By Philip Haldiman, Independent Newsmedia

Peoria Unified School District is taking a look at where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there.

School district, municipalities and business have a name for this and it’s called a strategic plan.

Governing Board President Monica Ceja Martinez said one of the governing board’s goals in the coming year is to formulate a strategic plan that will inform the district in everything it needs to be moving forward.

“We want our values to be reflected in everything we do, starting with the organization chart and we want them included in every step of our strategic planning process,” she said.

Chief Technology Officer John Gay said the strategic plan will focus on four major categories: overall student achievement success; safety and well-being; stewardship of taxpayer resources; and connection with the community.

He said those things, at a high level, are very common in terms of lots of industries and professions, and in the area of K-12, it is hard to argue with any of them.

They make all the sense in the world, he said.

“What is important through the rest of this process is that everything we do through this process, we need to look at it through this lens,” he said. “So there are important things that we may do well as a staff, but only in so far as they help us achieve excellence in these four areas.”

Staff wants to have the plan completed before the general election Nov. 8.

The district will encounter a number of key events leading up to that date, including the expected hire of a new superintendent in July, the likely placement of a bond on the ballot for school improvements and the filling of two governing board seats as a result of that election.

In the coming months, staff will engage with stakeholders and once completed, the plan is expected to be modified on an ongoing basis.

A strategic plan is not an event, it is a process, Mr. Gay said.

“A strategic plan is about direction, about going from where we are, to where we perceive we need to be. So it is important we do that assessment very carefully,” Mr. Gay said. “Then we must make the plan actionable, and develop specific goals, and look at those gaps and assign priorities and strategies for closing the gaps.”

Governing board member David Sandoval said an adaptable strategic plan is critical to achieving the broad goals of improving student outcomes and responding to the changing demographics and needs of the district’s student population.

Mr. Sandoval said the community is the judge of the quality of the district, so he invites parents, employees, students and other education stakeholders to inform the strategic plan. The district can be reached at 623-486-6000.

“I am eager to move forward in a synergistic and collaborative fashion to realize a plan that will uphold PUSD’s tradition of excellence, with an unwavering commitment to our vision of ‘Every Student, Every Day, Prepared to Shape Tomorrow.’”

Ms. Ceja Martinez said the plan should be a reminder that every penny is accounted for, and that tax payer resources should be evaluated and distributed equitably.

She would like to see many positive things come out of the plan including a dedicated parent liaison position, relationship building with local businesses, as well as student, volunteer, internships and job opportunities.

“Organizing community gardens and farmers markets at school sites and highlighting Peoria Unified as the heart of the community. The possibilities are endless,” she said.”

Ms. Ceja Martinez said student success is a key component.

“Addressing student achievement in our plan needs to be more than passing a test. It should include soft skills and accomplishments,” she said. “Thus, our strategic plan needs to focus on capitalizing  on our human capital and restructuring our curriculum and instruction department by adding teacher advisory positions that will bring fresh expertise to the district.”

Spokeswoman Danielle Airey said the last PUSD strategic plan took place in 2013, and the previous superintendent had intended to work on it as well.

“We have historically collaborated with students, staff, parents and community members in the development of the strategic plan to ensure that the final piece is reflective of their expectations for our district,” she said. “As these are our key stakeholders, they will once again be heavily involved with our work.”

Governing Board member Kathy Knecht said the proposal is a great foundation for the developing policy.

The district typically uses committees for planning, but Ms. Knecht said an ad hoc focus group might be more effective in this instance.

“One frustration when we developed the last one is that it was designed at the time to be a 10-year plan and I was always frustrated. What kind of dynamic organization like a school district has a 10-year plan? As we are developing the policy, we should determine how frequently we expect it to evolve, at least to some degree.”