Scarsdale Mission and Strategy

As the new BOE starts the planning process, this may be worth a look. Hat tip to KJ for the link. I am not sure of the status of our strategic plan from three years ago.

The Mission is to “enable our youth to be effective and independent contributors in a democratic society and an interdependent world.” We are doing this by pursuing three inter-related goals:

* To prepare our students for effective participation in an interdependent world
* To develop minds and spirits to inspire a love of learning
* To foster decent, responsible, contributing citizens (non sibi)

More

Comments

[Jill Jones]

As you may recall, K-L Schools developed a 5-year Strategic Plan in 2006:

"The Mission of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District, a student-inspired, community-based center of educational excellence, is to ensure that each student has a passion for learning and defines and achieves individual success in a dynamic, competitive global society through a system distinguished by:
* highly motivated active learners who continuously assess their progress and feel joy in their accomplishments;
* faculty and staff dedicated to the success of all students;
* rigorous curricula and innovative approaches to instruction that honor the uniqueness in each student;
* collaboration among school, home, and community to create a stimulating learning environment."

In order to achieve this mission, key Strategies were spelled out:

"* We will provide an array of support services to ensure student success.
* We will offer a variety of curricula and instructional approaches to inspire students' passions and motivate them to excel.
* We will create an environment that inspires the very best in everyone.
* We will ensure that every staff member is excellent.
* We will provide the optimal facilities necessary to accomplish our mission and objectives.
* We will ensure optimal communication within the district and between the district and the community.
* We will ensure collaboration among school, home, and community that stimulates student learning."

Imho, I think we could do a much better job of implementing these strategies in order to achieve our mission. Specifically, I don't think enough has been done to "create an environment that inspires the very best in everyone". I know Parent Council has pointed this out to the Administration - lobbying for a greater Culture of Respect - as well as some other deficiencies (not all staff members are considered "excellent"; collaboration between school and home has a long way to go, etc.)

We invested a lot of time and money in developing this guiding plan. Though it may not be perfect, it does provide a clear blueprint for K-L Schools leadership. Given the recent unveiling of alleged morale problems among staff, supposedly stemming, in part, from lack of strong leadership and a clear mission, I am curious why this plan doesn't seem relevant anymore.

It seems like our school district, probably along with a lot of other public school districts, is capable of coming up with decent plans; the problem seems to be following through with the plans. I don't know if this is due to political pressure, lack of focus, etc., but it would behoove us to constantly evaluate our actions and see if they are in line with our plan.

[Robert T Dixon]

My Questions are:

What are the milestones?
Have any been met?
What metric(s) are used to measure progress?
Who is in charge of the program?

I suspect that the program has died. My feeling has always been it was too complicated to begin with and I doubt anyone really understood it.

Bob D

Bob D

[Deborah LaPerch]

I am in agreement with Jill on the issue of lack of follow through on the part of the KL School District regarding the 5 Year Strategic Plan among other things.

If our school district was a business answering to a Board of Directors and stockholders the district would be bankrupt. But lucky for them they only need to assess and collect taxes and all the money they need appears in the coffer. What a gig!

Year in and year out...studies are done, task forces are convened, special committees are put together costing money and the community's precious time and then very little if anything is accomplished.

Personally I believe that school administrators put on the show to appease the parents and community and create an illusion that they really are listening and are willing to collaborate on making the KL environment better. They instead go right on doing what they want disappointing many to no avail. However now they know they no longer have the support of the majority of teachers and staff...along with the 50% of the community who has always had their antennas up.

This may be the beginning of the KL Perfect Storm.

[Michael Gordon]

Jill, I think maybe the problem is not so much implementation (although I take your points and believe they are worth more careful study), but, rather, communication. In my view, every major decision we have made in the past 3 years was informed, to some extent, by the Strategic Plan. The problem is that we don't always reference the Strategic Plan, and so it appears that we've forgotten it. That's a communication problem. Bear in mind too that implicit in the Strategic Plan is that its elements are bounded by economic realities. Today's economic environment is not what it was when the Strategic Plan was conceived and when the action plans were developed. Thanks for raising the issue. Mike

[Jill Jones]

Well, Mike, that's fair enough. I know that the District has made some curricular, etc. improvements (World Language instruction for younger students is one example) based on the Strategic Plan, so it's not correct to suggest that the plan has been discarded. And, I agree, communication about where we stand vis a vis the plan has been lacking...probably in large part due to other pressing concerns. But I guess that illustrates two big, continuing problems in this District: the Admin/BOE always seems to be REACTING to some crisis or issue that's made its way to the top of your to-do list, and communication, though improved in the last few years, is still not optimal.

So, to repeat my earlier point, given the recent reported brouhaha (latest and greatest crisis?) with morale and "rudderlessness" among staff members, I think now might be the time to reinforce and/or update our mission statement and remind everyone what WE ARE ALL trying to accomplish.

[Robert T Dixon]

Hi Jill and Mike:

Nice words, but isn't the reality that the plan is a vast potpourri of wishes than when incorporated into one plan is too complicated for anyone to recall without a crib sheet. Isn't it too complicated to understand let alone implement? I suspect that it is the proverbial elephant sitting in the District's living room that everyone wishes would go away.

The Districts website lists eighty-one (yes 81!) deliverables with a timetable for each one. Certainly the people who gave their time, effort and money deserve to know how their contributions are playing out. So, lets have an update of the program. Or perhaps an announcement that it will be discontinued or modified.

Finally, two additional observations that lead me to suspect it is off the radar screen: the district website lists people on the Strategic Planning Team who are long gone-Lictenfeld for a starter. Also, I note that the Board listed as a 2008/09 goal that the Superintendent develop a 5 year plan-wonder if it is to be superimposed on the Strategic Plan or a replacement.

Bob D