Cover Stories

• Art is for Everyone

  Journal | November/December 2026 Throughout the pages of the Illinois School Board Journal, you will find enchanting examples of the visual arts from public school students in Illinois.

• Educating Ourselves about Childhood Arts Experiences & Why They Matter

  By Sunil Iyengar

  Journal | November/December 2026 The National Endowment for the Arts affirms that arts education is closely linked to positive academic outcomes and social and emotional development.

• Art & Opportunity

  By Darrin Burnett

  Journal | November/December 2026 For many school districts, finding qualified educators in the fine arts is a challenge. Read how Illinois art teachers found their pathways.

Regular Features

• Front Page November/December 2026

  Journal | November/December 2026 Celebrating the fine arts in our public schools and encouraging arts education in Illinois.

• On Outreach & Training: Leading in Tune

  By Lori Grant

  Journal | November/December 2026 A lesson for current administrators: The music department may be one of the richest and most overlooked sources of future leaders in any building.

• Advocacy Angle: Support 40 by 40 Fulfill the IDEA Promise

  Journal | November/December 2026 The 40 by 40: Fulfill the IDEA Promise national advocacy campaign demands that Congress fulfill the 40% funding promise by the year 2040. 

• Practical PR: A Tradition Born from Challenge

  By Eric Steckling

  Journal | November/December 2026 How Barrington CUSD 220's Winter Wonderfest became a community celebration.