Sidebar: Promise and opportunity

By Roger Eddy

To me, this is an opportunity. The promise is, that we can work collaboratively, and supportive and non-punitive has been the mantra. Let’s make sure that as this unfolds, that same supportive, non-punitive vision becomes reality. I believe it will. The purpose is to be supportive.
ISBE has been and continues to be very inclusive. We have enjoyed and appreciated that. As it becomes a reality, the promise of collaborative support in a non-punitive culture must be fulfilled. 
This process allows districts to reveal their unique strengths. School districts can tell their stories independently of the accountability model, and I urge districts to do so. If you’re doing great things that the review model doesn’t include, you should still highlight those in your community.
This has promise, and this can work. But don’t let it define our public schools. Your schools do wonderful things for students, based on the unique needs of your community and students. Highlight those. Take this as an opportunity to show your strengths and engage with your community.
During the IBAM meetings, when we were developing the Quality Framework for Illinois School Districts and discussed evidence of meeting best practice, I concluded that we don’t know what all the evidence is yet, because in every district, the evidence is different. We’re going to have to count on schools to show this to us, and not have it defined them for them. As we listened to superintendents and principals, they would tell us something they were doing, and ask, “Does this count?”
Many of these were things we’d never thought of. But we concluded that, “Absolutely, that’s evidence.”
It’s going to be a process, it’s going to be hard work, but, if the spirit and vision of non-punitive support and collaboration becomes reality,  it will be worthwhile. 

— IASB Executive Director Roger Eddy