IALA held its 36th annual conference at Villanava Unversity June 20-22. Preceeding the conference was a “Leaderhip Summit.” It was determined that IALA’s direction needs to shift from conferences to policy implementation. The test of our mission is that every child has a choice of program within the publically funded sector. The growth of magnet, online and charter schools contributes to this aim but few children still have a choice of programs. We decided on the following three policy initiatives:
1. Program autonomy. School staff creativity and energy are freed if given authority over the program, budget and staffing.
2. Multiple measures. There needs to be a variety of ways to assess student and program achievement besides the current emphasis on standardized test scores which hurts innovative programs with expanded outcomes.
3. Flexible licensing. Interdisciplinary and non-course based programs need differently trained staff with some licensed as generalist educators.
A new working board of directors will be formed to carry out these initiatives and to align with other organizations with similar missions. Dan Daly, Ray Morley and Wayne Jennings were assigned the task or reorganizing IALA.