Community leaders get to be U-46 principals for day
More than 50 local leaders experienced what it's like to be the head of a school during Elgin Area School District U-46's 11th annual "Principal for a Day" event Friday.
Guest principals included police officers, firefighters, community leaders in the areas of medicine, finance, business and education, and more than a dozen elected officials.
They got a behind-the-scenes look at the responsibilities of a school leader in a diverse district of nearly 39,000 students across 11 communities. Twenty-two of the 57 guest principals were first-timers.
Participants are encouraged to develop long-term partnerships with the schools they visit by committing to activities, such as mentoring and tutoring, hosting field trips, sponsoring a school activity, or being a guest for career day, officials said.
The event concluded with a luncheon sponsored by Marco, a technology services provider, at Villa Olivia in Bartlett.
Guest speaker State Sen. Andy Manar, the chief advocate of evidence-based school funding reform in Illinois, addressed statewide education initiatives. The evidence-based funding law led to additional revenues for U-46 - $24 million in the 2017-18 school year and $18 million this school year.