* I’ve been following this person for a while on Twitter, etc. and he seems to be pretty darned good at what he does. Press release…
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today named School District U-46 Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders the new state superintendent of education after a nationwide search. He will assume his duties in late February. ISBE Deputy Education Officer Krish Mohip will serve as interim state superintendent of education during the transition. Dr. Carmen I. Ayala’s term as state superintendent of education concludes Jan. 31. She announced her retirement after 40 years of service and leadership in Illinois public schools.
“Dr. Tony Sanders is an extraordinary choice for State Superintendent of Education,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Dr. Sanders’ breadth of experience as superintendent of School District U-46 and his entire background have prepared him to take on this role. His focus on innovation, social emotional development, and academic excellence make him an extraordinary pick. I can think of no better person to lead the Illinois State Board of Education as we continue to invest in, support, and elevate our students and educators.”
“Dr. Tony Sanders has distinguished himself as a visionary leader and passionate advocate for students and educators,” said ISBE Board Chair Dr. Steven Isoye. “As the superintendent of one of Illinois’ largest school districts, he intimately understands the strengths, the policy history, and the challenges of our public schools. At U-46, he has championed equity, expanded opportunities for students, and brought innovative new programs to the district. The Board looks forward to his leadership; we are confident he will build on our record-high graduation rates and college and career readiness to continue leading Illinois’ schools in a positive direction.
“We are also very grateful to have Krish Mohip serve as interim state superintendent. Krish has a wealth of education leadership experience and will provide important guidance and oversight for the agency during this transition.”
Dr. Sanders expanded the district’s offerings during his tenure in U-46, which is headquartered in Elgin and is the second-largest school district in Illinois. He added full-day kindergarten for all students and implemented a developmentally appropriate play-based instructional program. Dr. Sanders grew the district’s dual language program and created a new alternative high school, the DREAM Academy, to reduce expulsions and better serve students in need of trauma-informed care. He also invested in a grow-your-own educator initiative to provide educational support professionals the ability to return to school to earn their teaching credentials. The initiative has supported more than 60 U-46 employees in receiving full tuition reimbursement as they work toward their teacher licensure. Dr. Sanders improved the district’s financial standing, while overseeing a $660 million operating budget.
Dr. Sanders also has advocated at the state and federal levels as a member and past chair of the Large Countywide and Suburban District Consortium. He supported the effort to reform Illinois’ school funding formula and enact Evidence-Based Funding and to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Prior to becoming the U-46 superintendent in 2014, Dr. Sanders served as the district’s chief of communications and accountability and then chief of staff. He also previously served as the chief communications officer for St. Louis Public Schools and in communications and governmental relations roles within Illinois government, including at ISBE. Dr. Sanders received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield, his Master of Business Administration from New York Institute of Technology, his Chief School Business Official Endorsement from Northern Illinois University, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Judson University, and his Doctor of Education from Aurora University.
…Adding… IFT…
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement on the appointment of Dr. Anthony “Tony” Sanders as the 31st State Superintendent of Education for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
“We congratulate Dr. Tony Sanders on his appointment as State Superintendent of Education and are thrilled to partner with him to achieve policies that center and engage our students and teachers, especially our Black and Brown students who are still recovering from the pandemic. As an Illinois superintendent with a strong education background, Dr. Sanders thoroughly understands the challenges facing our students, teachers, and staff. His steady leadership during the pandemic ensured that Elgin students and school staff were safe and healthy.
“During Dr. Sanders’ tenure leading Elgin District U-46, he was a strong advocate for equitable policies for Black and Brown students. His visionary leadership helped improve district assessment data collection to better the student and teacher experience. We support furthering that effort at the state level and call on him to convene assessment experts, including practitioners, to develop an assessment theory of action.
“We appreciate Dr. Sanders past advocacy for the Evidence Based Funding Formula and hope in his new role, he helps to move our state closer to achieving equitable funding and eliminating disparities in districts statewide.
“We thank Dr. Carmen Ayala for her service and strong leadership during the pandemic, and we are eager to work with Dr. Sanders to continue the equity work that Dr. Ayala started on behalf of our students and teachers.”
- Electric Lemonade - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 10:55 am:
Tony is good people and comes from a family long involved in this state’s governance. Kudos to him and congrats
- Wonderful World - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:10 am:
He is dedicated. He is the best.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:16 am:
“Prior to becoming the U-46 superintendent in 2014, Dr. Sanders served as the district’s chief of communications and accountability and then chief of staff. He also previously served as the chief communications officer for St. Louis Public Schools and in communications and governmental relations roles within Illinois government, including at ISBE.”
Interesting background. I’m excited to see what he brings to ISBE from a policy leadership and communications standpoint.
- P - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:26 am:
He was outstanding during the Rauner Disaster. He rang the alarm bells frequently and effectively and was at the forefront in the media during a time when a lot of people were afraid to speak up. Great pick.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:27 am:
=== governmental relations roles within Illinois government ===
I knew a young Tony Sanders in a government relations job. Was not impressed at the time. I never equated the education Tony with the Tony I knew.
If the new Supt. is the same guy, I have to say that he has truly impressed me with his growth and accomplishments. I apologize if I undersold him or failed to mentor him to get the best out of his performance.
Congratulations Dr. Sanders.
