School Board's Homework Will Decide Direction of Chippewa Valley

“You all have your books … The first five chapters are what was supposed to be read … Who would like to tell us something they found in the book that was interesting or applicable to our setting?”

Though seemingly the start of a literary discussion in a high school English class, this was actually the question posed by Chippewa Valley Schools Superintendent Ron Roberts to the board of education this week.

The reason?

“We’re interested in pursuing a process called the one-page strategic plan, and with that process, you literally do put your plan on one page,” Roberts said. “We like that concept. The administration likes it because it’s visible, and easy to communicate.”

As Chippewa’s current strategic plan—the set of goals that drive district decision making—is almost two decades old, Roberts, an administrative leadership team and the board of education, have set out to develop a new plan for the district.

“What I’m looking for is consensus on the part of the board that they like the process and it is worthwhile for our district to engage in it,” Roberts said. 

Using a round-robin discussion process at meetings, the board is currently reviewing Verne Harnish’s book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm, and how the concepts introduced in it can apply to Chippewa Valley.

Key points in the book, addressed by board members, include:

• Recognizing the district’s barriers to growth, and how they can be overcome.
• Prioritizing the district’s goals by compiling a list of five to six “top priorities.” This will allow the district to keep focus as well as identify its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• There is always room for growth in leadership–not in number, but in ability.
• Maintain simplicity in goals and values, and review these goals and values daily.
• Remain competitive by developing a framework to support the district mission, using a common language to support that framework and using both to continually evaluate the strategic process.
• Keep a rhythm–common goals and operations–not just in specific departments or school buildings, but also across the district.

These key points, and others addressed as the review continues, will likely be included in the district’s one-page strategic plan—a document Roberts said will change with the times.

“It’s an entirely new world now,” Roberts said. “I expect this process to be much cleaner and one I hope, in the long run, is more accessible to more people. It will be important, yet brief. It will be used so people can understand what our vision is for the district, and I hope it’s more useful to us.

“We’re looking to put together something that drives decision making in the district. It will be constantly evolving. That is important when dealing with 16,000 students in 19 buildings.”