Kathleen Osta, a strategic-planning facilitator brought in by Asheville City Schools, led a board workshop that narrowed the district's governance values to three priorities: integrity, collaboration and inclusivity. The session opened with Rebecca reading the district's equity statement: "In Asheville City Schools, we are committed to equity and anti racist policies for all students and staff," setting the tone for the evening.

Osta guided the board through a series of exercises that asked members to list personal values from prework, share stories showing values in action, and work in pairs to agree on board values and concrete behaviors. "When you use them on a regular basis as a filter through which to make decisions, they become a decision making framework," Osta told the group as she explained why the work matters.

After small-group reporting and facilitated discussion, the board used a thumbs-up/sideways/down poll on candidate values. Following clarifying discussion about overlap among items such as "belonging," "joy" and "purpose," the facilitator announced what the group called its three 'heart' values: "integrity, collaboration, inclusivity." The facilitator and staff drafted short operational statements to accompany each value (for example: "The ACS board commits to governing together by upholding the value of collaboration. We will demonstrate and live this value by seeking out multiple perspectives and opportunities...").

Board members debated how to frame related concepts—whether creativity, stability/resilience or purpose should appear as separate top-line values or be treated as sub-ideas within the three chosen values. Several members cautioned that the thumbs exercise was a facilitated preference-check, not a formal policy adoption; the group agreed further work is needed to define behaviors, measures and accountability steps.

Next steps agreed during the session include capturing the flip-chart language in the board's documentation, developing visible operational materials staff can use, soliciting feedback forms from participants, and returning the materials to the board for review and potential placement on a future consent or action agenda.

The meeting closed the values segment with a brief unison reading of a closing statement and with staff assigned to refine language and follow up on operationalizing the new values.

The board also paused later in the meeting for a moment of silence after the announcement of a student death and continued with other agenda business.