When a new superintendent was hired in Spring 2021, he immediately began a listening tour to hear what students, parents, teachers, support staff, and community members saw as the future of the district.

 

With the School Board's full support I collaborated with him to implement a community input process to answer the question, "what are the most important things to focus on as we prepare students for their future?" This included community engagement through ThoughtExchange,  a 75-member committee analyzing the results and engaging in dialogue to draft mission and vision statements, followed by the second round of online input. All of the results were then reviewed by the School Board and District Leadership Team resulting in a new mission, vision, and strategic pillars.

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Throughout the 2021-22 school year, committee work developed specific goals within the pillars including metrics to measure success. Those goals inform the District and School Improvement Plans that guide the district's work into the future.

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An Authentic Learning Experience for Students

Taking our lead from the community input and the work of a 75-member strategic planning committee, I worked directly with students interested in graphic design and marketing, as well as President of Five Star Designs Laura Gilarksi to create a brand that will represent District 230 into the future. The team sought feedback from the district and school administration and ultimately presented the final brand design to the School Board at a public meeting. The students learned important skills that will serve them as they pursue careers in advertising and graphic design.