001works. Neither one. And I will make sure everyone has my shameless plug of a pen. >> Oh my go All right. I've seen a hundred different places. If you're never to start a presentation with who you are and what you do and all of that stuff and I know Sean has given you a little bit of that. So, we're going to jump right in and then I will go back and give you just a little bit of a bio so you know what we're doing here. But let's start today and we're going to start with our bucket list activity. And I know some of you have done this before, but it's been what, three years already. So, um, we're going to do it again and maybe think of some different things. So, I want you
002to think just for a few minutes so we can keep on time here today. Three things that you must do before you leave this earthly realm. What are those three things that would be on your bucket list? And you've got a little piece of paper in front of you. Just write down one, two, three next to the black boxes marked one, two, three. >> Three things. >> Is this part of our strategic planning? >> It is. >> Okay. >> No, this is personal. Please, please uh keep it personal if you if you're okay with that. This does not have to be work related. We're going to sit next to each other. One more minute. I'm pretty sure that's going to go on here. Okay, some of you like I I watched you pick up pens
003and immediately start scratching down your your top three. Other people it takes a few minutes, right? You really need to think about it. Or if you're like Jim, you're like, I've kind of done everything I wanted to do. And that's okay, too. So, is anyone willing to shing share maybe one of their items on their budget list. >> Dr. So I want to paint paint landscapes, paint sunsets, paint the beach and just paint paint. >> Really? >> Yes. >> Are you for real? >> I almost major in art way back. So >> that's pretty cool. >> That's awesome. >> All right. So there's his retirement gift. Eventually retires canvases and paints. >> All right. Anyone else? >> I said sure. My daughter is confident. >> All right. >> Gotcha. You got a little bit of
004time yet. >> A little bit of time yet. Yeah. I think a lot of us, right, we just want our kids to be active, healthy, successful adults eventually. But boy, that it's a a road. >> That's true. >> I said babysit grandkids, but I don't want to put any pressure. I got four that no grand >> Someday. You say that some of mine says I got six and a half. >> Yeah, but that's the beautiful part, right? Like they'll come and visit, but it's really nice to say you get to go back. >> All right. What else? >> I put make sure my all my family members have a relationship with the Lord. >> Oh, there you go. >> That >> no painting. >> No, you kidding. The way I shake. >> Yeah. Okay. I
005like that. I like that. Anyone else? All seven continents and I have three done. So I only have four left. >> Wow. What four do you have left? >> Australia. I do like >> all I ever think of is the Big Bang Theory. Remember when they did they go to the South Pole or the North Pole? >> North Pole. Yeah. >> And they were in that like box essentially for months on end. And I thought, "No, no way. I don't like this weather." >> What else? >> I have something a little strange. I want to show more love. That's not strange. My my sister is like on this it's like a kindness campaign like and so that's her thing like how many how how many different ways can I show kindness to people to strangers
006to the world to whatever. So she's >> she's embarked on that. went to Sam's and this lady was just stopped at the door. Come on, get out of here. She can so bad when I picked her cane up and I ended up out. But, you know, I just that's important. >> Yep. Okay. I like it. All right. So, you have your bucket list items. Now, next to the item to the to the right of it, there is another little dash, another little line. And I think Adam might have hinted at this. Now, we have to put a date because now these items get a little bit more real. So, if you said you want to travel four more continents, >> by when? And by that I mean you can say by the end of 2027
007or by the summer of 26. You don't have to get specific dates, but >> put a date. >> Well, you said bucketless things that day. >> Well, just guesstimate. >> If you get in for an arena at Sam's, it might be tomorrow. >> I'll try. Somebody might say, "I want to retire." and you already know that you want to do that by December of 2027. But if you say you want, you know, your your children to grow and be successful, you're right. Like >> that's that's an openended uh bucket list. until that day, right? As long as you're not like me going like this >> could be 60. >> And why do we say let's put a date to it, right? Because I think as humans quite often we say someday. Someday I'm going to
008paint landscapes or someday I'm going to visit Antarctica. And I think someday is kind of our our way of little bit of lying to ourselves because you don't have to put a date to it. it doesn't really happen, right? So often if we really put something measurable in front of us, it's more apt to happen than it is if we just leave it kind of out into that someday realm. Now, there are things, as you said, that you're going to work on for the rest of your life, and that's okay, too. But when we're talking strategic and we're talking planning and we're talking how do we get things done, quite often we have to put a date to it in order to reach a certain goal. to make something happen. So, the last piece I
009want you to do on your bucket list here is right underneath your each of your bucket list items, just write one way you could make that happen. So, if you want to travel to four more continents, maybe the first thing you do is research which one is next, contact a travel agent, maybe you book your flights, maybe piece of that. What is the next step? What is an action you could take to make that thing happen? >> Let's leave that one alone. >> That might get a little Okay. Don't mean to rush you. I We're under a little bit of a time crunch here, too. But what I want you to do now is to take this list and keep it. Put it somewhere. For me, you know, it's kind of like the weight loss
