Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Strategic Plan Vision Mission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
El Monte City School District board adopts draft vision and mission language, will refine portrait of a learner
Summary
At a March 31 special study session, trustees tentatively approved draft language for the district's vision — "Nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits" — and a mission: "We empower generations through learning, leadership and community." The board asked staff to return with final portrait wording and definitions in April and to bring the full plan for approval in June.
At a March 31 special study session, the El Monte City School District Board of Education reviewed and tentatively endorsed draft vision and mission statements developed by a broad guiding coalition and a student advisory group.
Dr. Garcia presented the recommended language and told trustees the goal for the meeting was to reach consensus on the core pieces so staff could develop goals and metrics tied to the strategic plan. After extended discussion about tone and memorability, trustees coalesced around the vision, "Nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits," and the edited mission, "We empower generations through learning, leadership and community." Dr. Garcia said the drafts reflect student input collected during the guiding-coalition process.
Trustees weighed several alternative phrasings during the debate. "I find it outstanding. I really enjoy reading what it says here because it's so powerful," Trustee Seagris said when asked for his reaction to the proposed vision. Other trustees emphasized short, actionable wording that students and staff could remember and use in daily practice.
Board members noted students had favored the word "unimaginable" in some sessions, but trustees raised concerns that the prefix 'un-' could carry negative connotations for community readers; alternatives such as "without limits" and "beyond limits" were discussed before the group landed on "beyond limits" as a concise, positive option.
The board also reviewed several candidate mission statements and the guiding coalition's recommendations. "We empower generations through learning, leadership and community" drew broad support as a mission statement that trustees said could be tied directly to district goals and staff metrics.
The portrait-of-a-learner component (the set of dispositions the district wants to foster in students) remains open. Trustees endorsed a list of proposed dispositions'including change agent, knowledge seeker, forward thinker, empowered communicator and globally conscious'but agreed to return the discussion about the final descriptor for resilience/thriving to April for clearer phrasing and short definitions.
Dr. Garcia told the board that final approval of the strategic plan elements is scheduled for June and asked trustees to submit any further wording suggestions before the April follow-up. "We have a draft until we finally approve it," she said, asking cabinet to continue refining definitions and descriptors for board review.
What happens next: staff will prepare revised draft language and short definitions for the portrait-of-a-learner entries, bring back options in April, and return the full strategic plan for board consideration in June.
