What will Pleasantville Schools do to prepare the Class of 2026, this year’s kindergarten class, for their future? To be in a position to respond, the Board of Education established an overarching goal for the 2013-2014 school year: the development of a Five Year Strategic Plan that will provide a framework for District decision-making to meet the future needs of its students in all areas. At its January 14 public meeting, Superintendent of Schools Mary Fox-Alter and High School Principal Dr. Daniel McCann described a months-long process that will begin late this January with the creation and training of a 25-member Strategic Planning Team consisting of Board members, administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students.
The Strategic Planning Team will develop a draft plan that 1) establishes the District’s beliefs, mission, parameters, objectives, and strategies; and 2) sets the foundation for research and cost-benefit analyses by 10-20 member Action Teams, one for each strategy. The task of each Action Team would be to operationalize the intent of the strategy.
In June 2014, the Strategic Planning Team will review and agree on the Action Plans presented by the Action Teams and recommend their approval to the Superintendent of Schools. In turn, the Superintendent will recommend components of the Strategic Plan to the Board of Education with a plan to implement selected Action Plans for the 2014-2015 school year. All Action Plans will be subject to periodic reviews and updates throughout their five-year implementation cycle.
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In May 2015, the Strategic Planning Team will reconvene to review the District’s progress in meeting the Mission and Objectives of the Strategic Plan.
Dr. McCann, who was involved in strategic planning at the Rye City and Hendrick Hudson School Districts, will be the Internal Coordinator during the development of Pleasantville’s Strategic Plan; Dr. Lindsey Gunn, Senior Associate with the Cambrian Group, will facilitate the development of the plan with the Strategic Planning Team.
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In answer to why a district needs a strategic plan, Dr. McCann quoted Will Rogers: “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there!” Mrs. Fox-Alter said that she and the Board of Education “look forward to working with the community on the development of this plan,” noting that community involvement “is essential” for the success of “this exciting process.”
(You can watch the January 14 Strategic Plan presentation at pctv76.org, Board of Education Meeting of January 14, 2014. Click on Strategic Plan presentation for the written presentation.)
