We all know what it’s like to get behind the wheel of an unfamiliar vehicle. We climb into the driver’s seat and immediately find the seat needs to be moved forward or back, and that the rearview mirror needs to be adjusted. The real trick, of course, is the controls. With luck, it’s a funny moment rather than a frustrating one when we attempt to turn on the headlights and instead see the windshield wipers going back and forth. 

Well, now pretend the “unfamiliar vehicle” is an entire school district, with about 150 employees, an annual budget of over $10 million, and enough rooms and resources to house an army…of children. You can guess that the past year has brought me my share of “windshield wiper” moments, but I’m glad to say that with a lot of help, guidance, and persistence, I have come to feel like things are rolling along reasonably well. I feel truly privileged to be “at the wheel” of a district with the community support, high-quality staff, and stable finances which are needed to keep any public endeavor operating smoothly. 

The obvious reason to get behind the wheel of any vehicle, of course, is to take it somewhere. And with many of the preliminary turns out of the way, the next question presents itself as prominently as a giant highway sign: Where do we go from here? 

To answer this question, the school district recently assembled a group of stakeholders who represented the school board, administration, and teaching staff for four intense planning sessions. The members of the strategic planning team examined our district, its resources, its strengths, and the obstacles it faces, all for the purpose of clarifying where we are, determining where we want to be, and mapping out a route to take us there. 

Many of the group’s conclusions are summarized fairly succinctly on the school web site; a quick perusal of the home page at www.nrheg.k12.mn.us will show you a link called “Strategic Plan.” I invite you to explore that information and to contact me with any questions. 

But in case you’re hoping for a straightforward summary of the group’s conclusions, here are some highlights. 

• Our district is sound and stable, has assembled a powerful set of physical and financial resources, and has worked hard to meet the needs of its students and the communities they come from. 

• The people of our communities are committed to assuring our children are provided with the resources, support, and guidance they need to build their futures. 

• We live in changing times. It will take vigilance and insight to both maintain what we have achieved and keep moving forward. 

Over the next three to five years, the district will look for ways to take what has always been strong and make it exceptional. 

• We want a higher percentage of our students to graduate (right now, just over 87% of our freshmen complete the requirements to receive their diplomas within four years). 

• We want our students to earn higher scores on standardized tests. 

• We want our kids to recognize that learning is a lifelong process, and to feel ready to navigate the global society which is becoming their reality. 

To build toward these goals, the district will 

• Continue upgrading our facilities to assure our students are safe, comfortable, and have the tools they need to continue learning. This is likely to include improving building security, dehumidifying many of our existing classrooms, and maintaining our facilities. 

• Make it possible for staff members to collaborate about our students and their needs. 

• Expand class options and explore teaching methods which will help assure all students can find suitable, relevant learning opportunities. This will mean different things to different learners, ranging from more demanding academic goals to more opportunities for hands-on learning. 

• Encourage community members to contribute their talents and knowledge to the process of education. 

• Allow students to use their abilities to contribute to their communities, including having older students interact with and teach younger students. 

So there you have it, a summary of our plan. We want to make our school better in many practical ways so our students will have more opportunities to grow, learn, and experience personal success. We want to be a reflection of the communities we serve, so we intend to be practical, determined, and persistent in our efforts. We want to reach our “destination,” so we will be attentive and pro-active, evaluating our progress along the way and looking for the most efficient route to our goals. 

As I mentioned above, many of the details are available on the school web site. We welcome your input and suggestions, and obviously we hope for your support and understanding as we move forward with our goals. There’s much more to tell you, of course, so watch for more articles like this one over the next several weeks.