010journey, right? How many of you have put pictures on your refrigerator to remind yourself not to go and eat something in the refrigerator, right? It's that that visual that you need. Or if you've ever done something like this before, you take this piece of paper and you put it somewhere where you can kind of glance at it and look at it and see something that you want to do. I tell the story um of our our oldest son who is a ranger in the United States Army. Um but when he was going through Ranger school, um it was one of the most difficult things if you've ever um seen someone go through that process. And he had on his mirror in his bathroom, the number 62, and he had it crossed off. And so when
011we went to visit him after he graduated from Ranger School, I go into this ba his bathroom. I see writing on his mirror, and I immediately think some girl has been writing something on his mirror and I go like, "What's this 62 thing on your mirror?" And he said, "Well, Ranger School from start to finish is 62 days." And quite often as they go through the different phases of Ranger school, they get recycled because if you don't make it through one phase, you don't get to go on to the next, but you get to redo the phase that you're in. And so it often takes way more than 62 days. But his goal was to get 62 and through is what the little quote is. And so the first thing he did when he came
012home from Ranger school was mark off the 62 because he had made it the 62 days straight and hadn't been recycled. So that 62 was in his face for the year leading up to Ranger school and it was just his reminder. Um this is a a goal I have set for myself and I want to make sure that I reach that goal. So kind of like your bucket list items, put them somewhere where maybe you remind yourself that this is you want to work on and you know maybe that little kindness reminder when you're stuck at Sam's Club behind somebody um is just what you need to to get through that and and make that happen. So as we talk about strategic planning and we're going to get into this a little bit tonight. We
013talk about making sure that goals are attainable, they're measurable, they're timely. So, all of these things that we've just done in this opening activity is just that. What do we want to achieve? When do we want to get it done? And what are the action steps we're going to take to get there? And who's responsible for it, by what date, all of those types of things. Okay, make sense? All right. So, I promised you I would just introduce myself a little bit. My name is Lori Sandell. I have been in public education for close to 27 years. spent years as a teacher. A public schools was my start just as Rita as well. Um spent years there, 11 years as a teacher um as an administrator. Moved on to South Lindhurst. So spent a little
014bit of time um in the South School District again as an administrator of a middle school there. Um probably one of the biggest schools. I think we had seventh and eighth graders only. We had students in the building. So, it was a big big operation there. Um, left there and went to Cleveland Central Catholic, which was an interesting little twist for me to take. Um, I was caring for my ailing mother-in-law at the time. And so, that was um a job that I took so that I could be with her. And then I landed my career um at Waterl where I spent so seven years there. >> Correct. lucky years with me. >> Seven lucky years, >> the most amazing superintendent ever >> faced the earth. So, um, and I left there and, um, got
015involved in communications and marketing with a group that put me in charge of strategic planning. So, it's kind of where I learned to do this process. All of their work was with school boards, um, boards of DD, um, we did a couple of municipalities, but most of the work that we did was with school boards. So, it just, um, really my whole career lent right to that process. And now I um, run a million dollar law firm in Akran. Um, I was just telling Rita that I am in charge of running the the firm itself, but then I all of our communications and marketing. So, I have had quite a a windy path of um a career, but when I look at my bucket list items, I'm very happy to have done what I did
016so that I can do those things that I want to do with my life. Much like Deborah, um really the travel piece um is always been on my bucket list and I'm finally at a place in my life where I can pick up and do that. I we raised four children, so finally getting them to a place where they can be uh on their own and adults and we can go do those things is just been quite a blessing for us. and I have made my way all the way back to Akran public schools where I now teach um for the University of Akran but all of our work I teach intro to education classes so I teach students how to be teachers which is kind of really cool for me but we work with
017the I promise school so all of my student teachers are housed within I promise and they get all of that um we start observations tomorrow and they live in classrooms and actually do all of my class through third and fourth grade classrooms there. So, it's kind of interesting to have started with a public and now kind of wound my way all the way back there. So, that's my background. That's what I do. Um, this is kind of my passion project to continue to do um strategic plans for for school boards around Ohio. So, here we are. Okay. So, we're gonna go through this process. I wanted to let you know I'm sorry. My paper's all the way over there, but we'll we'll make it work. Um, the purpose of our strategic planning, right? Why do
018we do this? Why do we do this every three to four years? What is the purpose of it? The purpose of it is so that you as a school board can make really informed decisions about what the direction of the school, where you want things to land. you know, walking in tonight and hearing the decisions that you're making regarding policy and all of those things, that all has to be strategic or it just kind of comes at you. And I know the last couple of years, education has just been coming at us because it's been a little um fragmented. So, this will really help you make strategic decisions about the district, the community, the families here, the students here. Okay. Um enhanced communication I think communication lands on every strategic plan no matter where I
