Setting more measurable goals was the purpose of a school board
workshop Tuesday evening, with trustees bringing in facilitator
Frank Siccone to help them begin to look at what they want to put
on the district’s plate next year.
MORGAN HILL
Setting more measurable goals was the purpose of a school board workshop Tuesday evening, with trustees bringing in facilitator Frank Siccone to help them begin to look at what they want to put on the district’s plate next year.
The board last compiled a set of goals in July 2006. Those four goals, student achievement, fiscal responsibility, value and respect employees and district and board communication, served as a jumping-off point for the Tuesday night discussion.
After some initial groundwork, trustees agreed that their “overarching goal” is student achievement. Instead of making that one of four goals, Siccone suggested, they should consider making it the main focus, with goals to support it and work on creating objectives to help them reach the goal.
Trustees and district staff, including Superintendent Alan Nishino, Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini and Assistant Superintendents Jay Totter and Michael Johnson, talked about the previous set of goals, what was accomplished and which goals were not met.
Siccone pointed out that some of the strategies and measurements listed under the previous goals were ongoing, not meant to be accomplished in a year, and trustees agreed. For example, Board President Peter Mandel said, the measurement under the goal of student achievement which said that all schools would increase their similar school raking to eight or above by the end of the decade is obviously not meant as a one-year accomplishment.
So, Siccone suggested, as board members craft the next set of goals, they need to see the objective as a measure means to accomplish the goal.
As they brainstormed ideas, trustees focused on issues including closing the achievement gap, inclusion for district employees, special education and safe school environments.
Trustees will look at the goals again during the week of Dec. 10, they decided. They will be attending the California School Boards Association annual conference at the end of next week, and there are other scheduling conflicts during the first week of December.
Before their next goal discussion, district staff members will take the information from the workshop and put it together as tentative goals and measurable objectives. Once the board has reviewed the document, they can make changes as needed, then they will seek input from the community, trustees said.
Frank Siccone is president of Siccone Institute, an organization that offers training and consulting services for education, business, and personal development. He is the author of five books, including “101 Ways to Develop Student Self-Esteem and Responsibility” (with Jack Canfield) and “The Power to Lead: A Guidebook for School Administrators on Facilitating Change.”
