Members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee have taken the next step toward creating a Strategic Plan for the Shawnee Mission School District.
On June 5, Steering Committee members received reports from the five Action Teams, who were charged with devising specific action plans for each of the strategies previously created by the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members reviewed each of the action plans, and forwarded their recommendations to Superintendent Dr. Mike Fulton. Dr. Fulton will assign each of the action plans to specific staff, and present the complete plan to the Shawnee Mission Board of Education for approval on June 24. Click here to see a video from the June 5 meeting.
“Throughout this entire process, our community has played a critical role in our planning work. We are at a crucial point in our process of developing a strategic plan that serves the needs of each and every student,” Fulton said. “Strong strategic plans do not just sit on the shelf, they live in our hearts. Now is the point when we take these plans to heart and bring them to life through the district.”
Action Teams began developing their plans in March, using recommendations provided by the Steering Committee and outlined in the Strategic Plan Overview Draft.
Each Action team consisted of approximately 30 members. These members developed plans through a lot of discussion and research, according to Claire Winston, Shawnee Mission North student and Action Team member.
“We sat as parents, teachers, principals, students, and community members having conversations about what is and isn’t working and admitting what needs to change,” she said. “It was amazing seeing everyone coming together and being honest and working toward a system that could be good for everybody.”
Each Action Team was assigned a specific strategy and presented the results of their research, action steps, and a cost-benefit analysis to the Steering Committee on June 5.
Throughout the process, it has been very important to hear all voices and use what has been heard to develop plans, said Dr. Todd Dain, SM South principal and Action Team leader.
“In many ways we are on the cutting edge of education, but there are some areas we need to keep making sure we are meeting the needs of each student and community member to be a leader in education,” Dain said. “This process helps us create that culture where we have a unified vision, mission, and purpose guiding what we do every day in classrooms.”
Shawnee Mission North junior Glory Obi’s said her experience on the Steering Committee reaffirmed her understanding of how much people throughout the community care about the educational experience of each student in Shawnee Mission.
“Not only are teachers working hard every day in our schools, but there is so much planning ahead of time before something ever gets to us,” Obi said. “I’ve learned how much care is put into every single word and detail of strategic planning. It takes a long time to research and find the best fit and the best of what our district can do.”
Dr. Fulton will present the Strategic Plan to the Board of Education for approval during the June 24 Shawnee Mission Board of Education meeting. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Center for Academic Achievement, 8200 W. 71st St.
In the 2019-2020 school year, each Shawnee Mission school will work on developing its own strategic plan, using the district’s plan as a guide.
To learn more about the district’s Strategic Plan, click here