July 16, 2019
Your daily synopsis of education news
Law extending provision for retired teachers signed
The Senate Democrats wrote Gov. Pritzker signed HB 1472. From the story:

Illinois now has a new law in place to help address the teacher shortage by allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom without coming out of retirement, thanks to Illinois Senate Education Chair Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood).

Bertino-Tarrant championed House Bill 1472, which addresses findings that 89 percent of Central Illinois districts and 92 percent of Southern Illinois districts have issues with staffing teaching positions with qualified candidates. The law was signed on Friday.

“Our retired teachers should not be penalized for returning to classrooms to help our school districts meet their needs,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “We want teachers in our classrooms with experience in the profession to help ensure our children are receiving a strong education.”

Some districts are turning to substitute teachers while looking for permanent teachers. To help ease unnecessary stipulations on retired teachers looking to fill these substitute roles, House Bill 1472 will allow retired teachers to return to teaching in subject areas with teacher shortages without jeopardizing their retirement status. This measure is extending the current provision for two years.

Dougherty takes over as new Taylorville superintendent
The State Journal-Register reports Taylorville has hired a new superintendent. From the story:

Chris Dougherty has taken over as superintendent of the Taylorville public schools after coming from the DePue school district.

She replaces Greggory Fuerstenau, who left Taylorville after 13 years to take the superintendent’s position for the Litchfield school district earlier this month.

The DePue school district serves about 500 students in two schools, an elementary school and a high school. The village of DePue has a population of about 1,800 and is located in Bureau County.

Doughterty, who grew up on a farm and a ranch near Starved Rock State Park, served as superintendent in DePue for about 2½ years.

Report to the principal's office ... without losing your job
NPR Illinois reports on legislation awaiting the governor's signature about providing protections for parents to attend meetings at school. From the story:

If you've got kids, you may have gotten the call to come to the school immediately because your child forgot to wear a belt, or lost his asthma inhaler, or argued with his teacher. For some hourly employees, making a quick trip to their kid's school could cost them their job.

But a bill awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker's signature would provide protection for workers who need to attend a parent-teacher conference or any other important meeting at their child’s school.

​State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray​ (Naperville-D), sponsored the legislation.

Annual Conference Preview Guide Now Available
Registration is now open for the 55th IASA Annual Conference set for September 25-27 in Springfield. This year’s conference has an impressive line-up of keynote speakers and breakout sessions that you will not want to miss. Learn more about what's in store by reading out Annual Conference Preview Guide.
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Some families hiring coaches to help them raise phone-free children
The New York Times reports screen consultant has become a budding industry. From the story:

Parents around the country, alarmed by the steady patter of studies around screen time, are trying to turn back time to the era before smartphones. But it’s not easy to remember what exactly things were like before smartphones. So they’re hiring professionals.

A new screen-free parenting coach economy has sprung up to serve the demand. Screen consultants come into homes, schools, churches and synagogues to remind parents how people parented before.

Rhonda Moskowitz is a parenting coach in Columbus, Ohio. She has a master’s degree in K-12 learning and behavior disabilities, and over 30 years experience in schools and private practice. She barely needs any of this training now.

“I try to really meet the parents where they are, and now often it is very simple: ‘Do you have a plain old piece of material that can be used as a cape?’” said Ms. Moskowitz. “‘Great!’”