- JR - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:41 am:
Tony is an excellent choice and will bring the great work he has done at Elgin U46 statewide.
Thank you to Dr. Ayala for your many years of service to Illinois students, and your steadfast leadership of our education system through a global pandemic.
- Jerry - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 11:43 am:
Where does he stand on cat litter boxes? (Humor intentional)
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:04 pm:
= Was not impressed at the time. I never equated the education Tony with the Tony I knew.=
Exactly. Excellent communicator, came up through the business side, but he has never been an educator and does not have educator credentials. He is a CEO, and the face of the district which he has done well and has taken credit for an awful lot that he likely (I do know Tony a little) never had much of a hand in other than to say yes and promote which has value.
But we need a state supt that is more than a mouth piece and knows more, operationaly, than just the business office. We need someone that has experienced and knows the nuts and bolts. He knows nothing of the challenges that most of us go through. We needed a practitioner with strong interpersonal and communication skills. That is not Tony.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:11 pm:
==That is not Tony==
Maybe see how he does first before dismissing him out of hand.
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 12:50 pm:
JS Mill,
What are you dealing with now that Covid appears to be in the rear view mirror? Classes are back in session. Parents aren’t arranging angry protests about masks (kitty litter? CRT? latest faux outrage du jour?)
My sister retired from teaching special ed after last year. Determined the civility of both students and parents had taken a hit during Covid and just didn’t want to deal with it anymore.
- Dupage mom - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:02 pm:
U-46 proficiency data = yikes.
- Bluefish - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:03 pm:
“Maybe see how he does first before dismissing him out of hand.”
I live in the district, my kids attend the district and I know several people who work for the district. I’ve already seen his work. JS Mills is spot on.
Tony is a communications guy who specializes in self-promotion. He is neither an educator nor a leader. In many ways, that has held the district back while test scores dropped, enrollment declined as parents abandon the district and moral plummetted amongst the ranks.
As John wooden would say - “Don’t mistake activity with achievement.”
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:04 pm:
=Maybe see how he does first before dismissing him out of hand.=
I stand by my comment given my knowledge of the subject.
We need someone that is more than a spokesperson.
=What are you dealing with now=
Given the conservative nature of our communities… right wing misinformation is our biggest time waster and the teacher shortage.
- Birds on the Bat - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:11 pm:
I worked at ISBE for over 20 years, having recently retired. Ayala was an absolute disaster. Sanders has a big mess to clean up and a lot of fences to mend. Hope he’s up to the challenge.
- frustrated GOP - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:29 pm:
He has been a long-serving Superintendent of the Second largest District in the State of Illinois and managed it during tough times of budget impasse, funding changes, and Covid. The Board fought for him to be Superintendent.
Let’s remember the biggest indicator of test scores is the annual income and education of the households in the District. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something you don’t need to buy.
Hopefully, he can get the State Board running at some level of competency and maybe, just maybe someone can come back to the offices and answer the phones and work to solve district problems under his leadership.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:40 pm:
=He has been a long-serving Superintendent of the Second largest District in the State of Illinois and managed it during tough times of budget impasse, funding changes, and Covid. The Board fought for him to be Superintendent.=
His role in that district versus what we need from a state superintendent are very different. I am not bad mouthing they guy, he is a decent guy. BUt we need a state superintendent that understands all aspects of the school house and the great disparities in districts. Not just demographics but also size. Under Ayala, we were deluged with new reports and initiatives that often were repetitive and did not apply to a large number of schools. Some of us don’t have “people” to do all of this and have to add this busy work.
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:40 pm:
frustrated GOP, when did the tracking with educational level of parents begin? I went to college in the 80s with an awful lot of students whose parents were factory workers, machine repair etc. By and larage they graduated and have reared their children to be just as good students. So clearly at one time we had a lifting action from the schools.
I mean, if schools don’t matter then why does Chicago have 101 different charter and specialty schools and programs to improve the situation for individual kids.
- Rusty Shackleford - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 1:46 pm:
=I worked at ISBE for over 20 years, having recently retired. Ayala was an absolute disaster.
I left ISBE last year for greener pastures due to her poor leadership and share your sentiments. I truly hope Dr. Sanders is a better choice, but Dr. Ayala was commended similarly for her leadership abilities in her district prior to taking over at ISBE, and that didn’t work out so well.
- Diogenes in DuPage - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 2:55 pm:
I’ve known Tony personally and professionally for more than 20 years. He’s the “real deal.” Tony is a capable, proven educational leader — and he has handled the “politics” in U-46 ably, so there’s great promise for his work with state government.
And if my memory serves me correctly, his father, Ted, (I believe) was Illinois state superintendent of schools in the mid- to late 1980s (with similar posts in Nevada and Ohio) before being chosen for the number 2 spot at the U.S. Dept of Ed by Bush #1.)
- Opiate of the Masses - Tuesday, Jan 31, 23 @ 3:51 pm:
Tony will be a big improvement over Carmen. I know Tony personally and was there during the entire school funding fight. Tony is an operator so my biggest question is whether the Governor will handcuff him or let him get to work. He will have Robin Steans and other advocates in one ear and superintendents crying for relief from so much baloney in the other. It will be a waste if they don’t give him some room to get real work done for kids, education and educators. He knows the path, I am just not sure he will be allowed to walk it.