An Illinois educators movement including representatives from all over the state is making big moves to fulfill the promise of public education.

The movement, known as Vision 20/20, aims to improve public education via a network of Illinois educators, of which Columbia’s superintendent, Gina Segobiano, is a part of.

The group has been bringing together representatives from groups like the Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity, and the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools to work toward a common cause.

“It’s really been gaining some momentum,” Segobiano said. “The goal is to get the legislators to take a serious look at the blueprint.”

Segobiano was able to sit on the development of the organization in 2012, when the four “pillars” were established.

The four pillars focus on highly effective educators, 21st century learning, shared accountability, and equitable and adequate funding.

The mission states: “We reject the premise that education in Illinois has failed, but recognize its impact has not been equitably delivered to all students populations and that there are opportunities for continuous improvement.”

Brent Clark, the executive director of the IASA, asked Segobiano to be a part of the development of Vision 20/20.

“He had a vision of creating this plan from educators,” she said. “It really just started off as dialogue about the future of public education.”

The state was split into regions, with Segobiano representing the southwestern region of Illinois.

The superintendent representatives met in Springfield for a few different times, and the conversation started to flow.

As word got out, other educators wanted to be involved.

“It would be great to see the plan be dissected into no-cost incentives and potentially cost incentives, because the bottom line is finance and whether or not the state can support it,” she said.

Segobiano cited policy change ideas like having a practicing educator sit on the Illinois State Board of Education.

“Right now, there’s not a member on ISBE board of directors that’s currently serving,” she said. “That would be a big policy change.”

Another policy idea deals with out-of-state licensures for teachers.

“It is really difficult for a Missouri teacher to become certified in Illinois,” she said.  “We’ve had interviews where we’ve had awesome candidates from Missouri, but they’re not going to come if they have to take four classes, and you can’t really hire them until they’re certified. If you’re located near another state, it’s crazy that you just can’t hire the best person.”

She also expressed possible cost incentives ideas like shifting the time the school budget has to be established to line up more with knowing how much general state aid that district will get.

“The budget needs to be finished mid-August,” she said. “But we do it without knowing what our state funding will be until September or October. It’s a guessing game.”

She said there was a lot of discussion with the Vision 20/20 group about either getting the school budget date changed or the state to somehow align so the districts have prior knowledge of state funding before making the budget public.

“It would be great to not be on edge about making those decisions, because it affects peoples’ lives,” she said. “We would love for the state to pass a two-year budget on education, and that way it’s not such a rollercoaster. But that’s easier said than done.”

Segobiano said she really hopes the state legislators get behind some of the ideas the Vision 20/20 group is coming up with so they can all work to improve public education across Illinois.

The group is trying to find “easy, measurable” suggestions that they can move forward with.

“We just want movement and attention for this group,” she said. “It’s an exciting effort.”