It has never been more important for school systems to collaborate with every sector of the community to ensure that our students are indeed “Career and College Ready.” To aid in this process, this fall I established four new “Superintendent’s Advisory Councils,” two of which are made up of representatives from business organizations, local government, colleges and universities, non-profit agencies and our parent sector. A third and fourth team of advisors represent our teachers and students respectively.

 

The first round of meetings with these groups was very productive, including topics such as the common core initiatives and essential standards; re-accreditation process; STEM implementation at the middle school level; global education initiatives; budget priorities and strategy; and technology enhancement. Input was sought regarding our Mission/Vision and Core Beliefs and the skills most needed by our students for success after graduation. Advisors were also asked to identify what they believed to be the most important areas for improvement within the school system.

A fifth group of stakeholders has been established with the specific purpose of designing a future STEM themed high school to replace the former Career Education Center.

 

These five new advisory groups and their individual members provide fresh perspectives not only to me as Superintendent, but also to our various system-wide committees (Calendar, Minority Achievement, Global Initiative, Technology, etc.). Together with our individual schools' advisory councils they provide a valuable resource to help us better connect with our school community. I appreciate very much the time and thoughtful consideration each advisor gives to this ongoing effort.