The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce

1011 South Second Street | Springfield, IL 62704 | Ph: 217.525.1173 | Fax: 217.525.8768 | www.gscc.org

Business Education Week Media Coverage Summary

1. SJR, Chamber accepting registrations for Business Education Week, 2/22/12 2. SJR, Business-Education partnership to meet April 19, 4/03/12 3. Illinois Times, Continum of Learning supports pre-k screening, 4/12/12 4. SJR, 'Principal for a Day' brings executives together with schools, 4/20/12 5. SJR, Principal for a Day, 4/22/12

Chamber accepting registrations for Business Education Week The State Journal-Register Posted Feb 22, 2012 @ 10:08 AM

The Business/Education Partnership of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is accepting registrations for Business Education Week, which begins Monday, April 16. Nominations also are being sought for Partner in Excellence awards.

As part of the event, businesses executives are invited to service as “principal for the day” at a local school, and to co-teach and provide lesson plans.

Registrations and nomination will be accepted through Thursday, March 1 by contacting Mikal Sutton at the chamber, 525-1173 or msutton@gscc.org. Information also is available at www.bepsc.org.

Business-education partnership to meet April 19 By Staff reports The State Journal-Register Posted Apr 03, 2012 @ 08:40 AM Last update Apr 03, 2012 @ 09:43 AM

The Business Education Partnership of Sangamon County and Sangamon County Continuum of Learning will present the findings of research into Sangamon County at a meeting on Thursday, April 19 at the Illinois Education Association.

There also will be information on local business-education partnerships. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the program begins at 5 p.m. Reservations are not required.

Additional information is available from Mikal Sutton at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, 525-1173, ext. 221 or msutton@gscc.org.

Continuum of Learning supports pre-k screening Thursday, April 12,2012 Getting kids ready for kindergarten By Patrick Yeagle The beginning stages of a plan to improve education in Sangamon County are already showing promise, according to an upcoming report from the Sangamon County Continuum of Learning. The Continuum is working to implement pre-kindergarten screening county-wide, along with a handful of other projects aimed at preparing children for school. It’s just the first step of the Continuum’s multifaceted, long-term plan. “Our hope is that we would be able to increase the proportion of children who are indeed ready for kindergarten, so that when they get to kindergarten, they’re not in a situation of having to catch up,” says Dr. Harry Berman, chairman of the Continuum’s steering committee. “That would be such a shame. It’s a painful thing to think about, and yet it’s a reality for many children.” The Continuum – a collaboration between the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way of Central Illinois – expects to release its 2011 annual report during a roundtable discussion and awards banquet held at 5 p.m. April 19 at the Illinois Education Association. An advance copy of the report was provided to Illinois Times by the Continuum. The report shows the results of pre-kindergarten screening at several early education centers in Sangamon County. Roughly one out of five children tested exhibit a lag in academic development and, roughly one out of three children tested exhibit a lag in communication and motor skills. In total, 52 percent of children tested showed a development lag in one or more areas. It’s difficult to apply the results to the greater student population county-wide, however, because three of the pre-kindergarten centers tested accept only students with mental, social or emotional problems, which negatively skews the results. Stacy Reed, program director for the Continuum, says pre-kindergarten screening allows schools to identify areas of teaching curriculum that need improvement and individual children who need specific help. Berman says the testing also helps parents understand areas in which their children may struggle so the parents can coordinate with teachers to address developmental lags. “It’s been hugely beneficial,” Berman says. “It creates an occasion for teachers to sit with parents and actually talk.” The Continuum pays for the tests through local fundraising and a grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation, while 14 public and private preschools in Sangamon County conduct the screenings using a standardized test known as the Brigance Early Childhood Assessment Kit. In 2012, the Continuum expects to test about 1,500 children ages 3 through 5. The Continuum hopes to eventually implement screenings in all 10 school districts in Sangamon County, along with offering screenings to any pre-kindergarten child in the county.

The Continuum also partnered with several other groups to create a mental health program for children in high-risk neighborhoods. The program is paid for by a grant from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation – one of only four such grants awarded statewide. It’s intended to “weave together an array of mental health services and support systems that often operate in isolation to better meet the social and emotional health needs of local children and families,” the report says. Also highlighted is a plan to develop partnerships between schools and local businesses in which the businesses provide paid community service days for employees who serve as substitute teachers in Sangamon County schools. The employees would become state-certified to substitute teach and would fill in for full-time teachers pursuing further teacher training. A pilot version of that program is scheduled to start in Springfield public schools this year. Mary Loken, a program director for the Sangamon County Regional Office of Education, is working to organize and analyze data collected by the pre-kindergarten screening program. “To me, the absolute beauty of this process is that it’s a community-wide effort,” Loken says. “We’re hoping this will be perceived as valuable enough to continue. We know we can do it.” Contact Patrick Yeagle at pyeagle@illinoistimes.com.

