District Updates
Paper. (The Company- not the thing you write on) In an effort to support our students and their families, and the Salem staff, the Board has approved a contract with Paper! There are several needs that Paper will will address, while also providing a strong support component for students and families! We are sharing this resource to further help lift a burden off your shoulders. Below are short clips from parents and students who have utilized Paper.
Finally, here is the Board Memo I wrote regarding Paper. You will notice a reference to Otus (another resource we have been approved to use). I will go into more detail about Otus in a future communication; I have shared plenty of new information already. Below the memo, are two slides that were shared with the Board during our Special Board Meeting earlier this week that provide some additional information for your review.
Strategic Planning. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards describes effective school boards as having “a moral imperative to commit to a vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and define clear goals toward that mission and vision.” There is evidence that clarifying expectations creates and sustains trust. Currently, the building and district administrators are reading, The Speed of Trust: One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen Covey. He states that without clear expectations, people are left to “guess, wonder, or assume” (p. 199). Conversely, clarifying expectations are grounded in a shared vision and agreement and based on principles of clarity, responsibility, and accountability.
The strategic planning process also creates greater transparency in areas we have identified as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT). More importantly, strategic planning affords us a systemic process so we efficiently prioritize how we will be enhancing the strengths and maximizing our opportunities while also swiftly addressing threats and minimizing our weaknesses. The goal of strategic planning is not to create flashy programs and implement new initiatives; the goal is to operate in a sustainable, systematic, and strategic way as an organization.
Finally, on the heels of a challenging three years in education, we have a strong opportunity to strengthen our entire organization’s trust quotient. This process will allow us to create clarity around how we are designing instructional experiences for students, allocating our local and federal funds, recruiting and retaining highly qualified and effective staff for our stakeholders, and importantly, strategic planning will define the direction we are headed as one Salem School District Community!
Date | Event | Location |
August 2nd | Meet & Greet with Vicki @ 5-6pm (popcorn) | Gym |
August 8th | Meet & Greet with Vicki @ 6-7pm (cookies) | Gym |
August 10th | Meet & Greet with Vicki @ 2-3pm (ice cream cones) | Gym |
August 12th | Strategic Planning Invitation Opened | Salem Community |
August 17th | Meet & Greet with Vicki @ 5-6pm (ice cream sundaes) | Gym |
August 23rd | Board of Education Regular Meeting @ 7pm | LGI |
August 30th | First Day of School for Students | Salem |
1 WASB Governance Services
2 Study by AMA/HRI Business Ethics Survey 2005, NY, 2006
Links to Important Items