Vision

•The Vision of DCPS as set forth in our current Strategic Plan is: Dorchester County Public Schools will empower students to reach their fullest potential by encouraging them to incorporate ideals and skills through equitable opportunities to become lifelong learners and productive members of society.

•The Board of Education of DCPS is charged with and endeavors to select the best leader and have in place as our Superintendent by July 1, 2024 to see this vision through 2028.

Mission

•The Mission remains: Implement immediate and effective measures to close achievement gaps and promote equity. By implementing strategies and removing systemic barriers, all students will develop intellectual curiosity and skills to complete their Program of Study.

•The Mission of the Board is to select the best leader to ensure that this happens

Goals

•Conduct a clear, transparent, and consistent process aligned to our Vision and Mission.

•Engage, listen, and incorporate community values, goals, and needs into our selection process.

•Identify and work with a partner to conduct a professional search consistent with DCPS Policies and Procedures.

•Make the best leadership selection for our Superintendent for the next 4 year term to be in place by July 1.

March 26 – May 10      Superintendent posting and applications received by HYA

 March 26 – April 24    Community online survey to build leader profile

                                                                https://hyasurvey.com/dorchester

 April 9 – 23                       Community Visioning meetings to build leader profile

                                                 April 9                 North Dorchester High School

                                                April 16              Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

                                                April 23              South Dorchester School

 May 16                               Full slate of candidates presented to the Board of Education by HYA

 May 18                               Initial interviews with Board to identify semi-finalists

 June 1                                 Board interviews with finalists

 June 14                              Appointment of Superintendent

 July 1                                   Superintendent assumes responsibility

There are two ways for community members to get involved. There will be a Community-wide Survey available virtually,

As well as 3 different opportunities to participate in-person at Community Visioning Sessions.

Each meeting will follow the same format and is planned as follows:

Agenda

6:00  Welcome and Introductions

6:15  Expectations & Scope for this Evening

6:30  Small Group – Question #1 – What are the strengths/values of the DCPS school system?

6:45  Small Group – Question #2 – What are the greatest challenges for DCPS in the next 3-5 years?

7:00  Small Group – Question #3 – What are the personal/professional characteristics of the next Superintendent?

7:15  Group Observations & Capture

7:30  Next Steps & Action Planning

The objective is to facilitate and capture the community voice. The group will be divided into small groups and take time to discuss, answer, and share their responses to the larger group. All notes will be captured and posted on the DCPS website.

Question #1 – What are the Strengths/Value of the DCPS school system?

  > Main bullets = observed categories, sub-bullets are direct quotes from groups

•Faculty and Staff

•We have some good Teachers – High quality educators & teaching, and support staff

•Good staff in the schools – Staff & Administration are invested in students

•Students

•Diverse student body

•Some students academically prepared & well rounded when graduating

•Schools

•Some schools have good community involvement - Some challenges between north and south

•Some have experienced stronger positives in elementary versus higher grades

•Facilities are in great shape

•DCTC prepares workforce and those heading for certain college/careers

•Academics

•Some schools hold students accountable for academics

•Community

•Parent Support – Scholarships

•Small district allows for smaller, tighter community around the student - School system values the community

•Community Programs

•Businesses support – job shadowing

Question #2 – What are the greatest challenges for DCPS in the next 3-5 years?

•Retention of Staff – Teacher Retention

•Budget Obligations - Budget reduction – Cutting positions

•Raising MCAP ranking

•Equity of sports between two high schools

•Growth in ELL demand

•Common understanding of behavioral norms with collaboration between home and school

•Raising expectations to meet those of state to ensure our students are academically competitive

•We need ELA & Math Interventionists – humans not programs

•Need SROs in ALL buildings

•Ensuring students leave grades K-2 on grade level in ELA & Math because these are the foundational grades

•Not allowing all students to attend DCTC for career education

•Classroom sizes – overcrowding of schools – District expansion

•Finding high quality certificated Teachers to teach in high needs schools – Shortage of Teachers

•Ensuring equity across the county

•High expectations and accountability for ALL students

•Parent apathy – lack of vision for their children

•Job opportunities for parents/community

•Blueprint (state) requirements causing staffing & financial hardships

•Vision Quest expense

Question #3 – What are the Personal/Professional characteristics of the next Superintendent?

