Innovating Toward Success

Empower Local Leaders

Many of the problems facing families, schools and districts are best addressed at the local level, rather than by state mandates that are almost necessarily to broad or rigid. Once the state has put the right standards and measures in place, and invested in effective teachers and leaders, the state must find ways to support local innovation on critical issues—resisting the temptation to answer every challenge with a state-level mandate.

Instead, we propose that Illinois begin moving toward a system where the state is clear about its expectations and priorities, develops a sophisticated array of indicators to measure student and school success, and then supports innovative and effective local efforts.

Critical to this process is the availability of relevant and timely information at every level, so that families, teachers, principals, superintendents and policymakers can make informed decisions, calibrate programs, respond to areas of greatest need and expand successful strategies.

Click here for "Innovation Fund"