Our School Board adopted our District’s updated vision, mission, beliefs, strategies, and priorities last evening. Collectively, these items are our District’s strategic plan. There were 186 people who participated in the strategic planning input process between August 8 and September 22, 2016.  This included sessions with faculty and staff, parents, community members, and students. One session was conducted in Spanish (through translation) to ensure inclusion of all stakeholders’ viewpoints. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped craft our strategic plan!

Our updated vision statement is: We will prepare every student for lifelong success within a world-class learning 

environment with a commitment to community partnerships and sustainability.

I appreciate the emphasis on reaching every student, the focus on lifelong learning, a commitment to excellence by aspiring to be ‘world-class’, recognizing that we are not able to achieve our desired results alone — we need community partners to assist, and an understanding that a strong, sustainable foundation is essential in our effort to realize our vision.

To get there, the Board adopted two ongoing priorities focused on robust core instruction and ensuring we have the best people to deliver that instruction. In addition, four near-term priorities were identified as vehicles to help us achieve our vision. These include prioritizing relationships and social emotional learning; seeking long-term, sustainable solutions to address class size concerns; working on our facilities so they become modern and flexible learning spaces that promote innovation; and ensuring equitable opportunities and support for all career and college paths.

A strategic plan, particularly vision, is essential for any organization’s success. You will be hearing more from me about our updated vision, our strategic plan, and how we will use it to guide our work and decisions.  I am very pleased (and excited) with the results.