Strategic Plan 2007

Notes from the May 8, 2007 Staff Input Meeting

Agenda

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

Facilitator Jim Brown of Leadership Associates welcomed attendees, which included teachers, Core Team Members, and other School District staff.

Mr. Brown asked the group to review the 2002 Strategic Plan and the 2006 Board Adopted Goals and to identify the differences between the two.  He noted that the Board goals are similar but not identical to the 2002 Strategic Plan. Superintendent Ken Benny explained that, while significant progress has been made in the 2002 Strategic Plan, there is still work to do. The Board has used the Plan as its guide in establishing the District’s main goals.  Mr. Benny said that it will be a three-year plan 1) because education is changing at an ever-increasing pace and 2) because the plan is intended to be a realistic action plan. 

Mr. Brown asked the group to review and compare the 2002-07 Strategic Plan and the 2006 Board Adopted Goals

• Do these major goals still apply?  Should there be others?  Do you use this plan?

Comments from staff

1. Regarding Middle School: didn’t know of plan, but knows that much has happened, such as more big ideas, sense of direction; better curricular (Teaching and Learning Collaborative) connections
2. The plan sounds familiar; communication at staff meetings; integrated at sites; doesn’t sound “new”
3. The Strategic Plan referred to negotiations and working with units, but not in 2006 goals (#3); maintain for future
4. Hard to determine whether plan was achieved; need to measure/met goals
5. Facilities not even mentioned in the Plan; need to look at new revenue streams
6. More “whole child” in Plan; doesn’t see “culture” or related language in current goals; don’t forget to integrate arts/academics, etc.
7. Need behavior/emotional support
8. Professional development recurring theme in both; need to keep (could be strategy to achieve a goal)
9. Articulation with high school is important
10. Don’t lose dynamics, flexibility, creativity and diversity

Facilitator Brown then asked the group to consider the following:

Of these, what are the most critical ones to be addressed?

What are the five most important strategic goals that should be addressed in the planning period?

Questions asked of participants and led by Facilitator Jim Brown:

What knowledge, skills and values do we want our students to acquire?

1. Independence is important; doesn’t means doing whatever I want to do; must have balance
2. Good social, emotional and organizational skills; interest in learning; “turn on” to, passion for learning
3. Lifelong learner; engaged in own learning; able to work independently and in groups; manage conflict; thirst for knowledge; able to take risks
4. Whole child; critical thinkers
5. Traits of successful learners used to be on progress reports; helped guide dialog with parents and students

What is the critical work we do to make that happen?

1. We all have same goals; teachers exchange ideas, which is energizing
2. Grade level meetings
3. Collaboration is key
4. Work with transitions, whether between K-5 and 6-8 or between 8^th grade and high school
5. Testing is out of touch with what is taught in classroom; how do we integrate and empower teachers
6. Need to process following testing
7. Students as critical consumers of the written word, through teaching strategies
8. Understand how students learn
9. Ability to communicate well with parents
10. Differentiated teaching strategies; determining what excites students
11. Assess student learning; are we making a difference in what students are doing?
12. Break down our own barriers; open communications, take risks, model as educators; be willing to change; give colleagues benefit of doubt; more openness among teachers, administrators and board
13. All must model good teaching and learning
14. Recruiting good staff; retaining them; get the right people and grow professionally
15. Create safe environment for learning---“a place to learn”---facilities, emotional and social safety; everything
16. Model with colleagues; we have multiple opportunities to practice many things
17. Ask questions that provoke deeper thinking and learning
18. High turnover may hinder current teachers (time spent in coaching, mentoring, etc.)
19. Give students time to celebrate achievements
20. Technology “pushed down” to younger and younger students; many in Mill Valley have rich life experiences (much travel at young age); keep track of developmental appropriateness.  Be advocate for them at each age of learning.
21. Be fiscally responsible
22. Lead the PTAs
23. Support teachers and administration
24. Help develop “world” student; what exactly is that?  Bring district and parents together
25. How can we deal with diversity when not living in a very diverse community?
26. Support teachers in the best way; support staff also are advocates for our district when working with community
27. Need to stay focused and remain true to what is most important

What are the five most important things the District should do in the next three years to support powerful teaching and learning? (Top five goals and strategies)

(Individuals were asked to write out and share one of two with the group, with all comments below; line spaces between individuals’ comments)

