Alignment

Over the past 6+ months a group of 50 community members have been working to revise our Strategic Framework.  This important work has focused on the “action steps” associated with our 5 Strategic Framework goals. The goals are broad:

• All students will meet or exceed the Common Core State Standards in reading, writing, and mathematics by the end of grade 3 in order to acquire the essential skills necessary to apply their knowledge.
• All students will acquire and apply essential skills to be continuous learners and productive citizens in an ever-changing 21st Century global society.
• Strengthen family-school relationships and continue to expand civic, business, higher education, and community partnerships that support improved student achievement.
• Enhance a positive school environment that promotes student and staff well-being, satisfaction, and positive morale.
• District shall establish short-term financial stability and long-term solvency.

They require more definition and this is where the goal area groups have spent time exploring and developing the action steps necessary for us to achieve our goals. As the process has moved along I have had several conversations with committee members about the idea of “alignment” as it relates to how our goals fit together. The definition of alignment is, “the act of adjusting or aligning the parts of a device in relation to each other.” Basically, our plan needed a “front end” alignment.  In our case, this has meant looking at each goal and how it relates to the other goals, as well as, our overall mission and vision.

This has led to important discussions about the priorities of the district and the challenges we face. The process cannot be overlooked if we want to achieve our goals. It is exciting to think about the future with a well defined plan in place for all of us to follow.