1. 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
The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce
1011 South Second Street | Springfield, IL 62704 | Ph: 217.525.1173 | Fax: 217.525.8768 | www.gscc.org

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. '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

7. 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.
***
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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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.