Kane County Institute Day 2027

Keynote Speaker

Garth Larson

Garth Larson, Ed.D, is the Co-Founder and CEO of FIRST Educational Resources. He began his career as a high school English teacher and Associate Principal, later serving as an elementary principal and the Director of Learning for the Winneconne Community School District in Northeast Wisconsin. In 2015, he co-founded FIRST Educational Resources, aiming to enhance student achievement across the United States. Since then, over 2500 school districts worldwide have partnered with his company. 

Garth consults globally, providing customized professional development on topics such as Professional Learning Communities, Learning-Centered Grading Practices, Leadership, and School Improvement. He is the co-author of six books, including Collaborative Systems of Support, PLC 2.0, Grading for Impact, The STAGR Process Roadmap, Extinguishing the Fires Within Assessment and Grading Reform, and Simplifying School Improvement: A Framework for Impact in Today’s Schools.

Online Courses

We provide timely and relevant support to educators in their journey to meet the ever-increasing demands of teaching and leading through a variety of synchronous and asynchronous online workshops. All offerings provide participants with research-based, relevant resources and help address the critical issues facing educators today. 

Through these opportunities, educators are empowered to make immediate and long-lasting changes in their professional practice to help increase student achievement while also meeting their social and emotional needs.

Administrator Academies

By statute, every administrator must complete a minimum of one approved academy annually and a minimum of five in each administrator certificate renewal period.  

The Illinois Online Academy provides a range of online academies that meet this criteria while providing research-based strategies to help you on you journey. Topics range from combatting educator burnout, meeting and presentation tips, restorative practices, and more.