Strategic plan’s strategy same as 5 years ago

Marisa O’Neil

In 1999, the school district listed arts education, technology and

educational access for every child as its top priorities for its

five-year plan.

Five years later, as Newport Mesa Unified School District board

members and staffers sat down to plan for the next five years, the

top priorities remained the same -- arts, technology and making

school accessible to all.

In a study session Monday, officials and school board members set

out to figure what has been completed from its 1999-2004 strategic

plan and review community input for its 2005-10 plan. Some goals,

such as making schools accessible to all, are ongoing.

Other goals, such as integrating music and performing and visual

arts into classrooms, were not achieved.

“It was on here before and we haven’t done it yet,” trustee Tom

Egan said. “How do we say we really, really want to do it this time?”

The strategic plan sets the general goals, but the board and

district officials set up priorities each year, Supt. Robert Barbot

explained. Trustees agreed that they want to make arts education part

of the core curriculum at all schools, not just ones with PTAs or

foundations that can afford to support such programs.

“Until the board steps up to the plate and says, ‘That’s what we

want,’ it won’t happen,” board President Dana Black said.

Other objectives in the original plan, like identifying standards

by which all students will be assessed and creating educational

partnerships with the community, have been completed. More were

implemented but are still ongoing.

This will be the district’s second time forging what it calls the

“living document,” which provides a road map for the district’s

operations.

“This is our contract with the community,” board trustee Martha

Fluor said. “It’s our plan of what we’re going to do and where we’re

going.”

Five years ago, the district came up with the initial plan, which

listed arts and technology education and improving literacy as some

of its goals. Since then, they have implemented a new reading program

and made more technology available to students.

Using strategies suggested by community members during a series of

meetings earlier this year, trustees discussed their desire to meet

the needs of all students -- make preschool available for all

children, improve communication within the district and expand

programs for English learners.

Inquiry-based science, or science lessons with hands-on

experiments, were also listed as areas that need attention in the

district. That includes giving teachers access to materials and

preparing students for science questions now showing up on

standardized tests, board member Judy Franco said.

Community members also requested that the district look at

redesigning high school curriculum, scheduling, instruction and

community involvement -- something trustees agreed to look into.

Staff members also expressed their desire to provide support for

teachers through training, education and stress-reduction measures.

They even discussed the possibility of providing a workout facility

for employees.

The district came up with its first strategic plan in 1999.

Its main strategies were to improve learning for students, parents

and teachers, establish respect and dignity at schools, improve

customer service and forge partnerships with the community and local

businesses.

District officials will make revisions to the new plan and present

them to trustees at the July 13 board meeting. They will hold more

meetings for community input this fall, officials said, and should

vote on the plan in October.