The BIG-4

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Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.
~Alan Lakein

As we welcome a new school year, it is important to set priorities and goals that will sustain us throughout the year. At our opening day institute, I outlined four main priorities, or the BIG-4 for the school year. These priorities are purposely broad and allow us to set goals at both the building and district levels. By focusing on these four areas we can ensure improvements in our schools and maintain our focus on continuous improvement. These four areas will help move our schools from great to greater and will get us closer to our ultimate goal of “Pleasantdale Perfect”.  Below is a short description of each.

  • Future Planning – We will work with the Pleasantdale community (parents, students, staff, and community members) to create a long-term strategic plan. The process of this collaboration is being called Future Planning. As a group, we will envision what a 21st century education looks like for our students and put a plan in place to realize this goal.
  • Fostering A Growth Mindset – For years, we have had a fixed view of intelligence and used traditional measures to dictate who is “smart” and who isn’t. Research has shown that this is a flawed perspective/approach. Research shows that hard work and perseverance can lead to increased intelligence and ability. Over the course of the last year, many of our teachers have dug into the growth mindset.  We look forward to helping our students realize their unique gifts though this enlightened perspective.
  • Empowering Teacher Leaders – We have amazing teachers!  We need to allow our teachers to act as co-pilots when making decisions that impact our schools and students. Since last year, and continuing into this year, we will seek to make decisions by committee and to include teachers in important changes.
  • Innovative Teaching & Learning – In an effort to prepare students for their future, we need to seek out new ways of teaching. Over the course of the year (and beyond) we will be using new tools and methods to best meet the needs of our students.  Our focus will be on providing them the learning they need for success in and out of school.

If we couple our amazing staff with our fantastic community, and then we add in our supportive Board of Education, I am confident that we will be “Pleasantdale Perfect” in no time. This is exciting work, and I am proud to be a small part of the positive changes happening in our schools. The future is bright for our students and staff!

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