By 2016-17, all districts will have option to participate

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck today announced the first group of Iowa school districts selected to launch teacher leadership systems next school year.

Top teachers taking on leadership roles to improve instruction and raise student achievement is the centerpiece of Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package. New teacher leadership systems across Iowa will allow teachers to work in greater collaboration with colleagues and learn from each other instead of operating largely in isolation in their classrooms. Teacher leadership systems will be phased in over three years, with the goal of all districts participating by 2016-17, although whether to do so is a local decision.

Based on the recommendations of the 19-member Commission on Teacher Leadership and Compensation, Director Buck selected 39 school districts out of 146 applicants from across the state. The districts - serving a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities - enroll about one-third of Iowa students. Two of the districts will share teacher leadership systems. Selected districts are listed at the end of this press release.

Teacher leadership systems promise to help students learn more by better meeting their individual needs. They also will attract and retain more effective teachers by enhancing career opportunities and paying stipends for taking on extra responsibilities. With higher expectations for students, it's no longer realistic for one principal to provide all the instructional leadership in a school. Teacher and principal leadership teams can support the more complex work required to prepare students for a knowledge-based economy.

Districts were selected for the first round based on the strength of their application as well as geographic and size diversity.

"Selection of this first group of school districts to launch teacher leadership systems is an important step forward as Iowans work to restore our schools to best in the nation," said Branstad. "Iowans are committed to giving students a world-class education. Better utilizing teacher leadership to leverage other reforms moves us in the right direction."

"We are pleased that 146 school districts applied to be in the first group," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "Great teaching is the most critical factor affecting learning inside schools, and the teacher leadership systems recognize that teacher collaboration can be a game-changer."

"This first group of school districts will help transform education across Iowa," said Buck. "The state's role is to provide leadership and support so they can implement their teacher leadership systems in a way that best meets local needs."

Districts that applied to start teacher leadership systems next fall were required to set a vision and goals for what they plan to accomplish. They also had to address "must-haves," such as setting a minimum teacher salary of $33,500, improved entry into the profession, including mentoring for new teachers, and a rigorous selection process for leadership roles.

Districts selected will receive about $309 per pupil next school year to implement their teacher leadership systems. The annual cost statewide is nearly $50 million in FY15, growing to about $150 million annually in the third year. After the initial year of district implementation, the teacher leadership funding rolls into the Iowa school finance formula.

The next step for school districts is selecting their teacher leaders. Branstad's FY15 budget recommendations include $4 million for the Iowa Department of Education, working with Area Education Agencies, to provide technical assistance and leadership development for the districts in the first group implementing teacher leadership systems in 2014-15.

The selected districts are:

Benton

Bettendorf

Burlington

Cedar Rapids

Colo-NESCO

Council Bluffs

Davenport

Delwood

Dubuque

Earlham

East Marshall

East Union

Gilbert

Greene County

Hudson

Humboldt (in collaboration with Twin Rivers)

Johnston

Le Mars

Linn-Mar

Marshalltown

Mount Pleasant

Muscatine

North Polk

Norwalk

Oelwein

Ottumwa

Panorama

Pella

Rock Valley

Roland-Story

Saydel

Sioux City

Southeast Polk

Twin Rivers (in collaboration with Humboldt)

Van Meter

Waterloo

West Des Moines

Western Dubuque

Winterset

4 Ways to Come Up with Brilliant Ideas When the Pressure's On
National Ideas Month Shines a Light on Creativity

March is National Ideas Month.  Hey, whose bright idea was that?

Here's an intriguing idea from New York Times best-selling author and writing coach Michael Levin,: "Creativity is a muscle; use it or lose it."

Levin, whose new Books Are My Babies YouTube channel (www.BooksAreMyBabies.com) offers 160-plus free tutorials for writers, says anyone can grow their creativity, just like any other muscle.

"I define creativity as 'the ability to develop great ideas while under pressure,' " he says. "Pressure creates diamonds, so why shouldn't it also create great ideas?"

But sometimes, pressure paralyzes creativity.