019am because it is ongoing. You can never say check. We did it. Great. Communication's perfect. We're good to go. Right? It is something that you always have to plan for. You have to be very very mindful of your communication. How you say what you want to say, what you put out into the public. All of those things um are are really important and it has to be continuous work. So internal and external communication I think goes almost on every single plan. Increased accountability um accountability has kind of been an ugly word as of late, but it it really isn't. It's it's what are we accountable to? What are we saying as a board we think is important to this community, to our staff and students, and how do we make we do those things. What
020do we want our administration to do? What do we want our directors to do? What do we want our building principles to be in charge of? We want to make sure that everybody in the district is accountable to the plan that we put together. And we're going to talk about how we do that. Um, improved community satisfaction. Again, if the community knows what direction you're heading and they you communicate it well and they know what's going on, they're more They're way more invested in the school district and really happy with the direction that you're heading. So, we want to make sure that that happens. Board of Education focus. We talk a lot about if we put five goals on the strategic plan and something else comes flying in. You get to say as a board,
021okay, well, we decided these five things are what we wanted to do. What are we going to do with this sixth thing that's coming at us? Are we going to remove from the plan and add this sixth piece to it or are we going to say no, you know what, this is what we said we're going to do and we're going to stick to it. So, we're going to take this sixth thing that's coming at us and we're going to put it on the back burner for right now. So, it really helps you as a board remain focused on the direction of the district when you put a solid plan in place. Okay. And then the last piece is just improved financial management. Of course, again, I heard you speaking tonight. When you know exactly
022what you want to do as a board, it really helps you budget a little bit of the amount of money that you have and and what direction you want to spend that money in. Okay? It's not foolproof, of course. We all know, especially right now with with uh funding the way it is, um it can get real tricky, but at least if you have a focus and you have a plan in place, it really helps. Okay, so plan includes number one, this is our start. This is our planning. We're going to start talking about what this looks like. We're going to talk about your mission, vision, and values. I know that you have those on your board uh on your website already. What we're going to talk about is simply is that where where we
023are. I know you just talked about a vision tonight, right? So, I know that you've changed that. We're going to make sure that your strategic plan aligns with those pieces that you already have in place. We don't want to change those. Those are things that you've worked hard to put into place. We just want to make sure that anything we put in the plan aligns with those pieces. Okay. Um assessment your SWAT. That's what we're doing tonight. We're going to talk about the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities, and the threats within the district. Okay? So that we can again make sure that we align all of those pieces. We're going to do this work with you all. I'm going to sit and do one-on-one interviews with your directors. I'm going to meet administrative team. We're
024going to put community focus groups together. We're going to meet with your staff. We're going to meet with your administrators. I already said that. All of those pieces are going to be done just like we're doing here tonight or something similar to what we're doing tonight. So that we can align your strategic plan and make sure as many voices as we can get heard. One of the most important pieces for me though is also students. And I will tell you, I will tell you, I remember being in this library with your students three years ago. And every time I do a strategic plan, I talk about the student meeting I had here with your kids. It was just one of the most refreshing. Um, the students just spoke so beautifully about their school and what
025they wanted out of the district. It was an amazing afternoon that I spent with them. So, that's one of my favorite parts to do. So, we always include the student voice in that. We will do um a survey. So, at the same time that I do the community focus groups with parents or any other community members, I also am running surveys so that if a parent can't make it to one of the focus groups, they always have the option of of having their voice heard through the survey data. We pull all those pieces together and then write your goals and objectives from there. And I'll sit down again with Sean and most likely Deborah and whoever else Sean wants to have in the room at that point and we'll say here's what we heard. Here's
026the data that we gathered. Here's what we think should be the direction of the district. And we'll sit down and start to craft those goals and objectives. >> Quick question. When you talk about community engagement, are you talking Strictly the the parents themselves. You're talking whole community. >> Anybody? Yeah. Not just parents because other community members have a stake in the school district as well. Absolutely. So we'll do I think we have four or five different community focus groups that anyone is welcome to. Y absolutely. Um so I talked about goals, right? Being smart, being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. So we'll make sure that those pieces are there. Once we put it all together, then we come back and we do an action plan. So an action plan is literally who's in charge
