The following are my own comments and perspectives and do not represent the Pequannock Township Board of Education.
On Wednesday, I participated in the first strategic planning session for the district’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. This process is facilitated by our NJ School Boards field representative and began with Mr. Portas outlining where we have achieved the goals of our previous strategic plan and where we are still developing. It was a very productive evening, with representation from parents and community members, administration, teachers and the Board of Education. In small groups, we identified the district's strengths and challenges. There were several common themes that emerged from the separate discussions which will inform the next step in the process: identifying a vision for the next five years of Pequannock schools.
Among the common strengths that the eight groups identified were:
Our successful high school Academies and our desirable pre-school program
Substantial parent and community involvement
Ample technology to support learning and which positioned us to shift to remote learning quickly
Stability in district leadership
Cooperation and a positive relationship between the administration and the Board of Education
Clear and frequent communication from the administration to the community
Special Education services that meet the needs of a wide range of students
I am proud that some of the goals I wanted to work towards when I first ran for the BOE in 2018 are now recognized as strengths in the district. These accomplishments are much more the work of the dedicated, hard-working and professional educators and administrators we have than to any Board of Education, but the BOE plays a role in setting the expectations and tone of the district so that leadership is empowered to advance these goals. By hiring leaders from within district over the past three years, we have sent the message that we value our people which in turn helps stabilize the leadership. We have set the expectation that clear, honest and transparent communication is important to our community, and the administration has delivered on that.
The groups also identified challenges facing our district and there were commonalities among our responses to this as well:
Addressing the academic, social, and emotional repercussions of the pandemic experienced by our students and recalibrating instruction to meet the students where they are
Keeping up with technology to continue to be a leading district in this area, without sacrificing “pencil and paper” learning methods that are proven to be effective
Retaining and attracting qualified teachers, especially in a dwindling labor market for educators
Maintaining aging facilities and finding enough space to accommodate our growing programs, like the Academies and pre-school
Providing opportunities for career and technical education, “life skills” types of classes, and other pathways for students that might not be college-bound
But also effectively preparing students for college and career readiness in an ever-changing and unpredictable world
Addressing state mandates and other government top-down directives while considering the local needs of our families, students, and community
Future Pequannock Boards of Education are going to need to provide support and guidance to the administration in addressing these very real challenges. It will not be up to the BOE alone, but the collaborative and mutually respectful relationship the BOE has with the administration will enable us to have honest conversations about solutions to these challenges, to take risks with creative solutions where needed, and to forge a path forward that continues to improve the educational opportunities available to our students. The new strategic plan will outline goals and action items we should take over the next five years to meet these challenges, build on our strengths, and live up to the promises of our mission.
I am excited to see the results of this Strategic Planning process and look forward to seeing the vision for the next 5 years that is developed by the next group of participants in November.