Published: Sunday, December 19, 2010, 6:49 AM
BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Within minutes of the school board vote to approve the "Yes We Can" community agreement on Thursday, Baldwin County Education Coalition members were already buzzing about a January launch date for strategic plan development.
"Now, we start working on the strategic plan," said Terry Burkle, a spokeswoman for the coalition. "This puts us halfway through the initiative’s steps."
And as members have said over and over, "this is where the real work starts," Burkle said.
Board President Angie Swiger said the county is "blessed" because education is at the forefront of community interest. The agreement is a good place to start to establish goals supported by a broad base of stakeholders, she said, and the partnership with the coalition "gives us a basis on which to build."
Thursday’s vote was a starting place, Swiger said, with a great deal of hard work to come.
Coalition members with expertise in various areas will form task forces in each of the five areas set as priorities for reform and improvement in the school system.
The priorities are:
- Funding to meet community expectations and priorities.
- Data-driven accountability.
- Leadership at all levels.
- Every student college or work force ready.
- Communication to inform, engage and connect all citizens as shareholders of the public schools.
With the priorities identified, coalition members and school representatives will draft a plan to accomplish needed changes, Burkle said.
Denise D’Oliveira, another outspoken leader in the coalition, said that teams should be in place by February and will meet one night a week to discuss ideas and outline plans. The idea is to find the best practices in school systems around the country that work and get them in place in Baldwin, she said.
Organizers listed partnerships with the county system and local schools, board members and other elected officials, educators, school staff and parents as key to the initiative’s success. Business community members, faith-based organizations, civic and professional organizations and news outlets were others that have major roles in achieving positive change, according to the plan.
The idea behind the "Yes We Can" model is engaging the public. When systems improve and meet public expectations, schools garner much broader support because people are invested in the results, according to organizers. That includes improving graduation rates, making courses more challenging and relevant and having transparency in decision making among other issues.
"We want our students to be able to compete with the best in the nation, and ultimately with their peers around the world," D’Oliveira said.
In other action at Thursday’s meeting, board members gave letters of commendation to coaches and players on the 6A state champion football team at Daphne High and the 5A state champion team from Spanish Fort High.?
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