In a recent conversation that I had with a staff member it was mentioned by the individual that they would like to see a clear vision for their school, and for the district overall. I appreciated receiving this feedback, because developing a clear shared vision and articulating it is something that we as a school leaders, are constantly striving to do. The fact that some staff may feel as though the vision is not clear, reflects that we need to do a better job of revisiting our overarching vision, communicating to everyone, and developing commitment. It is my hope that this month’s message will help provide some clarity in regards to our district’s vision...
This summer the district leadership team, in cooperation with the school board, held several meetings in which we reviewed student data, feedback from the staff survey that I sent out last spring, and feedback from one on one interviews that I had held with school and community leaders. We also reviewed our current “District Goals”, “District Philosophy” and “Statements of Belief”. It was decided that our overarching district vision as detailed in our goals, philosophy and Statements of Belief is still relevant and compelling. If you have not reviewed these three documents I encourage you to do so by clicking on the embedded links above, or visiting the applicable sections on our website under district policies.
What did come out of our meetings was that we felt we needed to boil down our overarching vision into one simple statement that all staff members could remember and strive for within their area of responsibility. After much thought, discussion, and deliberation we selected, “Top Ten Percent In All We Do”. If each and everyone of us can perform at the top ten percent then as a district we will have no problem fulfilling our goals, philosophy and Statements of Belief. We recognize that on a day to day basis we will not always perform at that level, but it is our hope that as we strive to be in the “Top Ten Percent In All We Do”, we will elevate our performance and thus the service to our parents, students, and the community. This target applies to all of us, as Martin Luther King Jr. said,
By striving to meet this target we will succeed in maximizing growth, in improving academic achievement for our students, and expanding access and opportunities for all, which will result in preparing our students for a globally competitive 21st Century.
This outlines our district’s overarching vision, but more importantly I would ask that you reflect upon your vision. Whether it is for your class, your department, or your specific job duties…. What does “Top Ten Percent” look like to you? Capture that vision and pursue it…. Thanks for all you do!!!
