Strategic Plan
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Developing a Plan for the Future
In the fall of 2021, the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education requested that the District engage in a strategic planning process to provide focus and direction to the efforts to improve VCUSD. They asked that the plan be driven by community input, developed by community leaders, and focused on actionable goals that can be achieved in three years. The District built existing practices to collect information from its annual Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) to help inform the strategic planning process. Because this is the first strategic plan VCUSD has had in recent memory, some foundational and story gathering was necessary. We began with listening conversations with the Board of Education to understand and capture their historical perspectives and lived experiences.
Strategic Planning Action Committee
The strategic planning process began by recruiting a Strategic Planning Action Committee (SPAC), which included diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The group consisted of students, families, staff, and community members.
The SPAC met virtually four times in 2021 and 2022 and analyzed multiple data sources. The team also had panel discussions which revealed a more nuanced picture of the District. Additionally, organizational performance indicators provided quantitative measures to inform the evaluation process was used to ensure our strategic plan maximized opportunities to achieve the District’s vision.
The Adopted Plan
The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education adopted the strategic plan in August 2022, with four focus areas. The approved plan also includes an updated vision, mission, and core beliefs and values.
Implementing the Plan
The 2022-23 school year’s focus will be operationalizing the strategic plan. Implementation of the plan will be supported by cabinet, district leadership, and design teams. This team’s work will be reported regularly.
Vision, Mission and Core Beliefs and Values
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Our Vision
To be the schools that are the pride of the community, the envy of the region, and the launch pad of bright and amazing futures and productive and fulfilling lives for all our Vallejo students.
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Our Mission
To meet our students and families where they are and to provide a high-quality, rich educational experience that seeks to elevate each student’s potential and connect to each student’s passion providing a strong foundation for a productive and fulfilling future on the pathway of their choice.
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Core Beliefs and Values
All students will learn in a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment that validates, respects, and honors their unique backgrounds, interests, and identities.
We believe:
That the crippling effects of systemic racism, discrimination, and marginalization have negatively impacted our students, our families, and our community. WE STAND FOR universal respect, full inclusion and full equity in our schools and practices.
That every child is gifted and every child is a gift, and that every student is worthy and capable of learning and achieving in a rigorous, world-class learning environment. WE STAND FOR the highest standards and expected efforts from all students, teachers, and staff.
That schools are the center of community life and community aspirations, and that schools are established in service to the community and its families. WE STAND FOR community-responsive, community-centered, and community-enhancing schooling and service for the city of Vallejo.
That the conditions of learning and allocation of resources must reflect the values and aspirations we hold, the imperatives of student learning and support, and the sustainability of our efforts on behalf of our students. WE STAND FOR quality and excellence in our learning environments and responsible and accountable stewardship of our resources.
That the world of the future will demand thoughtful, inquisitive, learned, engaged, literate, eloquent, compassionate, courageous, and creative citizens and contributors to an ever-changing society. WE STAND FOR a well-rounded, inquiry-based, culturally-responsive, and intellectually-rigorous course of study delivered by expert educators dedicated to developing these traits and caring for their students.
That our people—students, teachers, staff, and leaders—are our greatest resource. WE STAND FOR developing and equipping our people to be the best they can be for our students.
Strategic Plan Pillars
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Pillar 1 - Equitable Opportunities, Equitable Outcomes
• All students have what they need, when they need it
• Interventions are proactive, not reactive
• Individualized plans and support for all students
• Parent engagement that is early, transparent, and collaborative
• Allocation of resources to those who need the support while empowering those delivering the support
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Pillar 2 - Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
• Physical and emotional safety for all students
• Recognizing the value of each child and family
• Qualified teachers who reflect the diversity of our students
• Resources to provide additional support for students; creating support for parents
• Building relationships between and among students and teachers, which will lead to engaging environments
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Pillar 3 - Vibrant Culture of Teaching and Learning
• Teachers being able to adapt to different learning styles
• Educating teachers—training and mindset—in order to deliver responsive instruction
• Ensuring each child has access to relevant academic experiences
• Providing a student voice and choice at all possible moments
• Learning is relevant to real-world problems
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Pillar 4 - Community Centered-Education
• Our schools are rooted in the community.
• Cultural competency of staff in addressing student and parent needs.
• The school is a resource for student learning and family education, growth, and development. The whole learning community is celebrated and impacts the larger community around them.
• Schools being seen more as centers of the community, not appearing so closed off to the public.
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Portrait of a VCUSD Graduate
Through the strategic plan process, Vallejo City Unified School District will complete a thorough process that involves cross-stakeholder groups to determine the “Portrait of a VCUSD Graduate.” The portrait will tell an authentic story about what our graduates know and can do when they leave us and we are piloting how that shows up in teaching and learning.
• Students have the skills necessary for the next level whether that be trade school, community college, university, or service.
• Our students are not in classrooms where the disease of limited expectations is a part of their experiences—it should not be what the instructor thinks the child can not do.
• Our students are being prepared with the skills they need for life beyond school—financial literacy, understanding about careers, etc.
• Having a clear, unifying goal that we are all working toward.
Strategic Plan Videos
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Pillar 1: Equitable Opportunities, Equitable Outcomes
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Pillar 2: Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
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Pillar 3: Vibrant Culture of Teaching and Learning
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Pillar 4: Community-Centered Education
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Portrait of a VCUSD Graduate