
Strategic Planning Process

Dear Members of the Nyack Public Schools:
This year, the Nyack Public Schools will embark on a strategic planning process. This process will result in the development of a Strategic Roadmap that will be built on our strengths, and ensure our adaptability while preparing our students for their promising futures.
We will be considering these essential questions… How do we prepare our students for the future in a rapidly changing world? How do we ensure that every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed? How do we continue to compassionately engage with our diverse community and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging?
What is a Strategic Roadmap? It's a plan that helps put our Vision, developed by the Board of Education in consultation with all stakeholders, into action. This process has four phases.
During our Discover Phase, we will be assessing where we are as a district by collecting and sharing stories of success, strength, and excellence from the past and present. This includes an Environmental Scan of our history, , as well as identifying building and department strengths and needs.
In partnership with our Board of Education, we will be launching a series of engagement opportunities to help us determine the Desired Daily Experience for students, staff, and families. There will be a Thought Exchange, World Cafés, and other methods to gather information from different stakeholders. This feedback will be used to determine the strategies and actions needed to achieve these experiences.
During the Dream Phase, this is when we envision and imagine the ideal future state, based on the strengths, and successes identified in the previous phase. Our district leadership team will take all stakeholder feedback to define the Desired Daily Experience based on the input from our students, families and staff. From there, we will develop a Theory of Action and build a VisionCard that defines our Mission, Vision, Core Values and Equity statements.
Once complete, we will then move into our third phase, the Design Phase. The District will co- create and prototype the strategies, structures, and processes that will enable the realization of the vision. We will use collaborative and participatory methods, such as workshops, action planning, or prototyping, to generate and test ideas and solutions to create a three-year operational plan. In partnership with the Board of Education, we will refine the Strategic Roadmap and develop a multiyear strategic plan.
Our final step is the Deliver Phase. At this point in our strategic planning process, the Board of Education will finalize the Strategic Roadmap and develop a Long Range District Model and three year governance work plan. We will implement and sustain the strategic roadmap, and monitor and evaluate the progress and outcomes.
And for us to see our vision come to life - we need your input.
We are asking for your participation in a ThoughtExchange, through the link to our district website. This anonymous survey will help identify those desired daily outcomes. https://tejoin.com/scroll/884891354
On Tuesday, November 28, we will host two World Cafe community engagement sessions for parents and caregivers. It is our goal that these conversations will lead to idea generation by asking questions that matter, connecting diverse perspectives, and encouraging participation from all in attendance.
I invite you to join us at 6:30 p.m for our Elementary session or 8:00 p.m. for our Secondary session in the Nyack High School Cafeteria. Please RSVP with this link: https://forms.gle/vocfBAD1XpyFXWt29.
Further details will be shared via our district website at nyackschools.org.
We are now in the process of dreaming together about our future. We will share with you the progress and outcomes of our planning process. We hope that you will participate actively and constructively in this important endeavor. I look forward to reaching our destination - together.
Sincerely,
Susan Yom
Superintendent of Schools