Board of Education gets updated on plan for district
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 3, 2016 1:46 PM
Schools superintendent Dr. Michael Dunsmore updated the Board of Education on the strategic plan designed to take the school district through 2021 -- and ideally elevate the quality of education in Wayne County.
At Monday night's meeting, Dunsmore said in addition to focusing on such aspects as the facilities plan and technology needs moving forward, input from the public will also play a role in the plan.
Soon after Dunsmore took the reins in July, the idea of a strategic plan for the district was mentioned.
At the start of the school year, a series of community meetings were held in the six main areas of the county.
"Our beliefs for education, these really came out of our community meetings of what people were interested in," he said. "Obviously, our children, our students, are a priority and the responsibility of the entire community.
"Education is a sound investment and the key to end the cycle of poverty. Understanding and respect of cultural diversity enriches the learning environment; all students deserve a quality education and learning is a lifelong process."
Several common themes and perceptions emerged from those public meetings, he said, one of the most prevalent being disparities and resource allocations around the county.
Dunsmore said he had heard the message "loud and clear" and the strategic plan will reflect that.
"One of the things we've worked on is a formula based on the number of students so when we put that formula out over there, every school's going to be handled accurately, so when we're adjusting our budget expenditures and where they're going out to 33 school buildings, it's going to be based on a consistent formula so the principals are going to know year in, year out where that's coming and if the numbers go up its going to adjust accordingly," he said.
Other key points that will be addressed in the plan are parental engagement, the gap in student achievement and under-achieving schools, he said. Beyond the academic and performance side of the schools, he said he also aims to prioritize updating all schools so they are maintained, clean and safe.
In addition to meetings with parents and the community, there have also been conversations with such local stakeholders as the base, the city and the county, as information is compiled along with school data to make a more well-rounded plan.
"I'll be back to the board in July and what we'll be doing will be asking for a vote to approve our strategic plan," Dunsmore said. "What that's going to involve between now and then, we'll have a work session with the board as we start setting our goals and where we want to be every year."
The condition of the school buildings is another concern, prompting components like the technology plan and facilities to be broken down for the "big picture," he said, or 0-5 years and 5-10 years.
At the outset, there are five goals his office is working on moving forward, he said.
Those include getting students to graduate prepared to enter college, the military or the workforce; assuring that students have an education based on their goals and objectives; having a certified teacher in every classroom; shoring up technology; and improving the school climate to engage students and help them achieve.
There is still more information to collect, more conversations to have, the superintendent said.
Today, for example, the school board is holding a joint meeting with the county commission to discuss such topics as the technology and infrastructure required to catch up with districts around the state as well as anticipated facilities needs.
Dunsmore expressed confidence in the district's potential to make strides for the youth.
"We have great students. I want to see them achieve great things," he told the school board. "So when we sit down as a board and prior to July 1, I'm going to be asking you guys for your input and the things you're hearing in the community, where we want to be and essentially what you're doing is holding me as your superintendent accountable and my leadership team.
"And as that blends down through the school system, that everybody's on the same sheet of music, that we're all moving forward."