Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) have solicited input for their strategic plan for the next 4 years. The fact community input is even asked already demonstrates commitment to building a better school system by getting the whole community to take ownership of their schools, as it should be. A few highlights of the survey questions, with my opinions, among the available choices:
A) Strategic priorities:
- Student achievement. Period. This is what the schools exist for, so it is mission-critical
- Closing achievement gap between subgroups. The source of many troubles for the school systems, and taking care of it would take care of many others.
- Safety. As parents, we trust schools with our greatest treasure, every day. At no time should we worry they are less safe than around us.
- Funding of school system. Simple enough, the means to every other goal; but not easy because of demographics and politics.
- Communications, with the community. Especially celebrate and communicate successes, while being completely transparent, of course
B) The five most important skills for students to succeed in life:
- Critical thinking. Without it, they’ll be fooled by their own minds, and others who’ll take advantage of them
- Communication. Written, oral, visual… To the extent nothing of importance is achieved on one’s own, mastering it is a prerequisite for every achievement
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. You can’t succeed in a world you don’t understand.
- Social sciences (history, other cultures, economics, etc.). Again, you can’t succeed in a world you don’t understand, and so much of our world is made up of what others do.
- Arts. If “Truth is Beauty, Beauty Truth” this may well be the most important key to the world. As well as a source of endless enjoyment and inspiration.
These are all pretty conventional skills, once you think about it, the pillars of a classical education, basically the same from ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, and today. There’s a reason: they work.
C) Top financial priorities for Manassas City Public Schools:
- Optimal class size. Smaller is better, on every metric, but also more expensive. Smallest we can afford must be the answer.
- Support for at risk students. Not only because we owe it to them, but because of repercussions on everyone, at risk or not.
- Funding for arts and sports. Not optional, nice-to-have extras. This is about promoting a culture of excellence, which lifts up every boat.
- Recruiting and training quality teachers. Emphasis on training of competent. Good teachers are made, and like everyone else, they learn by doing it, then and there. ‘Hiring only good teachers’ is a naive and unsustainable idea that sounds good, but makes everything worse when you try it.
- Facilities, for population growth. Demographic change happens, and comes with costs as well opportunities. It won’t go away if we just ignore it and avoid planning for it.
D) Bus Service
As a long-term goal, upgrade the fleet to low- or no-emission vehicles (e.g. hybrid). Students, and drivers, breathe in large amounts of diesel particles that have very significant health effects now, and later in life. The community will benefit, too. This is financially unfeasible all at once, but as vehicles get replaced, it should be a priority, exploring federal and other assistance. In the meantime, paying attention to engine maintenance goes a long way. More on this in future posts.
E) Overall Quality of education
The division offers good quality, for most students. Educational outcomes have wider distributions than desirable and that affects ratings, and with that, perceptions of quality. This in turn feeds a vicious cycle, undermining the financial stability of MCPS and the very means by which to respond. This is the biggest leadership challenge for MCPS. One way out is to convey the educational quality potentially available to individual students entering the system, which is measured by different metrics than aggregate performance.
F) What works well, what needs improvement
Working well: educational quality and achievement for most students, an inspiring art and music program, community outreach resulting in actual involvement, dedication and engagement of school staff.
What needs improvement: managing curriculum for student population with significant achievement gap; securing reliable funding, in a context where demographic and economic growth have not always been in sync; a culture of safety, real and perceived