IASB Position and Belief Statements Updated
-
Date PostedFebruary 2, 2022
-
CategoryNews
Updated IASB Position Statements and Belief Statements have been revised to reflect the priorities adopted by the 2021 Delegate Assembly in November. IASB will mail the revised Constitution, Position Statements, and Belief Statements to members in February. Members can also view these three pieces of the Association’s governing framework on the IASB website.
Of the eight new Position Statements added, two relate to educational programs, two regard public education funding, two touch on board and employee relations, one seeks to expand internet access, and one relates to school board elections.
The new positions include:
- 1.20 Indigenous People Curriculum Inclusion
- 1.21 Health and Sex Education Curriculum
- 2.62 Cannabis Sales
- 2.63 Healthy Environmental Land Use
- 3.10 Expand Broadband Internet Access
- 5.16 Pre-Service Teacher Education and Licensure in Literacy
- 5.17 Remote-Virtual School Board Open Meetings
- 7.12 Reorganize Board — From 28 to 40 Days
IASB Position Statement 2.20, Constitutional Amendment on School Funding, was amended to add an equity clause to the statement that declares it is the state’s paramount duty to provide an efficient system of public education. The Position Statement now includes language that Illinois public education “equitably serves students and provides an equitable education to all students within the state of Illinois without regard to their race, social and economic status, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality, immigration status disability, or zip code.”
In addition to Position Statements, a new Belief Statement was added. Belief Statement 14 states:
“The Illinois Association of School Boards believes that school districts should prepare all students to succeed and cultivate learning. To that end, IASB urges school districts to consider adopting a policy encouraging students to complete assignments, within a reasonable time frame, even after the due date; by developing guidelines on how to grade a student’s late assignments.”
IASB’s Position Statements on Charter School accountability (1.16 and 1.17) and funding (2.25) were reaffirmed, as was the position on funding special education (2.04).
An objective of IASB is “to aid and assist boards of education in performing their lawful functions and to promote, support, and advance the interest of public education in Illinois.” To best achieve these objectives, the Association operates within the framework of its Constitution, Position Statements, and Belief Statements.
Full texts of the IASB Constitution, Position Statements, and Belief Statements are available online.