  Note: Bold denotes items repeated by multiple groups

•Have the best interests of the students at heart – understand and be sensitive to the needs of a DIVERSE student population – child centered for all decisions – Children are first priority

•Engage with the Community – Approachable – Open minded to all & not snooty towards some groups of people - Be visible at the facilities & school events – actively engaged and visible

•Live in Dorchester County – strong supporter of Dorchester County - Two separate parts of the county – urban and rural – best of both worlds – be cognizant of cultural differences & engaged in ALL communities - Can’t come in focusing just on the schools on fire – Cambridge

•Main question – “What do you know about Dorchester County? – Understand need for connection to Dorchester County as a whole - Eliminate the “good old boy system” as a requirement

•Trustworthy – Personable - Visionary – Bring diversity of thought - Strong moral values

•Treat staff, students, and parents with respect, dignity, and fairness – Fair & equitable with everyone - Not afraid of parents

•Transparent in communication

•Very knowledgeable about educational trends – demonstrate a deep understanding of educational research & emerging best practices

•Knowledge of state educational requirements

•Strong conflict resolution skills & decision making skills

•Good listener – teachable – open to learning – accept constructive criticism

•High expectations for students & staff – Make sure the leadership at every school is prepared to meet MCAP expectations and assure they have adequate resources

•Make sure our schools are safe places to teach and learn with alternative settings for those students needing more support

Question #1 – What are the Strengths/Value of the DCPS school system?

  > Main bullets = observed categories, sub-bullets are direct quotes from groups

•Faculty and Staff

•Proven track record of historically retaining educators – particularly those from this region

•Hardworking Teachers, knowledgeable Principals – Dedicated & hardworking staff

•Value diversity, equity, and inclusion in positive and supportive ways

•Students

•PreK 3 and PreK 4 programs

•Kids with big dreams – Families who want their child/children to be successful – Resiliency i.e. covid virtual – in person – virtual, etc.

•Schools

•DCTC

•Well Funded – Admin teams invested in schools

•Academics

•New Teacher Mentor Program - Math and Reading Coaches in every school

•Blueprint structures in place – strong focus on SEL/Mental Health supports

•Community

•Long history of strong community - Diverse community

•Productive, hard-working members of society is a goal/core value

•Pathways (college, CTE, military, etc) are different options not moving down/up a hierarchy – we value college AND career readiness

•Invested in a lot of programming to extend opportunities – increasing number of community partnerships

Question #2 – What are the greatest challenges for DCPS in the next 3-5 years?

•Disruptive students – SMALL number of true chronic offenders, but because they stay the behaviors spread to kids on the “fence”

•Discipline – Disrespect, blatant disregard for rules, authority & social norms – local & state level issue

•Lack of SPED Testing

•Scarcity of Teachers

•Recruiting & retaining highly qualified staff – Teacher Prep implications, Housing & new Teachers, coaching structures – Teachers, leadership – job-embedded

•Too many students below multiple grade levels in reading

•Poor foundational skills in reading and math, which ultimately impact test scores

•Feudal management structure – feels like schools are allowed too much flexibility and lacking consistency across the District where appropriate

•Comprehensive Reading program needed

•Address Physical Plant

•Transportation

•Financial responsibilities

•Blueprint requirements

•Residual covid impact – attendance, SEL/mental health for both students and families, academics

•Mental health of students & staff

•Secondary students – colleges have waived standardized assessment requirements – now back in place

•Communication – challenges between Instructional and Administrative leadership, between schools – better understanding of the impact on others

•Quality of instructional staff – some new/uncertified/unprofessional behaviors

Question #3 – What are the Personal/Professional characteristics of the next Superintendent?

