East Rockaway School District's strategic plan Ok’d

The East Rockaway Board of Education approved a strategic plan to help guide the district’s actions over the next five years at their Nov. 16 meeting.

Superintendent of Schools Lisa Ruiz presented the details of the plan that culminated from a series of meetings with a steering committee, comprised of administrators, teachers, parents, and even four students, at the helm.

“Strategic planning is a process that is used to set priorities, strengthen operations, ensure that faculty administrators and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes, and assess and adjust the district’s direction,” Ruiz said.

The plan is a four-pronged system that is designed to address achievement, opportunity, innovation, and connection across the district. Essentially, it will serve as a blueprint for changes and decision-making over the next five years, Ruiz said.

What might some of those changes look like? Innovative teaching strategies, researched based solutions, and forming relationships with local universities and realtors were just a few of the things she listed in her presentation. The plan is the first of its kind for the district, which Ruiz explained would better serve long-term needs.

“In the past goals were set annually — this new approach allows for a long range plan for the district and imbeds a process of accountability and sustainability over the long term.”

The steering committee was formed last January, and met periodically from March through June. The idea to include students in the process came from a desire to get the most accurate feedback possible for constructing the plan — but also made the board a little nervous, Ruiz joked.

“The insight that we got from these four students was just phenomenal,” she said. “They focused on their individual experiences as well as those of their peers, [and] what was really wonderful was that they were so highly respected by the other community members.”