Creating a strategic plan for my district periodically is not only a requirement, but an opportunity to make changes to improve outcomes for my students. The last time we created a district plan, we did it all ourselves. I was an Assistant Superintendent at the time, so I took on the task not only of leading the strategic planning process, but also creating a planning process for the district. It was like building an airplane and flying at the same time. It took over months of my professional life.
When it came time to create a new strategic plan this year, I made a crucial initial decision: get help! It was an easy decision. I knew the true cost of trying to do it all ourselves, so the investment in using an experienced partner was a bargain. The second easy decision was to partner with CLEE’s Strategic Planning services.
CLEE’s collaborative process has been key to our progress this time. CLEE has tools at every step to quickly gather input and feedback from all of our stakeholders: students, parents, and staff. We are collectively building a vision of a graduate to anchor our plan to student outcomes. This collaboration also allows me to fully listen and participate with stakeholders rather than being seen as The Leader in this process. Importantly, the plan belongs to all of us because it is being facilitated by CLEE.
Rather than creating a new process every few years, CLEE’s established process resulted in an actionable strategic plan in just a few months!
Sheila Hoffman,
Agawam Public Schools Superintendent