Since the start of the year, more than 75 volunteers have come together to work on the next strategic plan that draws from the innovative and collaborative vision of students, staff, parents/guardians and community members to define the future of education in the Upper Arlington Schools. 

This spring, a panel of representatives from those volunteer teams will share an update with the community on the process so far and solicit suggestions and feedback in the next installment of the district’s Listen Learn Lead community engagement series on Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road. 

Here is an overview of the process so far, and what is coming up next.

Feedback from three stakeholder engagement opportunities — Listen Learn Lead, Dr. Hunt’s UAdventure series and the districtwide equity audit — has provided the foundation for the district’s next strategic plan. Those primary data points are the result of a combined 8,700 touchpoints that represent a wide variety of stakeholders in our community, including students in grades K-12, staff, parents/guardians and community members. 

That feedback has informed the work that began in the winter of 2024, as teams made up of more than 50 students, staff, parents/guardians and community members officially kicked off the strategic planning process. The volunteers on these three Strategic Inquiry Teams have been working to identify any additional resources and research needed to inform well-supported recommendations for three draft priority areas based on the stakeholder feedback opportunities: Engaged Learning, Well-Being and Engagement, and Connection and Communication — each strengthened by a focus on continuous improvement through Excellence and Innovation.  

A fourth group of volunteers, the Strategic Coordination Team, made up of more than 25 parents/guardians, staff members and community members, has been meeting regularly to receive updates from each of the inquiry teams and provide feedback and direction. 

During the spring of 2024, there will be multiple opportunities for stakeholders to learn about the current status of the strategic planning process and provide feedback. This began with two Coffee & Conversation events that Superintendent Robert Hunt, Ph.D., held in March and continued in April with a meeting of the Teaching and Learning Team, made up of educators from across the district. Coming up in May, the district will host a Listen Learn Lead community engagement session on Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School. A panel of representatives from the Strategic Inquiry Teams will share an update with the community on their work and findings to date. There will also be an opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback to the inquiry teams on their work. 

Based on feedback gathered during the spring of 2024, the Strategic Coordination Team and Inquiry Teams will finalize recommendations for each priority area to present to the Board of Education. Once the recommendations are finalized, district staff, including the Teaching and Learning Team, will work to develop an implementation plan beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Additional feedback will be gathered on the draft implementation plan in the fall of 2024.

Based on all of the feedback gathered from stakeholders during the summer and fall of 2024, the district will finalize an implementation plan to present to the Board of Education for approval in January 2025.

For updates on the strategic planning process, please visit www.uaschools.org/strategicplan.