Report from the 11/6 Strategic Planning Session

So in the final flurry of planning a surprise 40th birthday party for my wife last Saturday, I didn't make time for a pre post advertising the strategic planning session that was hosted by the Board on the morning of 11/6. Apparently no advertisement was needed, because the event was very well attended. I estimate that 25 people were in attendance for the four-hour session.

I highly encourage you to review the slide show presentation from the meeting, and other detailed strategic plan documents by clicking here. After Dr. Pitts gave a brief presentation supported by the slide show, we moved on to the core of the session, which was reviewing different pillars of the strategic plan in small groups. Each participant chose their three priorities and spent about 30 minutes discussing how the district is doing in that area, what pros and cons in the current environment are affecting performance, and other related observations. I personally had quite interesting chats about the district's fiscal integrity, the challenges of facilities planning, and the state of communication among district stakeholders.

I could talk at length about the details of some of these conversations, but instead I'd like to focus on a bigger picture thought. We have an abundance of engaged, dedicated and smart people who are committed to the success of our kids and our schools. It was a pleasure to meet a few more of them on Saturday.

For those of you who were not in attendance, let me encourage you again to click the link up above and review the elements of the current strategic plan. The meeting that was held Saturday was but one workshop in a series of events - Superintendent coffee chats, Board meetings, etc. - that will take place over the next two months or so leading up to Board consideration and eventual adoption of a revised Strategic Plan. So, keep an eye and ear out for future opportunities to provide your input to the process. The more the merrier!

-Rob

p.s. As a group we reviewed a fascinating presentation by Sir Ken Robinson, creativity and education expert, called Changing Education Paradigms. You can view this 12-minute presentation on you tube by clicking here. I highly recommend it.