Learn more about the Board of Education's efforts regarding the strategic planning process
A few years ago, the school district adopted the “Learning Community Philosophy” as espoused by Richard DuFour in Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement. DuFour's work outlines and demonstrates concepts for school constituencies to work collaboratively to change, redefine, and/or shape a school's mission and goals. We are not questioning any of the decisions made, at this time, but we simply want to know how we've reached this point. It's important to share critical decision-making elements such as information gathering process, selection criteria used, alternatives considered, etc.
Through this process, there are clear suggestions on how school improvement, cultural change, and curriculum development can be achieved. In discussing its approach to the learning community philosophy, our school district’s website comments, “A strategic plan, common themes, and well-defined frameworks for collaboration are important elements for success.”
NAFK leadership, as well as several other members of the community, have advocated for our school to engage in a strategic planning process. It's interesting that our school district acknowledges the importance of strategic planning, but has not made any open, clear effort in a long time. To support a renewed process and begin to address concerns heard throughout the community, New Albany for Kids has developed a community engagement plan aimed to increase transparency of the school board’s decision making process and involve residents in issues of importance to our schools.
To continue our development as an outstanding school district will require an open dialogue with the community, greater transparency of process, and important prioritization decisions. Members of NAFK’s leadership have attended every Board of Education meeting and workshop regarding the school’s discussion of strategic planning activities.
We have consistently urged school district leadership to share information in an open and timely fashion. Unfortunately, despite having attended every public meeting on the subject, we have seen very little information describing the process for how decisions are being made.
Planning the Process Expected outcomes Decision-making process Request for Proposal (RFP) External assistance
Timeline and budget
Here are some questions that we believe are an important part of a good planning process. These are questions that should be asked by both participants and stakeholders.