Michael Fullan Visits District 108
Michael Fullan, dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, visited District 108 on Wednesday, April 24 as part of a Critical Friends Visit. Dr. Fullan is recognized as an international authority on educational reform. He is engaged in training, consulting and evaluation of change projects around the world. Dr. Fullan was invited to provide a feedback report to Illinois State University, Wheeling School District 21 and Pekin Public Schools District 108 with regard to their partnership featuring a Professional Development School project.

The project has three primary goals:

• To prepare ISU student interns, district mentor teachers and ISU faculty to demonstrate proficiency in teaching-based and learning-based standards to improve performance.
• To enhance district and university improvement through systemic reform and
• To foster a professional learning community partnership to secure strong relationships, common knowledge and shared commitments between and among district and university faculty and the broader community.

Dr. Fullan spent a day in the Wheeling School District, a day at Illinois State University and a day in Pekin gathering data to provide feedback to highlight the successes of the partnership and to provide suggestions for how to make the partnership even more successful. He interviewed students, teachers, principals, ISU student interns, their supervising teachers, ISU faculty and administration. The feedback report will be delivered in late May. Funding for the Critical Friend's Visit came from a foundation gift given to the University.