Reports of the Regional Superintendent

Dear Friends of Education,

The Regional Superintendent of Schools is the chief administrative officer of a Regional Office of Education, and the only elected education professional office in Illinois. As an intermediate agency between the Illinois State Board of Education and local school districts, the office of the Regional Superintendent performs regulatory functions as directed by the Illinois School Code.

  • The Code states that “the Regional Superintendent of Schools
    • shall exercise supervision and control over all school districts in the region.
    • shall act as the official advisor and assistant of the school officers and teachers in his region.
    • shall carry out the advice of the State Superintendent of Education.”

In addition to coordinating and delivering state and local services, the Regional Superintendent acts as an advocate for education by providing positive leadership and disseminating information for educators, school districts and the public. Specific duties of the Regional Superintendent are stated in the School Code and can be summarized in two major areas, service and assurance to the public or as we like to say; Safety, Support, Success!

Service components include the dissemination of information on education legislation, legal issues, cooperative management, research and administration. The Regional Superintendent also provides information to citizens about state and local programs that will help meet the needs of their children. Each service component requires specific skills placing the Regional Superintendent as an intermediate agent who brings together people, concepts and resources to provide educational services.

Assurances to the public cover areas such as fiscal responsibilities, local school performances, life safety, certification, supervision and curriculum. In these areas legislation places enforcement responsibilities on the Regional Superintendent to guarantee that certain minimums are met and legal parameters followed.

During the course of the school year, the Regional Superintendent and her staff receive numerous telephone calls, letters and visits from parents, school personnel, and citizens concerning a multitude of educational concerns. It is the policy of the Regional Superintendent to give prompt service and accurate information to any individual or group seeking assistance.

We at the Regional Office of  Education #21 work tirelessly to fulfill our mission of collaboratively building and sustaining a high quality educational community for all. We do this by fulfilling our statutory compliance requirements, but our programs and services go far beyond these basic functions. Our Annual Reports detail many of the value-added offerings we provide, which include our professional development courses, mentoring programs, school safety initiatives, education partnerships, and alternative learning programs—to name just a few.

It is our goal to support the educators and schools of ROE #21 so every child in our region is successful academically, socially, and emotionally.

Sincerely,

Lorie LeQuatte
Regional Superintendent of Schools
Franklin Johnson Massac and Williamson Counties