"I felt really satisfied with the way it worked out. I think the mission and the goals reflected the feelings of the group and I was happy to be involved because it gave me a chance to represent the student point of view," said senior Jeremy Schmidt, a member of the goals and objectives drafting committee.
"The process gave me a chance to hear from many other people in the Schools' community. That gave me a new respect for the interest and dedication people have in the Laboratory Schools. That shared perspective, which accommodated such a wonderful range of viewpoints, is a strength of the process," said Catie Bell, Middle School humanities teacher and a member of both the mission drafting committee and the goals and objectives drafting committee.
Marc Monaghan, Middle School Dean of Students, said, "There were vigorous discussions, full of energy, but now we have a plan that reflects a workable consensus. Strategic planning needs to be a dynamic, ongoing process and I am pleased we are moving ahead with this effort." Monaghan was chair of the mission drafting committee and a member of the goals and objectives drafting committee.
Jan Bollig, first-grade teacher and a member of the goals and objectives drafting committee, said, "Participating in the strategic planning process was like singing in a newly formed choir. First, there were some strong voices and some weaker voices, some harmony and some sour notes, until we were able to listen to one another. Finally, with hard work, a common goal, and careful listening, we achieved greater harmony and a shared vision."
Denise Gardner, a parent who was a member of the goals and objectives drafting committee, said she was pleased with the role that parents played in forming the plan. "Parents and students have important observations to make and it was wonderful that we were included. What impressed me about the process was that everyone was pretty much on the same page about what the issues and opportunities are for the Schools. The implementation stage will be very important, and there again, the Schools will benefit from this collaboration."
Strategic plan addresses the future
"We are delighted with the results of this work. This strategic plan lays
a foundation for improvements that will benefit thousands of students in the
years ahead. The mission is a wonderful statement because it serves as such
a fine guide as we think about what the Laboratory Schools are about,"
said Valerie Jarrett, chair of the Board subcommittee on strategic planning.
The strategic plan, which is published here, includes goals for the Schools. The goals are supported by specific objectives, which will guide school leaders as they implement the plan over the next five years. To implement the goals and objectives, a series of detailed action steps will be developed for each topic area. This spring, committees of faculty, administrators, students, and the Board will begin to further identify and refine the action steps. The final plan, a time line, and procedures for implementation should be completed by the end of the fall quarter, 2001.
A collaborative process
The strategic plan and mission statement were the result of a series of meetings
among all members or stakeholders of the Laboratory Schools. The process was
facilitated by Rusty Hellman, an organizational development consultant with
the University.
Individual stakeholder groups, such as faculty, Board, students, parents and administrators held group retreats to discuss the needs and views of their constituencies between February and April 2000. Representatives from each stakeholder group then met at a retreat in late April 2000 to begin the formal process of cross-group discussions. After gathering and discussing the ideas generated at the individual stakeholder meetings, a shared list of goals and objectives was forwarded to the Board subcommittee.
Meanwhile, last May, a small committee of parents, students, administrators, and teachers, began writing the mission statement. Individual faculty groups, departments, and grade levels had an opportunity to respond to early drafts. The iterative process from grade level and department to school gave the Board subcommittee feedback.
The goals and objective drafting committee and the mission drafting committee met several times during the current school year to further refine the mission and the plan. Board review of the mission and plan continued through this past winter and spring. Work on the action steps, to begin this spring and to be finished in the fall, will complete the process for implementation over the next three to five years.
Strategic plan committees
The new strategic plan is the product of the work of many members of the Lab community. Those who contributed their time to the effort include:
The Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee comprised of these community members: Board Subcommittee: Valerie Jarrett (Chair), Gay-Young Cho, David Mosena, John Rogers Jr., Robert Topel, Paula Wolff, and Robert Zimmer; Administrative Group: Marc Monaghan and Carla Young; Faculty: Bob Bachand, Jan Bollig, Brad Brickner, Brenda Coffield, and Rosa McCullagh; Parents' Association: Stephanie Aucunas and Bruce Halbeck; Staff to Committee: Lucinda Lee Katz and Eileen Epstein.
The Goals and Objectives Drafting Committee: Emma Barber, Catie Bell, Jan Bollig, Brenda Coffield, Denise Gardner, Bruce Halbeck, Marc Monaghan, and Jeremy Schmidt. The Board Subcommittee on Drafting Goals and Objectives Valerie Jarrett, Robert Topel, and Paula Wolff.
The Mission Drafting Committee: Marc Monaghan (chair), Catie Bell, Bruce Halbeck, Curt Lieneck, and Lisa Montgomery.