Professional Development Updates
Education, Innovation, & Service Center
Will County Regional Office of Education
Dr. Lisa Caparelli-Ruff, Regional Superintendent
Education, Innovation, & Service Center
Heather Siegel-Hickman, Ed.D.
Director of Professional Development
hsiegel-hickman@willroe.org * 815.630.3103
Will County ROE 56's 2025-2026 Continuous Improvement and Excellence Series wrapped up this week. Eight districts had leaders or teams at one or more of our seven sessions. We're thankful for the opportunity to work with and learn with all of the amazing educators who attended, and we're looking forward to supporting even more districts in the coming school year.
The Education, Innovation, and Service Center supports continuous school and district improvement in several ways for schools and districts across the Illinois accountability continuum, from Comprehensive to Exemplary:
- Regional Continuous Improvement and Excellence Learning Series aligned to the Illinois Accountability System (dates and details for the 2026-2027 series coming soon)
- Custom Coaching to support schools and districts from planning through implementation and beyond
- Strategic Planning Facilitation for intentionally creating a future that aligns people, priorities, and resources around a shared vision so improvement efforts are focused, coherent, and sustainable
Contact Heather for more details about any of the above services.
Join us for a dynamic and engaging workshop designed to equip all educators with the essential knowledge and skills needed to excel in co-teaching partnerships. Whether you're a novice or an experienced educator, this workshop provides a comprehensive foundation of coteaching methods and best practices that will empower you to create inclusive and effective learning environments for students in the co-taught classroom.
Participants are welcome to stay and co-plan with their teams following the session.
Click here to register.
Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population
AA 3908
Don't let the title of this book fool you. The lessons in Generation Z Unfiltered apply to all generations, and this academy lets you work at your own pace and on your own time.
Reflect on leadership in the context of Generation Z and develop an action plan to lead at the school or district level for all generations. This Administrator Academy uses a book study approach to frame reflection, discussions, and planning. Participants will:
- Identify and evaluate the effect of generational differences on leadership.
- Apply the model PROVE (Problem, Relationships, Ownership, Visuals, and Experience) to build coaching capacity.
- Create an action plan to address working with all generations as a leader.
Click here to register.
This asynchronous book study allows educators to read and reflect on leadership, explore its applications in life, community, and work, and apply their insights to their own educational leadership and their work with other leaders. It also provides an opportunity to learn from female leaders with diverse experiences and backgrounds, including racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity.
Whether you lead a classroom, a team, a department, a school, or a district, this book study offers practical opportunities to strengthen your capacity, reflect on your influence, and consider how leadership shapes school culture, collaboration, and student success.
Click here to register.
A Podcast for teachers and leaders!
Teaching and Leading with Dr. Amy and Dr. Joi brings thoughtful, practical, and expert-driven conversations to the world of education — from P-12 classrooms to higher education and beyond. While we continue to invite exceptional guests and leaders in the field, our recalibrated format centers on topic-based discussions designed to serve as meaningful professional development and training resources.
(A huge thanks to Dr. Amy Vujaklija, Governors State University, Director of Education Preparation, Accreditation, and Assessment for this recommendation!)
MA in Educational Administration Principal as Instructional Leader Licensure
In this Master of Arts in Educational Administration degree program, educators obtain the deep understanding needed to lead public and non-public schools to success through preparation in organizational, community, and student-focused leadership.
- Earn the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Educational Administration in six semesters
- Hone leadership skills from our nationally accredited program
- Apply for Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) evaluation to earn degree credits for your prior learning, leadership experience, and microcredentials
- Approved by ISBE for Illinois licensure and aligned to the National Educational Leadership Preparation standards
- Intensive field experiences and internships for real-world practice
- Cohort model to build relationships with future school leaders
- Flexible options for face-to-face and online coursework
- Engage with our experienced, diverse faculty
APPLY NOW
Classes begin August 31, 2026. Attend an information session above to receive a free code to waive the application fee. Visit https://apply.govst.edu/apply/ now and begin your application!
For More Information:
Christopher A. Dignam, Ed.D.
Educational Administration Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Education
cdignam@govst.edu
Program website: https://www.govst.edu/principalleadership/
Special Dates to Hold:
- October 26, 2026 - Paraprofessional and Support Staff Learning Day
- February 26, 2027 - Beyond the Core Professional Learning Day (focuses on educators of non-core content areas: Theatre, Art, Music, PE, Health, CTE and more)