District 95 boss: Strategic plan needed to organize, prioritize
Lake Zurich Unit District 95 continued its push to receive community assistance in forming a strategic plan, this time in the school system's southern area.
Residents and educators attended two sessions Wednesday at District 95's Middle School South in Lake Zurich. They received a presentation from administrators on measuring success and meeting student needs beyond the classroom before breaking into groups to provide anonymous feedback on district issues.
Officials said the community meetings are expected to assist the 41-member Forward 95 strategic plan committee to produce a document to help guide the school system for the next three to five years. A total of eight feedback sessions will hit three schools in an effort to reach as many people as possible.
District 95 Superintendent Kaine Osburn said the feedback might lead to refinements in a draft strategic plan, which likely will be posted online for more commentary in November. The document will work its way to the school board for a vote early next year.
"One of the things I think a strategic plan is very important for is prioritizing and organizing our work in a way that we communicate with each other about it," Osburn said, "to say, 'You know what, we do have a lot of things to do, but we're going to do them in a specifically defined order that we think is best for our work.'"
Consortium for Educational Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit, was hired to assist District 95 in the feedback process. Established in 1987 to improve how teacher contract negotiations were handled at school districts, the organization now has services such as assisting districts in community engagement.
Schools can create a connection with residents and others by seeking their opinions before projects or significant plans, Consortium for Educational Change spokesman Brett Clark said. He said transparency and inclusiveness are important as District 95 develops the plan.
"Transparency, so that everyone in the community that wants to know what's happening or has a chance to provide some input can do that, and engaging them in the process," said Clark, who's assisted at the District 95 feedback sessions.
Just like last week at Middle School North in Hawthorn Woods, the audiences at Wednesday's sessions examined poster boards with the strategic plan committee's draft findings on several issues. Some placed stickers next to the findings indicating concurrence or disagreement or posted comments written on sticky notes provided to all attendees.
In the area listed as threats to District 95, the committee listed aging facilities and the potential of pension reform for educators. High-quality, dedicated employees and supportive families and community were among the group's findings on District 95's strengths.
One concern placed on the side of the listed threats read: "Using technology appropriately, ie: research showing kids learn better from hard copy print textbooks." An employee wrote Lake Zurich is outperforming comparable suburban school districts, "yet we are paid much less."
More opinion on the strategic plan committee's tentative findings will be solicited at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at Lake Zurich High School, 300 Church St. The administrators will open the meetings with a presentation on district finances, facilities, learning and education spaces.
Another session is set for the high school at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26. How success should be defined at District 95 and needs beyond the classroom will be addressed by the administrators before the feedback portion of the meetings.