2024 Conference Overview:

School Leaders Lighting the Way for Public Education  

November 22-24, 2024 

In its 91st year, the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference brought together school officials and educators on behalf of more than 80% of Illinois public schools. For attendees and participating organizations, the annual event is a testament to our shared commitment to public education – from the familiar honors and awards, relevant panel sessions, and bustling exhibit floor. But each year, the Conference also brings new messages to inspire, new vendors to discover, and new peers to learn from. The inclusion of student features underscored the importance of student success.

“Once again, this event brings us together for the latest innovations in education, real examples of success in districts throughout the state, and a vast array of topics and trends in schools ... Not to mention connections for advocacy, leadership, and support from your Associations.” – Mark Harms, IASB President

Hosted by the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, and Illinois Association of School Business Officials, the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference is one of the nation's largest state education conferences and a premier training event for Illinois school board members, administrators, and business officials. There were 694 Illinois public school districts represented at the 2024 Conference. Overall attendance*, including exhibiting vendors and guests, was approximately 9,000. Of the nearly 3,000 board member registrations, 12% were attending the Conference for the first time.

Timely Topics and District Successes Highlighted

Over 100 offerings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday presented content in one-hour Panel Sessions. Topical tracks were assigned to each session helped attendees narrow selections. A finance and funding track offered panel sessions for beginners, as well as deeper dives into audits, TIFs, levies, and budgets. Matters of school law were discussed in many panels, including collective bargaining, free speech, social media, and student discipline. Other topics presented included crisis management; educational equity; governance, leadership, and accountability; governmental relations; rural district issues; social emotional learning; and student learning and achievement. Current topics and trends school boards are discussing, such as AI and electric school buses, were also noticed.

Panel Sessions are presented by subject matter experts, many of whom are peers. There were 31 “Share the Success” panels presented by Illinois school districts highlighting successful and proven programs and processes. Presenters share recent discoveries, lessons learned, and innovations succeeding in their schools, allowing attendees to gain insight and information that may be helpful for their districts.

Inspiring Messages

The three General Sessions featured four speakers, each engaging attendees in extraordinary ways and delivering messages of hope, trust, change, and resiliency. Read about the three General Sessions.

Focused Learning

Friday Focus Workshops offered in-depth training and education to over 1,000 school board members about their role and responsibility. Full- and half-day sessions provided knowledge, skills, and insights for school board members on student voice, superintendent evaluation, equity, school finance, safety and security, and more.

Learning opportunities were available for more than 300 district staff who perform the duties of school board secretary or administrative assistant. Additional sessions and seminars for business officials, administrators, and school attorneys were held with the Conference. 

More than 130 attendees started their learning weekend a day early with the Illinois Association of School Boards’ Equity Immersion event, themed “Foster Belonging.” The day included learning and inspiration, connecting participants with educational leaders passionate about equity in education and learning strategies to cultivate belonging and elevate student outcomes. Read about the Equity Immersion.

Celebrating Students

Illinois students and their talents were featured throughout the Joint Annual Conference. Amplifying the purpose of leadership and learning, student participation puts a spotlight on the primary goal of why school leaders attend the annual training — to provide quality education opportunities for all students. Read about student features.

<sub>*Participation numbers based on preliminary data as of November 24, 2024. Total attendance includes school board members, administrators, superintendents, attorneys, regional superintendents, ISBE board members, IASB Service Associates members, exhibitors, secretaries, township treasurers, special education district representatives, university personnel, and guests of registrants. 

Photos by Michael Hudson Photography.</sub>