1. Increase time for teachers to brainstorm
2. Bring facilities up to safe standards
3. Prepare students for global awareness and global participation
4. Increase the emphasis on “whole student” = academics + art, music and PE
5. Address the challenge of different capacities of learning and not focus on one way to gauge progress, but multiple ways to address progress

6. Supporting the “whole” child in their educational experience
7. Supporting teachers in their endeavors to meet the needs of the whole child:
1. Professional development
2. Collaboration at all levels
3. Time to be thoughtful and find purpose in what we teach
4. Time to reflect, refine
5. Intervention available
6. Knowledgeable and “wise” administrators
8. Establish and work openly to maintain an environment of “trust” within this district:
1. Board/teachers
2. Teachers/students
3. Teachers/teachers
4. Administrators/teachers
5. Superintendent/administrators (and on and on)
9. We are all learners

10. Promote collaboration among staff members
11. Communicate clearly between all levels within the district a common value of the learner’s needs…vertically and horizontally
12. Honor the expertise of the teacher, various teaching strategies and styles
13. Create an environment of trust
14. Provide staff development that continually improves good teaching practices

15. Continue to provide adequate support to kids who are at opposite ends of the spectrum  (as well as meeting emotional needs i.e. counseling)
16. Continue to provide a breadth of experiences to students (PE, art, music, performing arts, etc)
17. Provide teachers with time to work together to share best practices, etc.
18. Continue to work on technology goals, particularly as an aid to facilitate communication goals

19. Provide teachers and sites with the necessary funding/materials to deliver lessons with the maximum support needed to enhance student learning
20. Improve the state of technology via network and hardware so that students are provided with skills in technology across the curriculum to prepare for higher learning
21. Professional development
22. Facilities issues
23. Recruitment of diverse staff, maintaining staff
24. Safe schools

25. Continue to recruit highly qualified staff at all levels, both certificated and classified
26. Provide meaningful and relevant professional development for staff to enhance and maintain their skills
27. Develop meaningful assessment process to identify student needs
28. From above (#27), develop an effective intervention program, along with strategies to implement the program, with measurement along the way to determine progress
29. Develop effective fiscal plan, given the challenges of a growing enrollment in a basic aid district

30. Develop deep collaboration among teachers
31. Through inquiry, develop critical thinking among teachers and students
32. Community service learning/teaching
33. Encourage/support experimentation/research in teaching practices, with innovative strategies involving
1. Choice
2. Technology
3. Stretching thinking/risk
4. Multiple answers/inquiry
5. Classroom structures
6. Arrangement of students
34. Critical analysis of student work and teaching strategies

35. Giving teachers time to collaborate
36. Quality/meaningful professional development
37. Retaining and supporting teachers so they are able to do their best job in the classroom teaching students (academically and emotionally)
38. Continue to value flexibility, creativity, collaboration and inquiry in teachers, students and programs
39. Having a clear purpose in what we do, whether in the classroom, or as a district

40. Retain quality teachers
41. Improve technology
42. Continue to fund arts, garden, music, etc.
43. Broaden PE scope, physical well-being
44. Better serve very high-skilled students and students with low skills, needs

45. Increase revenue
46. Hire and retain the right staff
47. Facilities modernization
48. Fund teacher learning and research and development
49. Develop teacher/workforce housing on district surplus properties

50. Technology
51. Collaboration time with other teachers in same subject area and across the curriculum
52. Ensuring the “whole student’s” needs are being met
53. Acquiring and retaining  a talented, well rounded teaching staff
54. Promoting excellence in all areas: physical, academic, emotional, etc. of all students and staff

55. Sustain a culture of creativity, flexibility and mutual respect
56. Create support for extracurricular activities…a place for dramatic presentations, speeches and guest presenters
57. Supply multiple on-going opportunities for tech learning for teachers (not always at end of day!); mini-lessons repeated often
58. Support student community service opportunities and embed them in curriculum
59. Find more ways to support students who are in emotional stress, which impedes learning

60. Encourage teacher learning – good professional development
61. Establish core values as a district
62. Look at student work and establish excellent work
63. Encourage team work and collaboration
64. Honor teacher knowledge and experience
65. Remember the whole child: academics, emotional and arts
66. Be open-minded about teacher benefits, e.g. shared contracts, varied teaching assignments

67. Long-term equitable funding
68. Defining the well-rounded student
69. Continue developing communication/information flow
70. Enhance/maintain facilities
71. Retention of staff