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Over the past several months, I have had the chance to spend time with educators across Illinois, and those conversations have left me energized. Talking to over 10 districts in Illinois reinforced how seriously district leaders are thinking about student growth beyond traditional metrics. In Community High School District 128, conversations with Marc Schaffer made something especially clear: even in a district already recognized for excellence, the Portrait of a Graduate conversation still matters. District 128 is not turning to this work out of weakness. It is doing it from a position of strength. That matters because Community High School District 128 is already widely recognized as one of the top districts in Illinois. Niche currently ranks District 128 #4 among the best school districts in Illinois, and gives the district an overall grade of A+ ( Niche, 2025 ). U.S. News lists Vernon Hills High School at #11 in Illinois ( U.S. News & World Report, 2026 ). Patch also reported that District 128 ranked #23 nationally and #9 in Illinois in Niche's 2024 Best Schools and Districts rankings ( Patch, 2023 ). And District 128's own superintendent page describes the district's "outstanding student achievement" and "award-winning arts, athletics and co-curricular programs" ( Community High School District 128, 2025 ). That is exactly why this example is so important. When a district with that kind of reputation still sees the value of revisiting how it defines graduate success, it sends a powerful message: Portrait of a Graduate is not just a reform for struggling systems. It is a strategic tool for excellent systems that want to stay excellent. Conversations with Dr. Jen Cooper-Wells in SD 308 pointed to the same reality I keep seeing across the state: educators are committed to the work, but they need systems that make it doable. Learning about how Barrington 220 defined proficiency levels for its Portrait of a Graduate showed what it looks like when a district moves from inspirational language to operational clarity. What all of these conversations have in common is simple: Illinois is not lacking vision. Illinois is full of thoughtful educators trying to make Portrait of a Graduate real.

“AI in school is just for cheating.” That’s usually where the conversation starts. And if we’re only talking about assignments, it’s an understandable concern. But most of the everyday frustration in schools isn’t academic. It’s logistical. It’s 8:12 PM. You just want to sign up for a sport. Simple, right? So you open your school website. Click “Students.” Then “Activities.” Then “Athletics.” Then something called “Resources.” Now you’re in a PDF from 2018. That’s not it. You go back. Try “Clubs.” Wrong. Try “Forms.” Almost. Try “Calendar.” Definitely not. It’s too late at night to call, so you send an email and wait for an answer that probably exists somewhere on the website already. It’s a small problem. But it happens constantly. Somehow, everyone’s just accepted it. Multiplied across students, parents, and staff, it becomes a big part of the everyday friction of school life. This is where AI starts to make practical sense. AI based chat support systems are designed to remove that friction by making school information more accessible and easier to navigate. Tochan AI , for example, connects directly to a school’s website and knowledge base—so instead of digging through pages, you just ask: “How do I register for soccer?” “When does enrollment start?” “Where’s the form?” And it gives you the answer instantly—with links, contact information, and responses pulled directly from the school’s current information.

Vendor halls at conferences are seeing a shift. In this blog, Dr. Mike McGowan, aka Dr. DSNY, shares his personal opinions and insights regarding this change.