"I've experienced it when writing under deadline pressure and writing under the pressure of my own high expectations," Levin says. "Over time, I've developed several tricks to stimulate my creative muscle and help me come up with great ideas for whatever challenge I face - whether it's writing or figuring out how to arrange a busy family weekend schedule so that everyone's needs are met."

Here are four of Levin's no-fail tips for generating creative ideas under pressure:

1. Ask yourself, "What's the most dangerous, expensive and illegal way to solve this problem?" We usually take the same approach to solving problems every time with the resources we have at hand. "This doesn't exactly translate into breathtaking creativity," Levin says.  So imagine that you have no limits ? legal, moral, financial, whatever. You can do literally anything to solve the problem. The way-out ideas you develop may not be practical, but they'll lead you to new ways of thinking about your problem. And then you can find a non-life-threatening, legal way to solve it!

2.  Hide. We live in a world of constant, thin-sliced demands. Unanswered texts and emails. People waiting for you to say something, do something, read something, decide something. Run and hide. Lock yourself in your car or hunker down in a bathroom stall. Slow down and get your brain back.

It's all but impossible for your creative brain to operate when you're responding to endless external stimuli. The best ideas often come when you run from your responsibilities.

3. Count to 20. Go somewhere where you can be undisturbed, bring a yellow pad and a pen, turn off your phone, and sit there until you come up with 20 ideas for solving your problem. This requires discipline, because most of us are so happy when we have one answer to a problem that we want to move to the next agenda item. Not every idea you invent will be a great one, but that's okay.  It may be idea number 17 that's truly brilliant, but you'd never get there if you ran back to your desk after you came up with one, two or even five ideas. If you do this daily, you'll develop 100 new ideas a week. Imagine how strong your idea muscle will be!

4. Give up. Cardiologists recommend to heart patients that they visit nature, go to a museum, or attend a classical concert. Why? It slows them down and allows them to appreciate beauty instead of seeing life as a constant battle.  Surrender your own siege mentality. Life isn't war, thank goodness. Take a major step away, even for a couple of hours, from whatever battles you're facing, contemplate the greatness of the human spirit or the wonder of nature, and reawaken the creative energy that our fight-minded world suppresses.

So there you have it, four ways to generate great ideas under pressure. Where's your next big idea coming from? From your mind at peace, that's where!

About Michael Levin

New York Times best-selling author Michael Levin runs the "Books Are My Babies" YouTube channel, www.BooksAreMyBabies.com, a free resource of tutorial videos for writers. Levin has written more than 100 books, including eight national best-sellers; five that have been optioned for film or TV by Steven Soderbergh/Paramount, HBO, Disney, ABC, and others; and one that became "Model Behavior," an ABC Sunday night Disney movie of the week.

Illinois Rises from Last Year's Ranking; Governor Highlights Growth at Small Businesses Like Punchkick

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Illinois has moved up to third in the nation?and the Chicago area is now the number one metro market in the country for new and expanded corporate facilities. Illinois moved up two spots from last year's fifth place ranking and the Chicago region went from second place last year to first place this year, according to the annual analysis by Site Selection magazine, one of the nation's premier corporate real estate and economic development publications. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's commitment to economic development and job creation in Illinois.

"Illinois is on a roll and these new rankings are proof we are making a comeback," Governor Quinn said. "With our ideal central location, our commitment to building a world-class infrastructure and recent reforms to strengthen our business climate, Illinois is near the top of the list when it comes to choosing a place to do business."

In 2013, Illinois had 383 corporate facilities locate or expand in the state, including Catamaran, Century Aluminum, Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp., CPG International, CVS Caremark, Durata Therapeutics, FER-PAL Construction, Home Depot, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Rittal Corp. and Univar. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area had 373 new or expanded corporate locations, more than any other major city in the country. Chicago had ranked second on the list the past two years.

As an example of local economic growth, Governor Quinn also announced that Punchkick Interactive Inc., a mobile commerce firm that works for many large corporations, will expand its Chicago operations and has committed to creating at least 60 new jobs within two years.

Founded in 2006, Punchkick now has about 55 employees but needs larger offices due to growth. Punchkick co-founder Ryan Unger said the company considered expanding in the Washington D.C. area to be near a major customer but chose Chicago instead. The company qualified for a tax credit under the state's Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) program.

