Camp Verde School District Strategic Planning Process

Camp Verde School District Strategic Planning Process

I feel very fortunate to be Superintendent of the Camp Verde Unified and South Verde Magnet School Districts. The community support, dedicated staff, and established history of cooperation and growth all work together to make these districts the kind of environments I can invest myself in, just as all of you have. Over the last 7 months since my arrival I have focused on integrating myself into these two districts. Because of enrollment and stability at South Verde Magnet, I have focused a majority of our planning efforts at the Camp Verde Unified School District. By no means am I ignoring South Verde Magnet: I just believe at this time the Camp Verde School District needs more of my time and effort.

I believe the Camp Verde School District is solid and functioning very well. But like every human endeavor, it can be better. For this reason, we began a strategic planning process for the district last fall. As we began this process we examined our district, its resources, and its actions from several angles, including socially, structurally, and financially. Having arrived at a realistic assessment of where we are, committee members then used the same perspectives to consider where we want to be in three to five years.

To create our initial plan the school district assembled a group of stakeholders who represented the school board, administration, teachers, staff and the community for five 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.

Here are some highlights and a straight forward summary of the group’s conclusions:

l 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.

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

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

l We have a community with many high needs students and we need to find ways to have each child feel connected.

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

l We want to meet the kids where they are at in life, providing a safe, secure, and caring educational environment.

l We want a higher percentage of our freshmen to complete the requirements to receive their diplomas within four years.

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

l We want students 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:

l Continue to expand Capturing Kids’ Hearts to all of our campuses.

   l 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 and continuing to maintain our existing facilities.

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

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

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

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

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 community 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 will soon be available on the school web site. Certainly we welcome your input and suggestions, and we obviously hope for your support and understanding as we move forward. There’s much more to tell you, of course, so watch for more articles like this one over the next several weeks.

Dennis E. Goodwin Ed. D., MBA

Superintendent

Camp Verde Unified School District

South Verde Technology Magnet

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