asso-

ciation affairs, makes policy decisions

and has budget oversight. The Board

meets at least quarterly and includes

not only the 21 division directors but

the Association’s elected officers, the

immediate past president, a designee

from the Chicago Public Schools board

and a member of IASB Service Asso-

ciates.

Division officers are elected

according to the bylaws of each divi-

sion, usually following the biennial

school board elections. For more

information on the responsibilities

of executive committee members,

please visit www.iasb.com/divisions.

If you don’t feel you have the time

to be involved in IASB leadership on

an ongoing basis, there are other

opportunities to help which may take

no more than one day.

Each year, our board develop-

ment department looks for board

members interested in evaluating the

proposals submitted for the “Share

the Success” panels presented at the

Joint Annual Conference. Two pan-

els of reviewers, one in the IASB

Springfield office and one in the Lom-

bard office, come together for a day

to review, evaluate and make rec-

ommendations on which panels to

consider.

Also, from time to time, we look

for boards willing to pilot newly devel-

oped IASB workshops. The feedback

received from these boards is invalu-

able as we make presentations ready

for “prime time.”

This is your Association. We val-

ue your participation at whatever lev-

el you have the time and interest. If

you have questions about any of the

opportunities mentioned, please con-

tact your field services director.

Laurel DiPrima,

IASB field ser-

vices director for

the Kishwaukee,

Northwest and

Starved Rock

divisions,

answers the

question for this

issue.

Multiple opportunities open for leadership roles

by Laurel DiPrima

A S K T H E S T A F F

2921 Baker DriveSpringfield, Illinois 62703-5929

Address Service Requested

NON-PROFITPRST STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAIDILLINOIS

ASSOCIATION OFSCHOOL BOARDS

www.iasb.com

“A team is not a bunch of peo-ple with job titles, but a congregationof individuals, each of whom has arole that is understood by other mem-bers.”

Meredith Belbin, British researcher and management theorist

“Resilient leaders demonstratean optimistic view about what’s pos-sible. They strive to make somethingpositive out of a negative situation,and they maintain high expectationsthat something good can come fromthe adverse circumstances confrontingthem.”

Jerry L Patterson, George A. Goens andDiane E. Reed, Resilient Leadership for Turbulent Times: A Guide to Thriving in the Face of Adversity

“One of the things that I’m real-ly convinced of is a local school boardthat knows how to use data — howto interpret it, and how to commu-nicate its importance to constituents— is the board that will stay in con-trol of its own local government.”

Katheryn Gemberling, consultant on data-driven leadership, American School Board Journal, July 2012

“The ‘back-to-basics curricula,’while it has merit, ignores the most

urgent void in our present system —absence of self-discipline. The arts,inspiring — indeed requiring — self-discipline, may be more ‘basic’ to ournation’s survival than traditional cred-it courses.”

Paul Harvey, syndicated radio show host, 1918-2009

“A group becomes a team wheneach member is sure enough of him-self and his contribution to praise theskills of the others.”

Norman G. Shidle, American author, 1895-1978

“Individual commitment to agroup effort — that is what makes ateam work, a company work, a soci-ety work, a civilization work.”

Vince Lombardi, legendary football coach, 1913-1970

“Not only can after-school activ-ities be fun and entertaining, but theycan teach important life skills, prepar-ing children to become responsible,well-balanced adults. Many activitiescontinue into adulthood, providinglifelong enjoyment. Encourage yourchildren to put down the video gamesand get involved.”

Charles Davidson, “Six Benefits of After-School Activities,”http://voices.yahoo.com

“When students engage in activ-ities, they foster friendships, and stayconnected to their school — they areexperiencing a sense of belonging,the lack of which could be argued

as a reason some students drop outof school.”

“Get Them Hooked: The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities in Middle School,” http://thephoenixfalls.wordpress.com

“Public schools must remain thecenter of the community in the futureas in the past. They may look dif-ferently and act differently, but theymust continue to serve as the placewhere people come together to learnand practice democracy and citi-zenship.”

Karen Woodward, “Public Education:What Is Our Vision of the Twenty-First-Century Graduate?” in Shift Ed: A Call toAction for Transforming K-12 Education

“I understand your computer is down. I’m here to cheer it up.”

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