We are in exciting times for K-12 education. Educators are working purposefully, diligently, and creatively to create schools centered on the student experience and not necessarily tradition. School boards need to reimagine school.
School boards for tomorrow’s schools need two effective paths – one, promote innovative thinking and doing, and two, strategic planning approaches that result in sustained, incremental progress over time. Each path is essential but insufficient on its own to create tomorrow’s schools.
Ignite Innovation
Communities own their schools. We must act on what they want, need, and expect from schools to add value to the community and for the community to trust we deliver.
Our Approach: Engage Users
We work with boards and leaders to be user-centered.
Hear what students think.
Establish systematic ways to listen to students, consider what they say, and loop back to them.
Hear what your community thinks about what is needed and desired.
Develop methodical ways to engage communities, understand what they want, need, and expect.
Create a simple and valuable Community Profile of essential features that characterize your community today and can be updated systematically. This will inform your strategic conversations to add value to your community.
Do something with what you hear.
Use methods for your board and leadership to understand, dialogue, and decide on areas of focus.
Oversee Strategic Initiatives
Strategy is about making choices. Boards need to continually determine if these choices are effectively serving student needs.
Our Approach: Go Deep, Ask Questions
We work with boards and leaders to have effective work sessions and retreats.
Structure school board work sessions to support candid dialogue about the status of strategic initiatives.
Develop capabilities in members and leaders that contribute to constructive dialogue that results in essential information to make choices.