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Strategic Plan
Alice came to a fork in the road, and when she looked up, she saw the Cheshire Cat. Alice asked the cat which way she ought to go. The crafty cat responded by saying, “well that depends on where you are trying to get to.” Alice said, “well I really do not rightly know.” To which the cat, as he faded away said, "then it really does not matter which way you go".
This is precisely where we started with our Yorkville School District strategic planning process. In the January - 2022 newsletter, linked here, I shared the purpose and the makeup of the Strategic Planning Committee. In February, the Yorkville School Board of Education adopted the 7-Year Strategic Plan.
The committee met for 22 hours on Fridays and Saturdays in January and February. Through the study of data and the completion of a SWOT analysis, (identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) the team deliberated and ultimately agreed upon a new mission statement, vision statement, belief statements, pillars, and strategic objectives.
In the simplest of terms, a mission statement articulates why an organization exists. For example, The Humane Society's mission statement is, “Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty.” The mission statement for TED Talks is, “Spreading Ideas.”
After much deliberation, the new mission statement for the Yorkville Joint #2 School District is:
Cultivating Learners and Inspiring Futures Together
Clearly, a school has a responsibility for student learning and the future of children’s lives. It is important to note that the committee felt the above mission statement was inclusive. Cultivating Learners and Inspiring Futures Together includes the learning and futures of our students, our staff, our parents, our community, our business partners, and more.
Later, the committee drafted a vision statement. A vision statement articulates a preferred future due to our commitments. In other words, what do we anticipate our organization to look like in the future? The Habitat for Humanity has a vision statement describing their future to be, “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
The new vision statement for the Yorkville Joint #2 School District is:
The Model of Educational Excellence in Southeastern Wisconsin
As this vision statement became increasingly clear to those on the committee, various thoughts were shared that would help identify when we reached this future vision. When school districts in Wisconsin come to visit Yorkville to find out what we are doing and how we are doing it. When they inquire as to our successes. When we are asked to present at conferences, workshops, or seminars. These are examples of when we are making a positive mark not only on our local people, but well beyond the walls of our community. That is indeed visionary.
Later, the committee crafted 10 belief statements. These belief statements help guide us daily.
- We believe individuals are unique and learn in different ways, and at different rates.
- We believe in being flexible, open-minded, and creative.
- We believe students, families, school staff, and community members share responsibility for developing academically, socially, and behaviorally responsible citizens.
- We believe all should take pride in their role; commit to excellence; and demonstrate compassion, empathy, and respect.
- We believe established goals will promote personal excellence and a healthy sense of self.
- We believe educational excellence goes beyond academic achievement.
- We believe there is value in diversity and inclusion, and having the opportunity to learn from those who are different from yourself.
- We believe problem solving, critical thinking, risk taking, and decision making skills are components of a quality education.
- We believe in accountability and transparency.
During the SWOT analysis, four key areas surfaced. We are calling these Pillars. Within each Pillar, Strategic Objectives were discussed and agreed upon. The Pillars and Strategic Objectives help to really narrow in our focus for the next seven years. It should come as no surprise the first Pillar is regarding Student Development. It may seem obvious that something pertaining to student achievement should be evidenced in a strategic plan for a school. However, even this topic was intense with philosophy. When considering Student Development, is it all academic or does it include social and emotional growth too? The business world frequently asks for employees who exhibit character traits of grit, commitment, teamwork, creativity, and other such qualities. This is above and beyond pure academics.
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