coen Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Proceedings of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee School District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana March 23, 2010 CALL TO ORDER Chair Barbara Bryan called the meeting to order at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, 2010, in the Board Room of the Lincoln Center. Strategic Planning Steering Committee members in attendance were Barbara Bryan, Peter Gesuale, Kathy Aragon, Nancy Hines (ex officio), Gail Surwill, Steve Arveschoug, Mark Astle, Leo Barsanti, Bryan Buehler, Nichole Card, Jim Duncan, Mary Susan Fishbaugh, Marge Flynn, Mike Foster, Mary Hernandez, Mary Lave, Scott McCulloch, Suzanne McKiernan, Sharon Peterson, Don Reed, Karen Rice, Bruce Schlicting, Dulce Whitford, and Trisha Zowada. Also in attendance were Lance Melton and Debra Silk of the Montana School Boards Association. Absent were Mary Jo Fox, Malcolm Goodrich, Joel Guthals, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, Joyce Weber and Sandy Wong. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC No communication from the public. INTRODUCTIONS Barb Bryan asked Steering Committee members to introduce themselves and thanked everyone for their participation. She noted members have been divided into five groups for tonight’s discussion. SURVEY RESULTS Barb Bryan talked briefly about the survey results and the contents of the work packet. She gave a hard copy to each committee member which included: “The Results of the Billings Public Schools – 2010 Strategic Planning Community Survey,” “Summary of Key Indicator Words: All Results/All Questions,” “Billings School District Community Survey Recurrent Themes,” and “Summary of Core Purpose General Themes, Staff and Non-Staff.” Barb Bryan also noted the survey results are posted on the PS website. IDENTIFICATION OF CORE PURPOSE AND CORE VALUES Barb Bryan introduced Lance Melton and Debra Silk, from Montana School Boards Association. Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk facilitated a presentation titled “Strategic Planning Session 2” and gave a hard copy of the presentation notes to each committee member. Mr. Melton asked member to work in groups to complete the exercises that will be used to draft the districts core ideology, core purpose, and core values. He reminded members to use the community survey results for guidance and affirmation. Mr. Melton explained the “Breakout Session” exercise model, which included: 1. Each table will draft a proposed core purpose and core value for Billings Public Schools. Use the flip charts and identify your table number so that they can retain the source of all comments for compiling. 2. Each table will identify a recorder/reporter who reads to the full group its proposed core purpose and values and describes why those participating in the table’s discussion find it inspirational. 3. Participants at each table take notes during other tables’ reports for reinforcement of common themes and identification of any unique concepts developed at one or more of the tables but missed at others. 4. Each table reconvenes a discussion to refine their proposed core purpose and values based on what they have heard from other tables’ reports 5. The table recorder/reporter writes its revised ideas for core purpose and core values on the flip chart paper. Key points made by Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk included: - Recap from Session 1, The Order of Strategic Planning The key steps in planning include the core purpose (the district’s reason for being); core values (timeless and enduring principles/qualities that guide all our work); envisioned future (a big audacious goal of what we want the district to be like); strategies (goals, objectives, and action plans). - Discovering the district’s core ideology Every district has a core ideology consisting of the core purpose and the core values. The core ideology should reflect widely held perceptions of purpose and values in the community at large. - Core Ideology Exercise Mr. Melton explained the core ideology exercise is to capture the authentic core purpose and core value that the district is committed to through consensus. - Core Ideology = Core purpose + Core values Mr. Melton explained the core purpose is the district’s fundamental reason for being or their “mission”. He asked members to capture what they believe to be Billings Public Schools’ unique and specific reason for being. At this point members worked in groups to identify their core purpose and values using the “Breakout Session” model explained by Mr. Melton. Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk provided examples of core purpose and values in school settings, core purpose criteria, and testing your core values. Members were asked to designate testing values to their core values that included; fully integrated, partially integrated, or not integrated. Steering Committee member names and table # groups included: Table #1 Leo Barsanti, Mike Foster, Bruce Schlicting, Gail Surwill, and Trisha Zowada Table #2 Jim Duncan, Mary Hernandez, Don Reed, and Dulce Whitford Table #3 Bryan Buehler, Barb Bryan, Mary Flynn, Scott McCulloch, and Sharon Peterson Table #4 Kathy Aragon, Mark Astle, Mary Lave, and Mary McKiernan Table #5 Steve Arveschoug, Nicole Card, Mary Susan Fishbaugh, Peter Gesuale, and Karen Rice The comment results by table # included: Table #1 Core Purpose Notes 1. Highest achievement for all students 2. Safe environment, positive, exciting, motivating 3. Instilling confidence in all students 4. Quality expectation for kids and in hiring 5. Stewardship, partnership with community, investment in and by community Core Value Notes • Respectful (partially