"For Punchkick, this was about finding the best location to expand our company and serve our customers," Unger said. "The talent we need and the access to markets nationwide is right here in Illinois. Having such a wonderful culture of innovation in the Chicago region just reinforces the decision for us."

Punchkick showcases the support Illinois can provide small businesses and the company's success also represents the growth in Illinois' technology sector. Venture capital funding for technology startups rose 169 percent in the Chicago region last year, to $1.06 billion, according to the group Built In Chicago.

The new Site Selection rankings follow last week's announcement that the $320 million Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, the first-of-its-kind digital hub with the capability to transform American manufacturing, is being established in Illinois.

To be included in the Site Selection rankings, new corporate facilities and expansions had to meet at least one of three criteria: Involve a capital investment of at least $1 million, create at least 50 jobs or add at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area. The rankings are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as "the industry scoreboard." Site Selection, published by Conway Data, Inc., is the senior publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field. The magazine's circulation base consists of 49,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.

The new rankings follow other recent data that document vitality in the Illinois economy. These reports include :

• A study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International that placed Illinois third among states in growth of business establishments. It said total establishments in Illinois rose by 18,222, or five percent, to 383,103, from 2009 to 2012.
• The Flash Index published by the University of Illinois, measuring trends in the state's economy, stands at 107.2, its highest point since April 2007.
• Independent analyses show that values of residential and commercial real estate are rising steadily and vacancy rates in commercial property are declining, sometimes to lows not seen in years.

"Illinois has what corporations want?a strong economy, first-rate logistics network, a highly trained and skilled workforce and a proven track record of fostering innovation," Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Adam Pollet said. "Moving up to third place in the Site Selection standings is great, but we aren't going to be satisfied until Illinois is number one on the list."

For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit illinoisbiz.biz.

SKILLET and THIRD DAY

With Special Guests: PETER FURLER, BRANDON HEATH, MANDISA, & WE AS HUMAN

6:30 pm PM Sunday, March 9

iWireless Center, 1201 River Dr, Moline, IL 61265

Skillet was formed in Memphis in 1996 and is led by husband and wife John and Korey Cooper. The band won rock song of the year from the Gospel Music Association, or GMA, in 2008 (for "Comatose") and this year (for "Sick of It").

Third Day was formed in Georgia and has won eight awards from the GMA. Its 11th studio album, "Miracle," was released in November 2012.

Tickets are On Sale Now!

Tickets are available at these locations:
iWireless Center Box Office
All Ticketmaster Outlets
Online: Ticketmaster.com
Phone: 800-745-3000

VIP Seating, Lower Bowl and Main Floor seating available.

Group Offer: Buy 12 or more at one time, get 2 FREE tickets! For more information, contact: (309) 277-1356

Box Office information:(309) 764-2000. TDD line for hearing impaired only (309) 764-2054. Group orders: (309) 277-1356.

Box Office hours:Monday through Friday - 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM Saturday - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Day of the event - 10:00 AM to showtime

Types of Payment Accepted: The Box Office accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card, and cash.

Will Call: Tickets can be picked up no earlier that three hours before the event. Patron must have a photo ID, the actual credit card, and confirmation number.

Website: iWirelesscenter.com

Children Rules: All children having attained their 3rd birthday must have a ticket. Some events require children younger than 3 to have a ticket.

General Rules: Cameras and recording devices are not allowed in the facility. Also prohibited are firearms, expolsives, weapons and laser pointers. All bags will be visually inspected and guests may be subject to a body search.

Show times:
Doors: 6:00pm
Show: 6:30pm

Please note: This is a change from earlier posted show times of 7:00 pm.

Click Here for More Info & Buy Tickets:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/third-day-skillet-moline-illinois-03-09-2014/event/06004B8BF38BCBB2?artistid=1110729&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60

Skillet and Third Day is presented by Food for the Hungry and is brought to us by Awakening Events.

New Anthem is a 501c3 Christian non profit organization that by 2013 has brought or helped to bring 750 Christian and charity events to the region.