Superintendent outlines three-pillared strategic roadmap focused on instructional leadership

Superintendent Dr. Wenzel gave the board a draft of the district improvement plan, saying the work centers on three main ideas: shifting central-office functions to better support principals, building principal leadership capacity for instruction, and embedding teacher collaboration (PLCs) across the district. "Our improvement is really based on 3 big ideas," Wenzel said, then described how those three elements will align school and district plans.

Wenzel described specific follow-through: principals will develop school improvement plans tied to district goals for mathematics, English language arts, attendance and graduation; central office staff will streamline processes to free principals' time; and the district will start a three-year PLCs at Work partnership to build capacity across leadership and teacher teams. He said the plan will return to the board in October alongside school improvement plans and superintendent evaluation discussions.

Board members asked whether principals' schedules will allow more classroom time; Wenzel said blocking time for instructional leadership is the explicit goal, and that central-office monitoring and support will hold school leaders accountable for that work.