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ABC Unified board previews strategic plan and summer 'Transcend' professional learning
Summary
Superintendent presented a draft five‑year strategic plan focused on academic acceleration, whole‑child supports, employee systems, family engagement and optimized resources; staff also previewed 'Transcend', a summer professional learning event with 111 sessions and about 750 registrants.
Superintendent Dr. Zietlow presented a district draft strategic plan that lays out five directions for the coming years and will return to the board for final approval at the next meeting. The plan, developed with cabinet, principals, employees and families, outlines priorities to accelerate academic outcomes, align whole‑child supports such as mental‑health services and restorative practices, strengthen employee systems and professional learning, expand family engagement and optimize district resources.
Dr. Zietlow said the plan will be evaluated with multiple measures — state tests, district benchmarks, grades and attendance — and will guide the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and single‑school plans. "We started out together last October…we worked with cabinet, extended cabinet, principals, directors," she told trustees and the public while describing the plan’s development process and the metrics the district will use to monitor progress.
Cabinet members outlined actionable first‑year steps. One example: priority 1.a focuses on aligning evidence‑based instructional practices with student needs and weaving universal design for learning and social‑emotional learning into classrooms. The superintendent and staff said they will produce a year‑one implementation packet and translated materials after board approval.
Board members and union representatives praised the goals but asked for clearer implementation guidance. Teacher and union speakers acknowledged the plan’s ambitious objectives and asked for practical "how‑to" road maps for principals and classroom teachers. An ABCFT representative at the meeting said teacher professional learning needs concrete steps so educators can turn objectives into classroom practice.
Mr. Lawrence previewed the district’s summer professional learning event, "Transcend," which he said had about 750 registrants, 111 sessions and 71 speakers (45 ABC Unified employees). "The theme this year is transcend, and we are trying to transcend, together," Mr. Lawrence said, and described extended 75‑minute sessions, keynote speaker Lainie Rowell and speaker recordings that will be posted for staff who cannot attend.
Trustees requested early‑year enrollment and benchmark results be shared at the next board meeting so the board can track initial implementation and fiscal implications. The district said it will align upcoming agenda items to the strategic plan so trustees can see how specific actions map to the plan’s priorities.
The board did not take final action on the strategic plan at this meeting; staff said a final approval vote is expected at the next regular meeting.
