The Crookston School Board on Monday will try to bring some focus to what has been sort of a bumpy strategic planning process over the past couple of weeks.
A session designed to seek input from the public was held at the high school on Nov. 10. While many priorities, goals and objectives were discussed, along with what's "good" and "not so good" in the public schools, most felt that the turnout in general was a disappointment, especially compared to the last major strategic planning initiative in 2006.
Specifically, though, there was disappointment in the lack of minorities at the meeting. With the school district trying to get off the No Child Left Behind non-Adequate Yearly Progress list, much of the district's required "improvement plan" has to do with reaching out to families and students who might not feel like the schools care enough about them to engage them.
So, in response, a VOICES parent support group meeting was scheduled for Tuesday of this week to get similar input from its members, who mostly represent the local minority population, specifically, Hispanics. But as word spread of the meeting, concern arose over the perception that two planning sessions were being held, one for Caucasian families and one for minorities. As a result, the audience for Tuesday's session grew significantly, with several Caucasian parents attending as well. And the discussion at times was lively.
Now it's the school board's job on Monday to try to come to some type of consensus on a strategic planning document that includes goals, objectives and priorities in a certain order.
"This certainly hasn't been an easy process," said Superintendent Wayne Gilman, who, earlier on Tuesday, prior to the evening planning session, met with Hispanic and other minority students to find out what they like and don't like about their school. He also collected input from the CHSâStudent Council.
In hindsight, he said the district should have possibly used its new instant alert notification system to make sure everyone knew about the first planning session. Instead, postcards went out in the mail and the local media were relied on to publicize the session. In checking with people afterward, Gilman said it became clear that many people never noticed the postcard, and that not everyone reads the paper or listens to the radio.
