Orting School District - 2016 New Year Letter from the Superintendent

January 25, 2016

Dear Orting School District Stakeholders,

Welcome to 2016! It is an exciting and important time for our school district, community, state and nation. Many of the decisions we make today – involving politics, resources, strategic direction, growth and much more – will impact future generations and our quality of life.

Because community input and engagement is a critical piece of making thoughtful decisions, both the School Board and I have hosted community forums and meetings to hear directly from stakeholders. As part of our community outreach efforts, I’d like to share some of the themes from these conversations and information regarding our actions and priorities in the Orting School District.

The Board and I are committed to our vision of “Preparing all students for college, careers, and life.” We have an unwavering commitment to this goal, which the Board reaffirmed in December through the development of End Results, in January through the expressed support of our strategic goals and objectives, and through extending my contract with the district. I am honored by the Board’s support and am thrilled to serve my community alongside skilled and dedicated staff.

We will meet our End Results through our three strategic goals. They are:
Ensure academic success for each student by
1. Integrating and improving strategies for powerful teaching and learning
2. Managing and improving effective operations of the district
3. Collaborating and improving communication with stakeholders

Powerful Teaching & Learning
We believe in the strong instructional vision we have built over the last several years that integrates our four big initiatives:
• Washington State Learning Standards – We believe alignment to state standards will support our vision of purposeful instruction, rigorous tasks, and coherence in our day-to-day work with students.
• 5 Dimensions of Teaching & Learning – We believe we can greatly improve instruction by using a research-based instructional framework to support and measure growth that improves instructional practice.
• Professional Learning Communities – We believe that we can greatly impact student learning with teachers working collaboratively in grade level or content area teams to prioritize learning outcomes and engage in results-driven inquiry cycles.
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support – We believe some students need enrichment while others need additional time and support to ensure high levels of learning for all students.



Continuous Improvement of Effective Operations
The board and superintendent team are working on several long-range plans including:
• Three-year strategic plan – This will start with the Ends and identify strategies and track progress toward meeting those Ends.
• Human Resources plan – We will do an audit of the district staffing levels and use the information for future planning and staffing purposes. We will also develop a plan to better recruit, hire, and retain quality staff.
• Budget plan – We want to develop a plan that includes a clear decision making timeline and ways to involve stakeholders.
• Interim and 7-year facilities plan – We have an overcrowding issue and will put a committee together to address our student enrollment capacity needs.
• Safety plan - Through our ThoughtExchange process we heard that safety is a priority. We will create a Citizens Safety Committee to address these concerns.
• Long-term transportation plan – Our fleet is aging and we are growing, so we need to plan appropriately.

People also commented on a positive trend and improvement in labor relations in the District. I whole-heartily agree and know that we are committed to building strong partnerships with our union leadership. By developing a compelling, shared vision and identifying how to work together to accomplish it, both our students and staff benefit.

Finally, to improve board/superintendent communication, we will have a work session the third Thursday of each month to focus on one of these goal areas. I will share progress in developing long-term plans and the Board will support this by maintaining a focus on outcomes, policy and budget implications.

As a school district, we are fortunate to have engaged students and families, skilled staff members, dedicated administrators, a visionary School Board, and supportive community. Our commitment to students and the promise they hold for a bright and prosperous future unite us!

Sincerely,

Dr. Marci Shepard
Superintendent