027of what, when, and how what time does it get done? Right? You've got three years. So we talk about this is a goal that we want for the district. It may not happen this year, but it might happen in 2627. It might happen in 2728. But we make that these pieces are assigned to certain people in your district and that they're timely and they're they're time bound by the strategic plan. That's a lot to get through. Does that make sense questions? Great question. Thank you for that. And and I'm certain we'll answer some more questions as we go along. Okay. All right. So, what we're going to start with, and I'm going to do my best to as we go along here. Let's talk about the strengths of the district. I was going to just
028bring it over here, but it's too strength of the district. So, when I ask you this, I want you to think about what's going well when you think about Northwest. What are we what are we doing well in the district? And I want you just to answer and I'm going to record this as we talk about it. >> What do you do well? >> I think we've been more accountable. >> More accountable. What else do we have? >> We have a good amount of family involvement. >> Would you say that's across the district or would you say that might be specific to certain buildings? >> I think it's across the district. >> I think so. >> Good. >> Because a lot of parents kids in multiple buildings. >> Oh, yeah. Right. >> so you see
029that across >> Well, and I think it touches on what you said when you had the meeting with kids in this district. We get compliments from other districts um about the conduct of our kids. I know we get compliments sent to the AD about how well our kids interact with law enforcement because of the strong SRO's. assuming there are certain things put in place that just in my opinion improve the overall stature of a student by the time you graduate. >> And I cannot stress that enough and I'm not saying that just because I'm here, but the meeting with your students was just so different than any I've experienced. They just You're right. They were just a step above. >> Yeah, it was it was such an enjoyable afternoon for me. >> Okay. What else
030do you do? Well, well, so then what do we put on? What do we do? Well, right. Let's put our students on here. You guys really know how to, >> you know, I see this all the time, too. I I see teachers really go above and beyond. Like, you and I have worked together. We would bang our heads against how do we get how do we get how do how do we uh district >> they show up for students >> they really do and they don't do it for I mean Sometimes I I I see it by accident or mistake. Like you see this and I'm like geez you should be telling people this but it happens. I hear I hear it. I see it. I feel it all the time. People are doing extra
031poor kids. So I I think it's that's a huge strength of this district. >> Yeah. So I'm just I'm gonna really narrow that down to just the staff in general, right? Your your teachers, your staff, everybody involved with kids >> um just goes above and beyond. And that's That's remarkable. >> I think our communication has really improve improved >> just communication is such a you know such a huge piece of that. Can you give me just a little bit more? Do you feel your your website, your social media, your outward communication versus I don't know how much you have internal but do you see difference between the two internal I'm not sure >> maybe we do we have a newspaper that goes out quarterly it's really good to the whole community our website's good >>
032and we have >> so for us it's true it's improved a lot the last three years Yeah, there's a lot more of the why. Not just this is what's happening, but why this is happening, why we've done this, and >> that that helps that helps parents and understand like we're being responsible and staff and, you know, fiscally responsible as well. >> Yeah. Because the why is the connecting piece, right? It's one thing to say, here's what we're doing, >> but that why gets the buy in from your community. It helps miscommunication, right? If you tell people, "Well, we're doing this because nine times out of 10, that helps clear up any type of misunderstanding that they might have had about a certain event, a certain project, a certain decision >> because we don't give a
033reason. >> They will fill in the blank." Absolutely. Absolutely. And sometimes it's really hard. That's a hard piece to constantly like you feel like you are constantly explaining yourselves, but running a district. Yeah, it's something that you kind of have to do. >> And 20 years ago, the board had a totally different perception in this community. It's taken a while to get back to where the board has respected and trusted. And I think transparency is one of them. >> And yes, communication. We are much more vocal about saying what we're doing, when we're doing it. And it is a different world we live in now with social media, which is a two-edged sword. But >> absolutely, >> I know I was I was on the board first in 2016. We worked hard to get to
034a level where we felt like the community would trust us to accept our word. >> And honestly, if you don't have a superintendent you can't trust, it doesn't matter. So it's it's a reflection of each other. I think it's so funny when you talk to people like outside the district and you mentioned you're on the school board. The first reaction is >> it's like no no that's not us. >> That's not the way we are. We work together like that's >> I I agree. I think it's and I've said this to many people is you don't have this in school district. We have board members who are on the school board because they passionately about the school district through different reasons certainly but these guys all very much about the school district where this school
035>> well I think one of you said it tonight our job is to support the district and we can't do that if we're not aware of certain things right so our job is to support is a huge statement of who you are as a board >> I I don't think it's just us. That was actually one of the words I was going to use. I think one of our strengths is support, but I don't think it's I think it's us to them, but I also think it's a community. I think it's our students. >> You and I were talking about the musical the other night. >> