A few years ago we embarked on a journey to develop a strategic plan for the District. Some of you participated in some very engaging, and at times difficult and emotional conversations, about where the District has been, where we are now, and where we want to be. Those conversations were very valuable. In many respects they allowed us to clear the air and to address some concerns and issues some of us had been carrying for some time.
Although well intended, the strategic planning process resulted in some very lofty goals that would take us 10 years or more to reach. While admirable, goals planned that far out make us lose sight of some of the immediate needs of the District as well as some of the small steps we can take in the next three years to make a difference for our students, the community, and our employees. Simply stated, we came to a realization the needs of the District, especially our students, cannot afford to wait 10 years. Our kids need help now. As a result, the Governing Board and Executive Team – using feedback collected from employees, community members and the Governing Board — developed a master plan that addresses the immediate needs of the District, and that can be implemented quickly. This master plan will serve as the District’s blueprint for the next three years as guide to meet our objectives.
When the school year started, I shared the Governing Board’s goals for the year and shared my goals for the year. Governing Board Goal 1 reads, “Develop and implement a District Education Master Plan.” Superintendent Goal 1 states “Develop and implement a District Education Master Plan (Strategic Plan/Goals)”. These goals, and all others developed by me and the Governing Board, are aligned as part of our commitment to improve consistency across the District. Our goal was to complete the master plan by the end of October with the intent of rolling it out the before the winter break.
At our next Leadership Meeting, the Glendale Elementary School District 2015-2018 Educational Master Plan will be shared with and discussed with our district administrators. They will be asked to share and discuss the plan with district personnel at the schools and sites. Our administrators have been asked to do this before the holiday break. While we had hoped to present this plan in a face-to-face manner to allow for questions and other interaction, time constraints because of the upcoming holidays, combined with scheduled events, gave us very little time with which to work.
Dr. Sharon Kramer, a consultant who is partnering with our district to elevate the academic performance of our students, emphasizes the importance of engaging in the right work to create successful and sustainable school improvement. The development and implementation of the master plan is one of the steps we are taking to narrow the scope of our work, to ensure we are engaging in the right work that is going to result in increased learning for all of our students. As we continue our commitment to be “All In for Kids” it is important our work be aligned and focused district wide.
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