The Final Meeting
The fourth - and final - Steering Committee meeting was held near the end of the strategic planning process, shortly before the work team recommendations were shared with the community at the final Citywide Conversation.
In preparation for this meeting, all of the work team goals & strategies were printed out and posted on the walls in the room where the meeting was held, so that Committee members could read and review them as they entered the meeting and settled in.
The purpose of the Steering Committee meeting was to share the revised vision statement, share the updated mission and values, share a summary of results from the community survey, and provide input and feedback to work team co-leads on their proposed goals and strategies.
Discuss Revised Vision, Mission, and Values
- Purpose: Share the revised vision, mission, and values and solicit feedback and questions from the Committee.
- Activity: The superintendent shared the revised vision statement, mission, and values, and allowed time for comments and discussion by Committee members. We brought printed surveys to collect feedback, but ultimately decided that a live discussion would be more effective and efficient.
Summary of Results of Community Survey
- Purpose: Share results of the community survey and hear initial reactions and reflections from the Committee.
- Activity: A member of the Senior Management Team provided a brief overview of highlights from the community survey and fielded questions and comments from the Committee. She also handed out a one-pager that summarized the key findings from the survey.
Work Team Breakout Groups
- Purpose: Allow time for Committee members to read all of the work teams' recommendations, provide input, and express any concerns or questions.
- Activity: The Steering Committee broke into three groups, each discussing 2 of the 6 levers for change. For each of the two levers for change, the co-lead summarized the corresponding work team's recommended goals and strategies, and the group then discussed the following questions:
- To what extent do you agree with these recommendations? Are there any recommendations that you give you reason for concern? Is there anything that is missing? What should the priorities be?
- What advice do you have for the senior leadership team on how to proceed with the implementation?
- Can you endorse the work team’s recommendations? Why or why not?
Each group was asked to assign a recorder to take notes. The full Steering Committee then reconvened and a representative from each group reported out highlights from their group's discussion. The Committee was then given additional time to review all of the work teams' recommendations and raise any questions or concerns. They were asked whether or not they could endorse the recommendations, and if not, why.
Closing & Next Steps
Purpose: Provide Steering Committee with a sense of the remaining steps in the strategic planning process and allow Committee members to share their thoughts on the strategic planning process and the role the Steering Committee played.
- Activity: The superintendent reiterated that the work of the Steering Committee would now be handed off to the Senior Management Team, who would then work with New Profit to integrate the work teams' recommendations into a cohesive strategic plan for submission to the School Committee at the end of May. She also stated that the Committee would be given a draft copy of the strategic plan and would have an opportunity to provide final feedback prior to the School Committee meeting and vote. Finally, each Steering Committee member was asked to fill out an anonymous exit survey about their experience in the Committee. The following questions were asked in the exit survey:
- How satisfied are you with the process made by the Steering Committee throughout the strategic planning process? (On a scale of 1 to 5)
- Do you have any comments on the strategic planning process?
- Do you have any specific comments on the Work Teams’ recommendations that you received during today’s meeting?
The superintendent then thanked the Steering Committee members for their time and contributions throughout the strategic planning process and closed the meeting.
