Successful school district planning meeting

Last week, I spent two full days participating in strategic planning workshops for the La Conner School District. My role was as community member. The district did a great job gathering around 50 participants from a balanced variety of groups in our community: Teachers, Parents, Students, Staff, Swinomish, White, and Hispanic, wealthy, poor and middle class.

We dug into school data, acknowledged it and discussed our interpretations and perspectives. We attempted to understand our successes, shortcomings and areas for growth, always with the goals of building stronger schools for our kids, and a tighter community at large.

The process was fair and open, and enough time was given for everyone to raise their voice. What’s more, people really listened to one another, even upon disagreement and acknowledgement of injustice and inequity in the system.

I should also mention that the students in the workshop were so very intelligent and articulate and they participated with gravity beyond their years.

A meeting like this wasn’t guaranteed to succeed, but leaders in the school district worked hard to make everyone feel welcome to the table. Participants showed courage and trust working with each other despite past difficulties. And the facilitators with Performance Fact, Inc. were masterful at guiding us into and through productive relationship-building and strategic planning processes.

If we continue to do things like this, our school district and community cannot help but become closer and better. I am proud to live here.

Adam McGarity