Above: Students’ parents and community are invited to help update the schools’ strategic plan by answering a survey and coming out to talk about how to help future graduates prepare for the world. (images cropped from survey website)
Today, the public schools issued a reminder. It referred to important information that I previously missed. It looks like it isn’t just Southborough’s municipal government seeking help with a vision plan. Our schools are as well.
The Northborough and Southborough schools are holding three “Community Strategic Planning Sessions” over the next week. The first takes place tonight.
The following sessions are geared towards Northborough and Southborough families and community. They each take place in the Algonquin Regional High School Library, 79 Bartlett St, Northborough. They are each themed “Portrait of a Graduate“:
Tuesday, January 7 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Thursday, January 9 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Tuesday, January 14 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Each session is a repeat.
In November’s monthly newsletters to parents, the Superintendent explained what the newly recruited Strategic Plan Committee would be working on:
(click to enlarge)
In the 2012-2013 academic year, The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough developed a Strategic Plan, entitled Vision 2020: Strategically Planning for Our Future. The Plan was created in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS) Consulting Group. Over the past seven years, Vision 2020: Strategically Planning for Our Future, has served as the districts’ beacon for school and district improvement efforts. With 2020 upon us, it is now time to reauthorize the strategic plan for 2021-2026 and set new priorities, ambitious goals, and action steps to guide the districts’ efforts for the next five years.
To accomplish this, the districts’ will use the Planning for Success model from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Create, Align, and Implement represent the three phases of Planning for Success, a planning process that is designed to strengthen coherence and support district and school success. This planning process centers on the creation of a multi-year district plan that is grounded in the analysis of a wide array of district data; sets specific, measurable outcomes; identifies the objectives and initiatives to accomplish them; and will guide all other district systems.
To begin the process, the districts will be analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and seeking input from students, educators, faculty and staff, school and district leaders, parents, community members, town leaders, and business representatives.
The message previewed that there would be a survey and forums to follow. December’s newsletter followed up:
Strategic Planning Survey – Your Feedback is Essential
The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough is reauthorizing the District’s Strategic Plan, Vision 2020: Strategically Planning for the Future. The Plan was approved in the spring of 2013 and has served the District well. It is now time to plan for the next five to six years. This fall, a 2019-2020 Strategic Planning Advisory Committee was formed and is collecting input and feedback in a variety of methods, one being by surveying the community. The survey is a duplicate of the survey that was administered in the fall of 2012. The 2012 data will serve as a baseline. The results of the survey will assist in the identification of key goals and actions essential to include in the District’s next Strategic Plan.
You are Invited to Strategic Planning Sessions – Save the Date(s):
An important step in the strategic planning process is to envision a bold and ambitious future for our students in The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough. We are bound together by the commitment to prepare our students to be lifelong learners and positive contributors to society. Please join us for a collaborative process of defining our vision for success for our students.
In each session, we will begin by considering the landscape our students will face in the future; What will jobs, higher education and society require of them? Then we will work together to describe the habits of learning, work, and well-being that will serve our graduates well. In addition, we will describe the skills and knowledge that students need to function in a complex, changing world.
Come meet other community members, share your aspirations for our students, and finish this sentence: We won’t stop until…
Updated (1/17/19 1:04 pm): I inserted clarification that each session is a repeat.
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Arborist
4 years ago
Here is your chance to all the people on this blog That always voice their anger toward the school system overspending our hard earned tax dollars.
Yes – that’s true. Of course at a similar meeting some years ago the question was asked why our per student cost was higher than surrounding communities. Still waiting.
Only way to get the educational establishment’s attention is to find a way to vote down the budget – even if that means voting down the entire budget.
If you only knew the waste in that school system, you would understand.
Mike
4 years ago
Carolyn I is a Democrat, I am a conservative, but I think she’s a middle of the road person On many issues and can be worked with which is good news. I’ve contacted Carolyn several times over the past three years pressing the issue of the ill repair of state roads, state roads in Southborough ( not our town Roads, our highway department does a great job) the on and off ramps at 495 in Southborough, the mass pike on/off ramps and the potholes in the mass pike that were never present before the road was transferred to Massport. I will ask again in this meeting as the last two emails I sent Carolyn have not been answered I think out of frustration over hearing about it. I will also ask Carolyn to sponsor a bill that any excise tax taken by the town or the state be used 100% is put back into the roads. Presently that goes into a big pot of money and is not used towards o roads for the most part. Seems only fair doesn’t it?
As for the school question, I’ve given up. The school systems in America was very good but have been as we all know in so many locations potholes of liberalism and stupidity. Personally I would like to see as I always have vouchers for trade schools, specialized math and science schools, homeschooling etc. The schools have been asked to do everything from brush little kids teeth in the morning to provide meals all day. It’s not that I’m not compassionate , we probably give away more money to 501(c)(3)‘s then most people but I hate to see money wasted and the further deterioration of schools and families. I also realize Southborough is a special study as well as Massachusetts. Most communities outside of the cities have the funds to pay for exceptional schools staff and instruction. Although the instruction in the topics have become more socialistic as opposed to the traditional liberal arts teaching.
Arborist
4 years ago
Resident” With that being said, (your comment above) I would be disappointed in you if you don’t attend any of the sessions scheduled
Here is your chance to all the people on this blog That always voice their anger toward the school system overspending our hard earned tax dollars.
Yes – that’s true. Of course at a similar meeting some years ago the question was asked why our per student cost was higher than surrounding communities. Still waiting.
Only way to get the educational establishment’s attention is to find a way to vote down the budget – even if that means voting down the entire budget.
If you only knew the waste in that school system, you would understand.
Carolyn I is a Democrat, I am a conservative, but I think she’s a middle of the road person On many issues and can be worked with which is good news. I’ve contacted Carolyn several times over the past three years pressing the issue of the ill repair of state roads, state roads in Southborough ( not our town Roads, our highway department does a great job) the on and off ramps at 495 in Southborough, the mass pike on/off ramps and the potholes in the mass pike that were never present before the road was transferred to Massport. I will ask again in this meeting as the last two emails I sent Carolyn have not been answered I think out of frustration over hearing about it. I will also ask Carolyn to sponsor a bill that any excise tax taken by the town or the state be used 100% is put back into the roads. Presently that goes into a big pot of money and is not used towards o roads for the most part. Seems only fair doesn’t it?
As for the school question, I’ve given up. The school systems in America was very good but have been as we all know in so many locations potholes of liberalism and stupidity. Personally I would like to see as I always have vouchers for trade schools, specialized math and science schools, homeschooling etc. The schools have been asked to do everything from brush little kids teeth in the morning to provide meals all day. It’s not that I’m not compassionate , we probably give away more money to 501(c)(3)‘s then most people but I hate to see money wasted and the further deterioration of schools and families. I also realize Southborough is a special study as well as Massachusetts. Most communities outside of the cities have the funds to pay for exceptional schools staff and instruction. Although the instruction in the topics have become more socialistic as opposed to the traditional liberal arts teaching.
Resident” With that being said, (your comment above) I would be disappointed in you if you don’t attend any of the sessions scheduled