Initiatives
PEGGY ALLAN
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CRAIG LINDVAHL
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CAROL BROOS
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TIM MCCOLLUM
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ROBERT CANADA
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ANNE MCKENNA
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JOE FATHEREE
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AARON REEDY
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TERRI GOGGIN
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KEVIN RUTTER
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JACOB GOURLEY
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TIM SCHNOEKER
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NATALIE NERIS-GUERECA
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MELISSA SIEVERS
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JONNIA JACKSON
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LINDA SMERGE
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PAUL KELLY
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CHERYL WATKINS
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Educator Advisory Council:
Advance Illinois was launched to bring together people—at every level and from every community across our state—who are interested in ensuring for each Illinois student a successful pathway to career and engaged citizenship.
As teachers and former teachers from across Illinois' cities, suburbs, and rural areas who work with children and young adults of all grade levels and abilities, we believe that the policies that Advance Illinois has promoted during the last two years—including new professional teacher and principal evaluations, a new preparation process for principals, and Senate Bill 7—will help establish the kind of high-quality work environments we need in Illinois to attract and keep the best and brightest in the teaching profession.
We appreciate working with Advance Illinois and hope for more avenues for educator engagement in the development, design, and implementation of policy. Together, we believe we can propel our students and Illinois's education system forward to meet the needs of this exciting, evolving world.
Check out the newly released EAC report "Transforming Teacher Work" here.
NEWS
Rob Canada
Rob teaches fifth grade in Edwardsville. He is both an Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist and a Peabody Logos Leader in Education. He recently engaged his students in teaching teachers about web-based learning, use of video to provide background knowledge and improve reading comprehension and student engagement, etc. Enjoy the links, as well as Rob’s notes about using interactive technology for learning!
Jacob Gourley
Jake is the Social Studies Instructional Coach at Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois. He is a 2010 recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and is the second individual to win the award after being mentored and prepared for a career in teaching as a Golden Apple Scholar. He currently serves as President of Thornton Fractional Federation of Teachers, IFT/AFT Local #683, which has been working cooperatively with District 215 to develop a teacher evaluation instrument based upon the Charlotte Danielson model.
Natalie Neris Guereca
Welcome to the newest member of the Advance Illinois Educator Advisory Council. Natalie Neris Guereca is Assistant Principal of the Hope Institute Learning Academy and a 2008 recipient of the Golden Apple Teaching Award. Welcome Natalie!
Paul Kelly
Paul is Social Studies Chair at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. He is a 2005 Milken National Educator. He recently made the EAC trip to Springfield and writes of his experience below.
Craig Lindvahl
Craig teaches entrepreneurship to students throughout Effingham County in a unique partnership with local businesses and area high schools. He is a Milken National Educator and an Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist.
Tim McCollum
Tim just retired from 38 years of teaching as a middle grades science teacher. Tim writes about his experiences with a NASA educational program – he’ll be spending time there this summer the week of July 17-23. Tim is a Golden Apple Award Teacher.
Aaron Reedy
Aaron is a biology teacher at Chicago’s Kelly High School and a Golden Apple Award Winner. He is pursuing field research in Florida with Dr. Dan Warner of Iowa State, capturing, marking, and releasing hundreds of lizards on nine different islands as part of a study of evolutionary influences. He’s keeping four different classrooms, in Chicago and in Washington, D.C., informed via live chats and blogging about the project. Check it out!
Kevin Rutter
Kevin leads the Academy of Finance at Carl Schurz High School in Chicago. Kevin was the 2010 Illinois Teacher of the Year. He writes about both the Finance Academy and his experiences as Teacher of the Year.
Tim Schnoeker
Tim is in the Department of Technology Engineering Education at Coulterville High School. He is an Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist and a Peabody Logos Leader in Education. He recently visited fellow EAC member Joe Fatheree at Effingham High School. A summary of Tim’s visit and early experiences on the EAC follows.
Melissa Sievers
Melissa teaches just about everything at Brussels High School in downstate Calhoun County. She is an Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist. Like Paul, she was among EAC members visiting Springfield earlier this May.
Linda Smerge
Linda teaches second grade in Cicero District 99. She is an Illinois Teacher of the Year. She recently received Northern Illinois University’s distinguished alumni award earlier this year. We pulled the following from NIU’s website.