'Principal for a Day' brings executives together with schools

By DAN PETRELLA The State Journal-Register Posted Apr 19, 2012 @ 10:45 PM Last update Apr 20, 2012 @ 10:11 AM

WILLIAMSVILLE — Brian Oaks and Russell Galusha have quite a bit in common.

As general manager of the Prairie Capital Convention Center and principal of Williamsville High School, respectively, both lead large staffs and face new challenges on the job each day. They both see themselves as hands-on administrators and visible leaders.

The men got acquainted Thursday while Oaks served as principal for a day at Williamsville. Now in its second year, the Principal for a Day program is part of Business Education Week. The Business Education Partnership of Sangamon County, an affiliate of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, puts on the event.

Throughout the week, 42 executives from area businesses have spent time with principals at public and private schools throughout the county, giving them an up-close look at the day-to-day challenges educators face.

“Anytime that you can look for potential partnerships between our school districts and our local business community is a good thing,” said Oaks, a chamber board member.

Galusha, who is in his fifth year as Williamsville’s principal, said there are many ways schools and local businesses can work together. For example, business leaders could help set up incentive programs for students, serve as mentors, or visit classrooms as guest speakers, he said.

“It helps students to hear kind of a different perspective,” Galusha said.

Family business

For Oaks, visiting the school was an opportunity to see how much things have changed since he graduated from Auburn High School in 1994. One major difference is how

technological advances have changed the way teachers teach and students learn, he said.

Serving as principal for a day was also a chance for Oaks to try his hand at the family business.

His father, John Oaks, was principal at Auburn for two years while Brian was there.

“It was a unique experience when I got sent to the principal’s office,” he said.

That’s another thing Oaks and the Williamsville principal have in common. Galusha’s son is a junior at the school this year, and his daughter will be a freshman next year.

Establishing personal and professional connections is just what the event’s organizers are hoping for, said Mikal Sutton, executive director of the Business Education Partnership.

“For the executives, it’s giving them an up-close and personal look at what schools look like today,” she said. “For many of them, it’s been decades since they were in a school.”

A win-win’

The group hopes to emphasize the important connection between education and economic growth, Sutton said.

“It’s a win-win for the community when we have strong economic development and a strong school system,” she said. “Education, whether it’s public or private, regardless, it’s a community effort.”

In addition to the Principal for a Day program, this year the partnership started a concurrent event called Business Professionals in the Classroom. Through this project, representatives from local businesses were matched with teachers to share their expertise with about 800 students across the county.

Business Education Week culminated Thursday night with the Partners in Excellence Awards. The event recognized ongoing collaborations between Jefferson Middle School and Bunn-O-Matic, Matheny-Withrow Elementary and First Presbyterian Church, and Fairview Elementary and First Christian Church.

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Principals for a day

Auburn Middle School: Mike Hulligan, vice president, U.S. Bank

Auburn High School: Dean Graven, owner, Knob Hill Landscape Co.

Ball Elementary School: Rick Serena, president, Frye-Williamson Press Inc.

Chatham Elementary School: Sharon Durbin, CEO, Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries

Glenwood Elementary School: Chuck Hunt, financial planner, AXA Advisors

Glenwood Middle School: Chris Hembrough, executive director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region

Glenwood Intermediate School: Todd Wise, president and chief operating officer, United Community Bank

Glenwood High School: Dave Olejniczak, COO, St. John’s Hospital

Pawnee Grade School and Junior High School: Pam Kovacevich, CEO, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois

Farmingdale Elementary School: Josh Langfelder, Sangamon County recorder

Pleasant Plains High School: Jim McLean, vice president, customer service, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

Riverton High School: Tim Brown, president, Vital Restoration of Central Illinois

Jane Addams Elementary School: Nina Harris, president and COO, Springfield Urban League

Fairview Elementary School: Brett Jackson, COO, Systemax

Feitshans Academy: Tim Rowles, executive director, The Springfield Project

Harvard Park Elementary School: Rob Heberling, general manager, Spectrum Packaging

Iles Elementary School: Karen Pletsch, president, Hanson Information Systems

Lee Elementary School: Bob Heisse, executive editor, The State Journal-Register

Owen Marsh Elementary School: Dan Wright, partner, Brown, Hay and Stephens

Matheny-Withrow Elementary School: Craig Glover, president and CEO, Central Counties Health Centers

McClernand Elementary School: Tom Fitch, vice president, Harold O’Shea Builders

Pleasant Hill Elementary School: Jeff Ball, senior vice president, Hanson Professional Services

Lindsay Elementary School: Dan Sale, CEO, Capital Area Association of Realtors

Wilcox Elementary School: Matt Lamsargis, vice president, The Springfield Running Center

Springfield Ball Charter: Tom Lex, COO, Heartland Credit Union

Jefferson Middle School: Chris Daniels, executive director, Refuge Ranch

Lanphier High School: Randy Bryant, CEO, Springfield Clinic LLP

Southeast High School: Jim Sullivan, COO, Design Ideas

Springfield High School: Lou Dixon, senior vice president , Crawford, Murphy & Tilly

Capital College Preparatory Academy: Sue Massie, president, Massie Massie & Associates Inc.

