District 158 earns ‘Lighthouse’ district designation
HUNTLEY — Huntley Community School District 158 received a designation as one of only six school districts across the country recognized as a 2023 Spring “Lighthouse System” by the School Superintendents Association (AASA).
Huntley District 158, along with the other selected school districts, are members of AASA’s Learning 2025 Network, a group of more than 120 demonstration districts representing “forward-leaning, urban, suburban, and rural school systems engaged in learning, networking and working together to help drive ‘policy and ultimately improve student learning,” according to the District 158 press release.
Huntley District 158 School Superintendent Dr. Scott Rowe commented on the honor at the May 18 school board meeting.
“It is a crowning moment for the last 10-15 years of truly personalized instruction, a real feather in the cap for the district,” Rowe said. “We pushed the status quo to what education can and should be.”
Rowe praised the support of previous and current school boards of educational for their support which led to the national honor.
“The goal of the network, which was created by the AASA National Commission on Student-Centered, Equity-Focused Education is to guide Learning 2025 leaders as they chart their progress toward a “Lighthouse” designation in one or more areas of growth. The commission called for identification of exemplary educational systems to serve as beacons of light in key areas of holistic redesign of American education.”
“This recognition is a tremendous honor and a testament to the innovations in personalized learning that our district and staff have worked to develop over the past several years,” Rowe said. “Alongside the other members of AASA’s Learning 2025 Network who demonstrate excellence in public education, Huntley 158 is excited to continue to stay in the forefront of 21st century learning and ensure every student has the opportunity to find a pathway to success.”
According to the Huntley District 158 press release, the district was selected based on its strategies to develop future-ready learners. In the application submitted to AASA, Huntley 158 outlined its emphasis on personalized learning, which is based on the belief that supporting 21st century earners and preparing them to become strong contributors to society upon graduation must involve exposure to a diverse curriculum, flexibility and room for student choice.
Huntley District 158 representatives will participate at the Learning 2025 National Summit in Washington, D.C. June 26-28.
