Altamont Superintendent Casey Adam's Remarks to ISBE

We had shared earlier this week that Teutopolis Superintendent of Schools Matt Sturgeon addressed the Illinois State Board of Education at its meeting earlier this week. His remarks are included in a separate article on the local news page.

Altamont Superintendent Casey Adam also addressed the state board. Here are her remarks:

10.19.21

Dear Dr. Ayala and ISBE Board,

As you are all very aware, school personnel across the state continue to face challenges that, at times, seem all too much to overcome.

Enrollment in teacher preparation programs, principal preparation programs and those taking courses for superintendency endorsement have dropped to all time lows; more and more in education are leaving the field of education entirely. When teachers were asked why they are leaving, the top reasons noted are the stressful workload and bureaucracy (and that was BEFORE COVID). For principals, a survey by NASSP last year showed that nearly ½ of all principals considered leaving the profession for the first time, sped up their plans to leave or decided to leave as soon as possible...almost HALF.

Across our country, school board members have been subjects of threats and hostility due to public outrage over masking and a whole host of the other mandates facing schools today. Each of these board members volunteered to help and create positive change for the children in their communities, only to be forced to maneuver an impossibly difficult political climate that has left many wondering why they continue to serve if they are powerless to make decisions that reflect the community they were voted to represent.

I would like to take a moment to thank the board members here today for your service to education. Almost every single one of you has either served or advocated for public education your entire career. When I think about the knowledge and expertise sitting in this space I am hopeful that the decisions and the authority you have will be considered heavily and that you will keep an open mind as you hear from constituents across all parts of our state.

You have an opportunity to make a difference in every school district in Illinois. You have the capacity to give school leaders and boards of education their power back, I would implore you to use that power. Schools have demonstrated an incredible ability to navigate and implement safety protocols as needed without the force of mandates. The mandates themselves are the primary roadblock I see to our ability to work together effectively. Communities in our region are tired of the heavy handed policy making that carries stiff penalties if you don’t fall in line. This mindset is not just a few people that can easily be written off or marginalized. It is for this reason that courts in our area have successfully implemented TRO’s against ISBE and Dr. Ayala.

It would be a far better use of all of our time and expertise if we could all forgo the courtroom appearances and work together and get back to focusing on student achievement, teacher and administrative recruitment and a host of SEL issues that have arisen as a result of the pandemic. We should be asking what we can do to help this situation and stand up for what you know is right.

Initially the Governor and IDPH spoke almost daily about what Phase we were in...and what we needed to do to transition to the next one. Metrics were set, there was a game plan, light at the end of the tunnel. With each passing day of NO light at the end of that tunnel, the frustration and lawsuits continue to pile up. With positivity rates dropping and all other indicators showing great improvements we need to develop an exit strategy. Please, advocate with us for metrics to lead to reduced mitigation requirements and/or allow districts the ability to work with their local health departments to create them.

Thank you.