
2 minute read
Artisan Venture Lab
Superintendent's
Corner Matt Doyle, Ed.D.
Resetting our Vision and Strategic Plan
Vista Unified is working in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and Prospect Studio to engage our entire community, students, parents, staff, and many others, in a year-long process to refresh our vision, mission, values, and strategic plan. The process will include a “Discovery” phase that features needs finding and students summits, a “Vision Creation” phase that is focused on community engagement and feedback, a “Strategic Plan” phase that converts the new vision to a set of actions and services, and a “Strategic Plan Implementation” phase that will bring the new vision, mission, values, and actions to life. Ultimately, this process will lead to a refreshed vision for what we call the promise of graduation (also called a Graduate Portrait), a clear identification of what a student needs to know and be able to do by the time they graduate from high school. The process will add two more elements that Vista Unified did not include in our current structure. The first is called the Adult Portrait. If we want to deliver on the promise of graduation for all students, then we need to clearly define what needs to be true for the adults who will support students. This includes all adults in the system: instructional staff, operational staff, board members, and community partners. The second element new to the process is the “System Portrait.” This part of the process places emphasis on what aspects of the system need to change in order to support the adults who then support the students.
Visioning Process Outcomes
Vista Unified has made tremendous progress in implementing our vision, mission, and values. As a result of over eight years of collective efforts with our students, staff, and community, our school district has truly become the model of excellence and innovation in many areas including personal learning, schools of choice, career preparation, social/emotional systems of support, and technology integration. Similarly, we have made great progress implementing our mission to inspire all students to persevere as critical thinkers who collaborate to solve real world problems. Our teachers and staff have actively engaged students in real-world design challenges, competitions, and projects that create authentic hands-on learning experiences. Our district has embraced our values over the years as the foundation for how we treat each other and work together to support the strengths, interests, and aspirations of all students. We even added the value of equity to our commitments because we value the importance of giving every student what they need to become a successful learner. It is important to note that the world around us continues to change in complexity and in connectivity. There are times when it actually feels like these changes are accelerating. If we, as a hub for learning, are to keep our students strategically positioned for success in their future careers and life, it is important to go through a process to refresh our vision, mission, values, and strategic plan. More details will follow for you to get involved in the redesign process.