STRATEGIC PLAN

Continued from page 11 distribution, auditing attendance trends, increasing district level support for students and expanding educational opportunities for gifted students and those interested in a Career and Technical Education path.

Some goals that seem simple on their face, such as analyzing grading practices, will actually take months if not years to study and then enact any changes, Parker said. Other goals, such as increasing career pathways for middle and high school students through CTE classes, have become more important in recent years. It’s important to work on eliminating the stigma that some have toward not getting a college education, Parker said. Trade schools and apprenticeships offer pathways to well paying jobs without requiring a college education.

“We want to open doors,” he said.

The goal is to help determine what option is the best for each student, Parker said, whether that is college, community college, enlisting in the military or learning a trade.

Index of

Following

Another goal of the strategic plan is to explore a more balanced school year calendar and whether or not to revise bell schedules to maximize learning. The current school year calendar crams 180 days of instruction between Labor Day and mid-June, Parker said. The district is interested in seeing if it would be beneficial to start school a few days earlier and/or end a few days later in order to add in more multi-day breaks for students and staff, he said.

“We’re not looking at adding school days, but can we redistribute them,” Parker said.

Parker said he wants to determine if the current schedule is what works best for students and teachers and if changing it would improve people’s mental health. “We know there’s some interest out there in this,” he said.

However, no changes would be made until the issue is studied thoroughly and input is received from parents and students, Parker said. In making its decision the district would also have to consider issues such as daycare and transportation, he said.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ben Wick ben@libertylakesplash.com

CO OWNER Danica Wick danica@libertylakesplash.com

CIRCULATION Larry Passmore circulation@libertylakesplash.com

CONTRIBUTORS Nina Culver, Craig Howard, John McCallum

The Valley Current P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019

Phone: 509-242-7752 www.valleycurrent.com

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