September/October 2025

Cover Stories

• The World of Literacy: A Revolution in Teaching Reading and Writing

  By Theresa Kelly Gegen

  Understanding the teaching of literacy is a responsibility of school boards, which must make key decisions impacting quality, achievement, and outcomes for all students, including curriculum adoption and resource allocation. School boards set policy and are accountable for educational quali­ty, including literacy skills. Boards of education set goals and monitor student performance, including literacy outcomes.

• Conversations and Commentary: Literacy Questions in Illinois

  By Louise Dechovitz

  With the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan in place, and the con­versation about literacy continuing, Illinois literacy advocates continue to elevate the Plan, but acknowledge there is a lot of work left to be done.

Regular Features

• Front Page: The World of Literacy

  By Theresa Kelly Gegen

  My job is to communicate, with clarity and consistency, the ways the Association can help Illinois school board members fulfill their roles for the benefit of the communities and students they serve.

• On Outreach & Training: Board Presidents, Transforming Setbacks into Comebacks

  By Arlana Bedard

  Four themes describing how board presidents can move from overwhelm­ing setbacks to transformational comebacks.

• Educational Equity: Us and Us, Connecting Through Storytelling

  By Maryam Brotine

  The challenge we face is to step away from othering and breaking and to move towards bridging.

• Practical PR: Literacy Curriculum Implementation, Equipping Leaders, Engaging Students & Managing Change

  By Katharine Hughes

   Simultaneous to the development of the state plan, Winnetka Public Schools (Win­netka SD 36) was in the midst of a Literacy Curriculum Review to align with both state standards and the latest scientific research.

Commentary

• Exploring Student Experiences and Improving Outcomes for Black Children with Autism: Part IV

  By Asha Amore Brown and Diallo Telli Brown

  This is the final installment in a series of commentaries that lays the foundation for understanding the challenges and systemic inequities that Black students with autism face in K-12 education and delves into specific recommendations and actionable steps for educators, pol­icymakers, and families to address these disparities.

• Commentary A School Board Member’s Insights

  By Brenda Warren

  What makes it difficult for boards and superintendents to effect change, and what do school board members need to know in the world of literacy?