“Each child is highly educated, prepared for leadership, service and empowerment as a citizen in a global community.”
First, the mission statement needs to be created in a collaborative process. This collaboration should involve our stakeholders: staff, students, parents and community partners. This would allow for each stakeholder to have a voice in the creation of developing this statement.
Next, through each stakeholders participation would help them to identify a method on how they will support this vision to become a reality for our students.
After reflecting on our current mission statement, it is my opinion that the following key commitments need to made and supported in order for our school to function as envisioned in our statement:
1. District Responsibility: Provide an opportunity for a foreign language to be taught throughout the district starting in elementary. The Department of Teaching and Learning needs to identify the current top languages that are being spoken and provide a learning opportunity in every school and not just as it is currently being offered at few language focused schools. This change in itself would lead to preparing our children for a global perspective.
2. Staff: Our staff need to be committed to the Professional Development opportunities given to them in order to create learning environments that are consistently highly qualified. This is referencing to the lessons, types of questions that need to include critical thinking opportunities and quality of assignments. Unfortunately, a coloring sheet, fill in the blank worksheets are no longer sufficient for preparing our children. The learning environment also needs to be 21st Century and globally focused. For example, lessons that incorporates technologically tools that provide access to learning opportunities from around the world. Also, staff need to become knowledgeable on how to expose and support students on the vast cultural diversity which is now within our schools, communities and world. Our students are now competing for jobs on the global front and not just here locally. Therefore, cultural competence is not just what is taking place here locally or in one particular month out of the year.
3. Students – An initial activity that engages our students with the “why” schools exist today in their community. This conversation needs to include:
• An overview of the mission statement.
• How it connects specifically to each of student.
• Discussion on what does is a leader in today’s society.
• Participation in leadership opportunities within the school and community.
4. Parents – They need to be aware of how the school’s responsibility for educating students has greatly shifted since they were students. An example, students need to know more than basic math and reading processes to prepare for jobs of today. Many jobs have yet to be created at this time.
5. Community Partners – Today, schools are educating students that one day will be employees in the community. Therefore, community members need to be more involved with our schools. There needs to be a true collaborative partnership that demonstrates an invested interest. Schools are no longer buildings within the community that students attend. Businesses/colleges should offer mentoring support, intern opportunities to provide students with the access to first-hard work experiences.
In conclusion, our mission statement communicates to our stakeholders …what we will “do” for our students. Today’s world and workforce is more complex and diverse than ever. I encourage our schools to reflect on our current role in this process and obtain a status update on our progress or lack thereof with preparing students. This includes the leadership aspect too. Global competency is a state of urgency for our future also known as our students.