Robust community engagement process seeks your voice in development of new strategic plan

San Juan Unified School District is currently planning the future of its programs and services for  students, families and educational partners by creating a new strategic plan, which will serve as a guide to prioritize efforts and align district resources for the next five years. 

The strategic plan development process began in the fall and included a wide range of voice collection across the district.

The focus on co-creating a collaborative, student-centered strategic plan has been the driving theme throughout the process. To achieve this, community workshops, virtual and in-person focus groups, student feedback forums, lunchtime popups at schools, surveys and individual interviews were conducted.

Charlie Harney, a student at Del Campo High School, was a part of co-creating this new strategic plan as a member of the Strategic Core Planning team made up of students, staff, parents/guardians and community partners. 

“I felt like me and my experiences were being heard and understood. I liked being able to bounce ideas back and forth and producing results that matter,” Harney said. 

Greta Scholtes, principal at Encina Preparatory High School, was involved in the Strategic Design team made up of district leadership and students. She reflected on the involvement of students during the strategic planning process. 

“Every person’s voice mattered in the room,” she said. “The students had such valuable insight and I was so impressed at their willingness to share their thoughts and feelings with the group.”

The Strategic Core Planning team and the Strategic Design team met in late January to review and draft the four strategic directions and priority outcomes that will be the foundation of the strategic plan. These include:

• Advance Student Success

• Prioritize Equitable Practices 

• Enhance Employee Support Systems

• Invest in Efforts to Assist Students and Families to Empower Themselves 

Now that draft strategic directions and priority outcomes have been created, San Juan Unified is looking to its diverse community for feedback this month. There are several ways to have your voice heard, including a ThoughtExchange, feedback forums and focus groups. Learn more about all three ways to participate at www.sanjuan.edu/strategicplan.  

The Strategic Core Planning and Strategic Design teams will meet again to incorporate feedback collected this month in the draft strategic plan that will be presented to the Board of Education for review and action in May.