SR0035 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0035 LRB103 25218 ECR 51560 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate David R. Schuler, Ph.D., on the occasion of his appointment as the next executive director of the School Superintendents Association (AASA); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schuler is a highly experienced, successful, and well-regarded educational leader; he has worked as a superintendent for 22 years, serving 17 of those years at High School District 214, one of Illinois' largest and most innovative high school systems; he received his bachelor's degree at Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and he earned both his master's degree and doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schuler has been serving as superintendent of High School District 214 in Arlington Heights; there, he and his team designed and implemented the District 214 Career Pathways program to provide students with an at-scale model for earning early college credit, industry credentials, and work-based learning experiences before leaving high school; under his leadership, District 214 has expanded learning options and now offers 44 programs of study, including more than 600 courses aligned with 16 national career clusters and 39 career pathways, all of which are continually updated and refined in consultation with working professionals in the community; and

WHEREAS, With Dr. Schuler at the helm, District 214 has become a nationally recognized leader in providing career-connected learning through internships, apprenticeships, and other workplace learning experiences by establishing the Center for Career Discovery, which encompasses more than 1,000 industry partners and delivered approximately 2,500 work-based learning experiences during the 2021-2022 school year; and

WHEREAS, Under Dr. Schuler's guidance, District 214 has become a leader in early college credit; partnering with more than half a dozen colleges and universities to prepare students for postsecondary work while reducing college costs, opportunities for students include traditional AP and certification programs and a rapidly growing array of dual credit courses; in addition, he helped write, champion, and pass legislation requiring every public Illinois college and university to accept Advanced Placement scores of 3 or higher, furthering opportunities for students and making the most of students' AP experiences; and

WHEREAS, As an additional accomplishment, District 214 was one of only 13 districts across the country to be named as an AASA Lighthouse Demonstration System; these districts serve as models of positive change in public education; they are members of AASA's Learning 2025 Network, which is a cadre of more than 120 demonstration systems representing forward-leaning, urban, suburban, and rural school districts engaged in learning, networking, and working together to help drive education policy and ultimately improve student learning; and

WHEREAS, Through Dr. Schuler's leadership, District 214 created the District 214 Education Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars to support innovation, student success, and lifelong learning beyond the limitations of conventional public education funding; and

WHEREAS, During Dr. Schuler's tenure, District 214 has continued to expand its Community Education program, which is among the nation's oldest and most extensive, to serve more than 30,000 lifelong learners each year and to offer a wide range of enrichment classes for children; in addition, the program offers an Adult Education and Family Literacy program, providing invaluable support as adults study English, earn high school equivalency certificates, or prepare for the U.S. citizenship test; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schuler served on AASA's executive committee from 2011 to 2017 and as president from 2015 through 2016; he is the architect of Redefining Ready!, an initiative administered by AASA that introduces research-based metrics to appropriately assess whether students are ready to pursue their lifelong goals and dreams following post-secondary education and defines what it means for them to be ready for college, career, and life; since its launch in 2017, Redefining Ready! has rapidly become a mainstay in AASA's growing stable of Leadership Network professional development programs, mobilizing thousands of superintendents and their respective teams in order to drive innovation, thought leadership, research, and collaboration among school system leaders from coast to coast; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schuler serves as a lead superintendent in AASA's National Superintendent Certification Program and also serves as a lead superintendent in AASA's Aspiring Superintendents Academy; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Schuler is an active member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) and was named the National AASA School Superintendent of Year in 2018; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate David R. Schuler, Ph.D., on his appointment as executive director of the School Superintendents Association (AASA) and commend his long career in public education; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Schuler as an expression of our esteem and respect.