Dupage Policy Journal

Led by Superintendent Scott Helton, District 88 recently rolled out Vision 20/20, a new initiative that strives to unite the education community and develop a long-term plan for improving the state of public education in Illinois.

Vision 20/20 consists of a group of education organizations in the state and is the result of over 3,000 stakeholders who offered useful information, held field-expert discussions and reviewed current literature.

Vision 20/20 aims to attract and retain the most qualified educators in the state by recruiting and retraining high-impact educators and providing relevant professional development.

The new initiative concentrates its efforts on 21st century learning, specifically by developing the whole child, preserving instructional time, investing in early-childhood education, linking students to colleges and careers, and expanding equity in technology access.

Vision 20/20 also looks at shared accountability by expanding the educator's role and responsibility in state governance, implementing a differentiated accountability system and restructuring mandates.

Another focus is to ensure equitable and adequate funding based on local needs, stabilizing state funding and improving the district's ability to bolster its financial impact.

"The shared accountability recommendations of Vision 20/20 can help the state distinguish between essential and discretionary regulations," Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said.