  Note: Bold denotes items repeated by multiple groups

•Someone who implements programs consistently across schools

•Someone who knows the importance of developing Teachers to diverse students and grade levels

•A leader that can build a strong team – honest and ethical

•Someone who demands accountability – do what you say you are going to do

•Someone who engages and listens to the community – Community Engagement

•Human – Approachable – Visible – with sincerity and transparency – go into schools daily – be mobile!

•Fiscal experience and understanding – need balance

•Awareness and understanding of Dorchester County – knows nuances of a small system – consideration of past efforts and what has worked – Know education and culture in Dorchester specifically – poor performance historically with those who have not been here/worked here previously

•Experience – Teaching in classroom at multiple grade levels, SPED, COMAR, Contracts

•Not someone who left the classroom as soon as it got hard

•Data-informed instructional practices, staffing, and programming – strong pedagogy

•A lens on inclusion, equity, and diversity

•Creative problem-solving

•Focus on Tier 1 instruction & SEL

•No job beneath them – relationship building – Be able to do what you are asking of others

•Organizational Flexibility

•Make timely decisions – no guidance is as bad as slow guidance

Question #1 – What are the Strengths/Value of the DCPS school system?

•Diversity of students

•Longevity of Faculty/Staff

•Leaders and pillars of the community in our system

•Love & Compassion in the classroom county-wide – seen by observing teacher interns

•Teachers and staff who want to give more to their students

•System is small enough to respond to the needs of educators – example this year of PD being adjusted so that Educators had choice of what had greatest value to them

•Close feeling of family & community

•Small town values

•Decent job access to technology compared to other counties on the shore – in terms of devices and connectivity

Question #2 – What are the greatest challenges for DCPS in the next 3-5 years?

•Teaching appropriate use of technology & sites – instead of blocking sites/technology

•Engaging parents & families in education and discipline – this is not just a school system issue – children MUST be the priority to parents & families

•Communication from the top down

•Longevity of faculty and staff

•It needs to take a village – sometimes we should be choosing what’s best for the larger community rather than what’s easier for yourself

•Financial literacy – who is responsible for teaching this & how well is this taught?

•Mental health challenges – its not just local, but national

•Defining roles and putting a system in place to allow collaboration between schools and community partners and nonprofits

•Balance on providing services – social workers - Kids in trauma as well as kids who witness trauma

•Balance between intervention & instruction

•Teacher recruitment and retention – streamlining process to get the best and hold on to them – funding of certification/re-cert - HR focus and approach

•Funding – need comprehensive approach to grant identification, acquisition, and management to maximize

•Aging buildings & infrastructure – climate change and flooding issues

•Ranking of 23rd out of 24 counties - Reduction in school aged population

•Safety & accountability of Admin, faculty, and students

•Fiscal planning and accountability

•Early childhood education in Reading & Math

•Broadband coverage for the county is terrible for wifi and cell phones

•Discipline – alternative education - restorative justice all need to be balanced against the approach to just send kids home

•Federal and state government regulations – Blueprint requirements

Question #3 – What are the Personal/Professional characteristics of the next Superintendent?

 •Someone who has taught something academic for a career amount of time

•Someone who listens to people dealing with the every day work

•Supportive of faculty and staff by default – back the teachers to the public and appropriately deal internally to address issues

•Spends time in the schools and classrooms – face in the place

•Understand and lead the role of advocacy for DCPS and the community

•Ability to manage communication and politics with multiple stakeholders

•Prioritize students and teachers first

•Service-minded heart

•Appreciates the unique characteristics of Dorchester County

•Maximizes partnerships with business community, nonprofit and service organizations

•Visionary, Passionate, Team-builder, who builds trust

•Able to connect in appropriate ways with the students - look like or represent them – show able to hear their voice to inform decisions

•Able to sit down with them, hear their stories, and do something with what they say

•Engage with data and make data-driven decisions

•Engage with people and make people/student-driven decisions

•Create environments and platforms for engaging and hearing from all stakeholders to better inform decisions