Springdale school district works to develop its mission, vision

Shannon Tisher, curriculum, instruction and innovation associate superintendent,  discusses her personal strengths Tuesday at a Springdale School District collaborative session at the Springdale Country Club.
Shannon Tisher, curriculum, instruction and innovation associate superintendent, discusses her personal strengths Tuesday at a Springdale School District collaborative session at the Springdale Country Club.

SPRINGDALE -- The School District held a collaborative session Tuesday to help define the district's mission and to establish a vision for its future.

"It's going to be very exciting," Marcia Smith, curriculum, instruction and innovation associate superintendent, said of the process.

District leadership began work to refine the district's mission and create a first-time vision prior to the session, she said.

"You guys are going to be the frosting on the cake," Smith said to the 15 district administrators and School Board members in attendance.

The mission helps district staff discern why they're educating students in support of the community, and the vision helps them understand what they want to achieve long term, said Melissa Fink, curriculum, instruction and innovation associate superintendent for pre-K through seventh grade.

The district began talking to schools in January about the importance of having a well-defined vision and mission, Fink said.

Numerous meetings have also been held since March with district administrators, staff and stakeholders to better understand how they view the district and what might be included in its mission and vision, she said.

The district had previously been working with just a mission statement, Fink said.

It's important to establish the mission and vision as living, breathing documents to help ensure the district's efforts are all moving in the same direction to meet the needs of the community, Fink said.

"We need to be on the same page, and that's going in the direction the district is going," said Debbie Creek, board member.

Participants began the collaborative session working through the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment.

The Gallup Organization, a Washington-based organization known for its polls and employee selection research, developed numerous interviews to identify talent that could be enhanced and used to pursue positive outcomes in work and school through the assessment.

The assessment looks at 34 strength themes, such as achiever, developer, learner, includer and positivity, said Shannon Tisher, curriculum, instruction and innovation associate superintendent for grades 8-12.

"This is pretty revealing," said Kevin Ownbey, board member.

The board had thinking, relationships, executing and influencing as major strengths, she said.

"We balance each other out," said Michelle Cook, board president.

The ability to discuss the district's vision and mission was enhanced by participants having a better understanding of each other's strengths, Tisher said.

"We all bring a different lens to the vision and mission," she said.

The participants then explored the district's mission in the community, and determined safety, partnerships, student achievement and personalization of learning were fundamental pillars for the district.

They likewise discussed what the district wanted to become through its vision.

Kendra Clay, general counsel, said she'd want her children to attend a school district that allows them all to pursue their individual passions.

"I want every student to believe they can do great things," Cook agreed.

Participants were then presented an opportunity to speak into the drafts of the district's mission and vision statements.

The final versions of the mission and vision will be unveiled by Jared Cleveland, superintendent, at district back-to-school events in July, Smith said.

"We want the results to drive our work," Fink said, noting staff and administrators will routinely refer to the mission and vision in the future to remain focused on district goals.

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Prior mission statement

The Springdale School District in partnership with parents and community provides a quality educational environment which guides all students to learn the skills and acquire the knowledge necessary for them to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Source: Springdale Public Schools

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