Strategic Plan 

Core Team Meeting Notes- April 24, 2007

School Board Member Paula Reynolds welcomed the Strategic Plan Core Team Members to their first meeting (April 24, 2007) and discussed the important role of Strategic Planning.   She noted the need to develop a three year plan building on the work done in the 2002-2007 Strategic Plan and the 2006 Board goals.  Key comments in her remarks included:

• Board goals each year use the 2002 Strategic Plan as a guide
• It is now time to re-look at the current Strategic Plan
• Develop an “action plan” and build on current Strategic Plan 
• This plan will be an advisory product presented to the Board for their approval

Ms. Reynolds then introduced Facilitator Jim Brown of Leadership Associates. Mr. Brown asked the Core Team to work in groups and write down issues that will affect the District in the next three years and the needs to be considered when setting goals.  He asked Core Team members to determine key issues that would affect the development of over-arching Strategic Plan goals.

The group identified potential key issues around the five major goal areas:

Student Achievement Issues:

- Increased State and Federal Requirements

-  Demand for collaborative skills; promote creativity &   teamwork

-  Continuing a high standard of excellence

-  Possible increase of english language learners

-  High stakes testing that competes with core values

-  Enrollment increases impact on fiscal and programmatic operations

-  Demand for access & improved use of technology in classroom

Fiscal Issues:

        -  Rising costs of employee salaries and benefit

        -  Required Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) and their fiscal impact

-  State funding cuts and politics

-  Basic aid funding vs. enrollment increases  

-  Aging population; possible waning support from community

Staffing Issues:

-   Competitive compensation

-    Retention 

-    Cost of living: housing, commuting

-     More rapid turnover than in past; mobile workforce more common

-      Increased Teacher retirements

Communications Issues:

-    Technology becoming a required core competency; black hole of funding needs

-  Technology infrastructure

-  Electronic Information overload/saturation

-  Identifying how to best communicate messages efficiently and effectively

Facilities Issues:

-  Fiscal impact

-  Maintenance issues

-  Increased Enrollment means adding additional spaces; potential of 12 new classrooms

-  Modernization capacity

- Conducive learning environments                                                                                               

               Ideas for goals generated from group:

Student Achievement

• Schools promote creativity and teamwork at all levels, and teachers help students turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom.

• Assessment of student progress is performance-based, taking into account students’ individual talents, abilities and aspirations.

• Continue work of the Mill Valley Teaching & Learning Collaborative (MVTLC)

• New educational delivery models

Faculty & Staff

• Provide faculty with teaching tools and latitude to maximize student achievement

Communications

• Provide technology communication to inform and engage entire school community at large

Facilities Utilization & Educational Program Delivery

• Provide a physical learning environment conducive to support teaching and student achievement

• Arrange funding for renovation

• Develop Long Range Facilities Master Plan

Possible new goal?:  Build Core Competency in Technology

Strategic Plan Next Steps:

The next step is to engage the public in the Strategic Planning process. There will be three Public Input Community-Wide Work Sessions in May 2007:

     May 7, 6:30-9 pm, Mill Valley Middle School , 411 Sycamore Ave

    May 9, 6:30-9 pm, Strawberry Point School,117 E. Strawberry Drive

    May 24, 6:30-9 pm, Tam Valley School , 350 Bell Lane    

What to Expect at the May Public Input Sessions:

• Will be working sessions. Public participation is integral to success.

• First get a sense of what community values

• Review the Mission  

• Help build over-arching goals; the issues; what to do to support the over-arching goals 

• Need to come out of discussions knowing what we can and cannot do

• What really matters?  What really makes a difference?

Topics for Public Input Meetings (May 7, 9, & 24, 2007):

1. Welcome, Introduction of Members, and Introduction of Facilitator
2. Overview of  Strategic Planning Process
3. Foundations for the new three year Plan
4. Community Comments and Recommendations
5. Developing Our Strategic Goals

Strategic Plan Quick Links