Front Page
By Theresa Kelly GegenJournal | July/August 2024
I’ve recently finished a 20-year career as a public school parent. My oldest started kindergarten in 2004; my middle was a member of the star-crossed Class of 2020; and my youngest graduated from high school in May of 2024. My kids were, over the years, involved in everything a small, suburban P-12 school district could offer – except tennis – and as parents we organized carnivals, worked concessions, built playgrounds, decorated hallways, joined committees, created opportunities for students to experience STEM, and took thousands of photographs.
Although parental pride – and happy tears – were constants, my kids’ three graduation ceremonies were vastly different. We were inside an overflowing but serene auditorium for graduation in 2017. In 2020, each graduate brought their own exuberance into an otherwise empty auditorium in a bittersweet, makeshift ceremony. Finally, we enjoyed the end of our run with a radiant and brilliant outdoor evening celebration of the Class of 2024.
In 2014, I began working for IASB, bringing school board members this, the Illinois School Board Journal. Amidst all of these experiences, I’ve seen some of the best of what public education can do for the students they educate and the communities they serve. And I’ve been fortunate to share some of that “best” with you.
This July/August Journal, like many summertime issues, brings a variety of information to readers. Our regular Administrator Salaries series moves from the winter to the summer to allow us to present the most current data in a more timely manner. We also report to you some insights gained in the 2025 Member Survey. Many of you took the time to complete, and that time is appreciated as we use the information to improve IASB’s products and services in the future.
The Journal aims to provide school board members with information and insights to be effective in the governance role. We understand, and try to help you help your communities understand, the roles you undertake and the challenges you face. Your imperative is to govern, responsibly and with honor and fidelity to your community. The board deals on one level with school district visions and goals, and fundamental issues that require the wisdom and decision-making of a group of seven people who look at the whole — not just at pieces or the issue of the day. On another level, you work in policy, providing governance directives to the district at all times.
We understand that school board members are volunteers who wish to do the best job possible for school and community. You may have little or no formal instruction or experience in education or government. There are demands such as families and careers or vocations, in addition to school district governance. IASB tries to present to you material that is accessible and relevant. Understanding that, I’d like to ask two things of the readers of the Journal.
One, if there is a topic you need to know more about, please let me know. Be it in the Journal or in the wider work of the Association, we aim to be responsive to the needs and questions our members have.
Two, if there is a topic you already know more about, and would like to share that knowledge with our readers, please let me know. The Illinois School Board Journal is always seeking compelling and relevant stories about today’s important public education issues, and we will work with you take make that happen, and keep our readers informed.
Thanks for reading, and have a great summer.
Theresa Kelly Gegen is Director of Communications/Editorial Services for IASB and Editor of the Illinois School Board Journal.