Consultant outlines three‑phase strategic plan, recommends 20–30‑member committee and broad public input

Ed Lee, a consultant with the nonprofit Teaching Learning Alliance, told the Pembroke School Committee on Aug. 5 that a strategic plan should be built in three phases — a broad data‑gathering foundation, an internal planning phase, and an implementation phase — and that the district should use the plan to guide budgeting and annual superintendent goals. "Phase 1 is a really broad approach to gather data," Lee said, describing forums, surveys and the review of existing metrics.

Lee said phase 1 typically takes about two months and should include public forums, surveys distributed to residents (including seniors and alumni) and review of existing performance data such as MCAS and SAT results. He recommended forming a strategic planning committee of roughly 20 to 30 representatives from staff, parents, students and community members; Lee said larger groups (he has worked with as many as 55 members) tend to slow the process and that committee members should expect to spend about 20 volunteer hours across five or six meetings.

The consultant described phase 2 as the work of that committee to synthesize findings, set mission/vision/core values and identify strategic objectives; phase 3 focuses on implementation, aligning building improvement plans, teacher goals and the superintendent’s annual goals to district priorities. "The more data, the better," Lee said, adding that the plan should not be static: priorities should be revisited annually and reshuffled if conditions change.

Committee members asked about the kinds of data Lee uses; he said his team will accept whatever data the district provides and will sort and analyze it for trends. When asked how far back the team reviews data, Lee said three years is typical but the timeframe can be adjusted if the district prefers. He also encouraged student participation: "Of all the strategic plans we've done, the students' voice is the most powerful voice on that committee," he said.

Next steps announced at the meeting included bringing a draft survey to the committee’s September meeting for approval and launching forums in September and October. The committee discussed selecting a liaison to the strategic planning committee who would report back to the full school committee; Lee recommended that the liaison keep the committee informed between meetings to avoid surprises at final approval. The consultant said the final graphic, printed plan will be produced only after the school committee gives final approval.

Why it matters: school committee members and administrators told Lee they expect the strategic plan to be used as the primary document guiding resource allocation, especially if the district faces constrained finances. Lee said a clear plan helps prioritize limited funds and informs difficult budget decisions.

Committee members and district staff will next consider the draft survey, select representative members for the strategic planning committee, and schedule the first round of forums and data collection.