Lincoln Magnet School: Walt Lafferty, publisher, The State Journal-Register

Lawrence Education Center: Nancy Huntley, director, Lincoln Library

Springfield Learning Academy: Mike Pence, executive vice president, Bank of Springfield

Tri-City Junior-Senior High School: Dottie Bellm , Manager, Illini Bank

Williamsville High School: Brian Oaks, general manager, Prairie Capital Convention Center

Cathedral School: Jasen Best, branch manager, United Community Bank, Chatham

St. Agnes Elementary School: Erich Bloxdorf, interim president and CEO, The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce

Christ the King Elementary School: Shannon McAuley, general manager, County Market, Chatham

Sacred Heart-Griffin High School: John Stremsterfer, executive director, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln

Lutheran High School: Jeff Fulgenzi, senior planner, Sangamon County Strategic & Comprehensive Planning

Our Savior’s Lutheran School: Barbara Weatherford, vice president, Business Banking Officer, Town and Country Bank

Calvary Academy: Vicki Meseke, assistant vice president, consumer lending, Town and Country Bank

Dan Petrella can be reached at 788-1532. Follow him at twitter.com/PetrellaReports.

Bob Heisse: Glass plates yield a remarkable exhibit GateHouse News Service Posted Apr 22, 2012 @ 12:05 AM

A remarkable photo exhibit has come together, through the work of State Journal-Register photo editor Rich Saal over the past two years. The exhibit, “Springfield Photographs: Images from The Illinois State Journal Glass Plates 1929-35,“ will debut with a 6 p.m. presentation on May 1 at the Lincoln Public Library. The event is open to the public. Saal’s strong interest in history began when he reviewed the entire collection of the photographs in our building, dating to 1936, for an exhibit in 2005 for the newspaper’s 175th anniversary. He started studying history at the University of Illinois Springfield, and research for a class led him to view the newspaper’s glass plate photography in the Sangamon Valley Collection of the Lincoln Library. In all, there were 1,340 glass plate photographs from 1929-35 preserved at the library, taken by The Illinois State Journal’s first photography staff of Raymond Hodde, Joe Imlay and Charlie Bilyeu. Saal made it his graduate thesis project to scan, restore and present them. “There were certain images during that process that just hit me when I saw them for the first time,” he said, adding that the stories behind the photos are fascinating. Saal had museum quality display panels built with the help of grant money, and chose 35 photos for this display that will run through Aug. 3. The grant money came from Patrick Coburn, former publisher of The State Journal-Register; the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation of Chicago; the Sangamon Valley Historical Society; and the Illinois Press Foundation. When the exhibit ends in August, the panels will remain at Lincoln Library, creating a new venue for

community art exhibits in a public and accessible downtown space, said Saal, who soon will graduate with a master’s degree in history from UIS. Look for a full preview of this exhibit next Sunday in the SJ-R. For an early look at some of the photos visit the photo department’s blog, “Behind the Curtain,” at www.sj-r.com and join the department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sjrphoto. Enjoy this exhibit starting May 1. Principal for a Day The business and education communities in Sangamon County came together in a great way last week, as 42 CEOs/executives visited public and private schools and served as Principal for a Day. This unique event grew in its second year from 29 business leaders involved last year. It’s a wonderful initiative developed by a Leadership Springfield group in 2010 and modeled after a program in Chicago. I look forward to my visit to Lee Elementary School next week as part of this exchange. I’ve visited and spoken to a number of classes in schools and in colleges over the years, but it will be a first to spend a day in a school as a visitor. “Principal for a Day is a really unique experience. There is no better way to get a first-hand view of the daily rigors of running today’s schools,” said Mikal L. Sutton, director of work force and medical development at the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. By all accounts, the program was a success and a learning experience for the business community. “The program gives you a great perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing schools today,” said Erich Bloxdorf, interim president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber, who spent a day at St. Agnes Elementary School. “Principals wear so many hats … administrator, teacher, disciplinarian, strategic planner and mentor.” I’ll let you know about my Lee experience next week. Thanks for reading, and please contact me with any concerns about The State Journal-Register or our website. Executive editor Bob Heisse can be reached at 788-1505 or bob.heisse@sj-r.com. Read his “From the Editor” blog online.