(105 ILCS 5/34-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-8) Sec. 34-8. Powers and duties of general superintendent. The general superintendent of schools shall prescribe and control,
subject to the approval of the board and to other provisions of this
Article, the courses of study mandated by State law, textbooks,
educational apparatus and equipment, discipline in and conduct of the
schools, and shall perform such other duties as the board may by rule
prescribe. The superintendent shall also notify the State Board of
Education, the board and the chief administrative official, other than the
alleged perpetrator himself, in the school where the alleged perpetrator
serves, that any person who is employed in a school or otherwise comes into
frequent contact with children in the school has been named as a
perpetrator in an indicated report filed pursuant to the Abused and
Neglected Child Reporting Act, approved June 26, 1975, as amended. The general superintendent may be granted the authority by the board
to hire a specific number of employees to assist in meeting immediate
responsibilities. Conditions of employment for such personnel shall not be
subject to the provisions of Section 34-85. The general superintendent may, pursuant to a delegation of authority by
the board and Section 34-18, approve contracts and expenditures. Pursuant to other provisions of this Article, sites shall be selected,
schoolhouses located thereon and plans therefor approved, and textbooks
and educational apparatus and equipment shall be adopted and purchased
by the board only upon the recommendation of the general superintendent
of schools or by a majority vote of the full membership of the board
and, in the case of textbooks, subject to Article 28 of this Act. The
board may furnish free textbooks to pupils and may publish its own
textbooks and manufacture its own apparatus, equipment and supplies. In addition, in January of each year,
the general
superintendent of schools shall report to the State Board of Education the number of high school students
in the district who are enrolled in accredited courses (for which high
school credit will be awarded upon successful completion of the courses) at
any community college, together with the name and number of the course or
courses which each such student is taking. The general superintendent shall also have the authority to monitor the
performance of attendance centers, to identify and place an attendance
center on remediation and probation, and to recommend to the board that the
attendance center be placed on intervention and be reconstituted, subject to
the provisions of Sections 34-8.3 and 8.4. The general superintendent, or his or her designee, shall
conduct an annual evaluation of each principal in the district
pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the Board and the Board approved
principal evaluation form. The evaluation
shall be based on factors, including the following:
(i) student academic improvement, as defined by the
school improvement plan; (ii) student absenteeism rates at the school;
(iii) instructional leadership;
(iv) effective implementation of programs, policies, or strategies to
improve student academic achievement; (v) school management;
and (vi) other factors, including, without limitation, the principal's
communication skills and ability to create and maintain a
student-centered learning environment, to develop
opportunities for professional development, and to encourage parental
involvement and community partnerships to achieve school improvement. Effective no later than September 1, 2012, the general superintendent or his or her designee shall develop a written principal evaluation plan. The evaluation plan must be in writing and shall supersede the evaluation requirements set forth in this Section. The evaluation plan must do at least all of the following: (1) Provide for annual evaluation of all principals |