integrated) • Engagement (partially integrated) • High moral and ethical standards (partially integrated) • Determination to vigorously pursue our core purpose, important to maintain energy and diligence in our efforts (partially integrated) • Fiscally responsible, important as part of the community partnership (partially integrated) • Accountability, important enough to stand alone aside from fiscal responsibility (partially integrated) Table #2 Core Purpose Notes 1. Educational excellence as the core Branches for: • Stewardship (community, transparency, good fiscal managers) • Individualized (custom tailored to each person’s individual needs and capabilities) • Innovative and nimble (able to turn on a dime) • Proactive, leading edge • Integrity Core Value Notes • Integrity (fully integrated) • Transparency (partially integrated) • Ethical (fully integrated) • Innovative(partially/not integrated) • Collaborative (partially integrated) • Inspiring (partially integrated) • Individualized, looking at a way to deal with all people on an individual basis, looking for fair and balanced, not necessarily equal. (not integrated) • Possible gap between the activities of people in the district and what the perceptions of the community may be at this time. Need to work on that. Table #3 Core Purpose Notes 1. In partnership with the community, to educate students so as to enhance their lives and the community: • The basics and beyond • Life long learners • Critical thinkers • Character/compassion • Responsible contributing citizens of the city, state, nation, world • Future leaders of the community • Preparation for adulthood Core Value Notes • We are strategic and data/fact driven (partially integrated) • Students and families first (partially integrated) • Financial sustainability/stewardship of taxpayer dollars (not integrated) • Transparency (partially integrated) • Positive, respectful environment for students, parents and staff (partially integrated) • Equality and opportunity for all (partially integrated) • Schools belong to the community and require community investment (not integrated) • We attend to the whole child (fully integrated) o Group discussion: Where do we draw the line? How do we partner with the rest of the community to make this happen? Introduction of and reference to the Developmental assets of the Search Institute. • High Standards (partially integrated) O Staff O Student expectations O Continual improvement Table #4 Core Purpose Notes Educating all students to achieve their fullest as life-long learners and independent thinkers in a safe (inspiring, exciting), healthy environment. This is accomplished by sound fiscal management and broad based support and investment of the whole community (emphasis on creating awareness of the importance of community investment in its schools, figuring out how to ensure that the community understands that it owns and has a responsibility for supporting the schools). Technology is central and must be cutting edge (AKA constantly changing in the words of Table 5 and available to all). This will ensure that students are prepared to meet the challenge of a global economy. Contribute locally Core Value Notes • Students first: Educate and inspire with respect, dignity for all. (partially integrated) • Quality: Staff, faculty, student achievement, superintendent and trustees, facilities, financial responsibility (partially integrated) • Communication: Constant messages, accurate information, ongoing, all inclusive (not integrated) • Decision making that is proactive, transparent and data-based (not integrated) • Family/community involvement. Schools as center of the community. (partially integrated) Table #5 Core Purpose Notes Increase Human/Child Potential and Growth Recognize: Fundamentals that transcend a changing world, such as: • Reading • Communications • Joy of discovery • Critical thinking While internalizing and actively incorporating the changes in what is contemplated by “the basics as the notions of a contemporary education changes”. Access for all Recognition of need to teach, community connection, commitment, stewardship, investment, integration, public ownership, involvement, schools as community centered. Core Value Notes • Child centered, different from academically qualified (partially integrated) • Recognized for high integrity throughout organization (partially integrated) • Recognized for encouraging respect broadly (partially integrated) • Student achievement (partially integrated) • Encore performers (partially integrated) O Leave people wanting more O Accountability O Evaluation • Multi-level, parents, teachers, students peers (partially integrated) • Build system to encourage encore performers (partially integrated) • Outside the box changes to education, P.D. (e.g., rolling contracts) (not integrated) NEXT MEETING Mr. Melton and Ms. Silk will compile the work of the committee and work with Barb Bryan to develop a “Draft Core Purpose and Core Values” reflecting the content and intent of the committee work. These drafts will be forwarded to members for comment before the next meeting. At the next meeting members will focus on School District 2 Envisioned Future using the same exercise model. Lance Melton and Debra Silk commended the Steering Committee members on their dedicated work. Barb Bryan will notify member of the next meeting. Members noted that they preferred meeting from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on a weeknight, rather than Saturday morning. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business Barb Bryan adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Barbara Bryan; Chair, Strategic Planning Steering Subcommittee Brenda Cross, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.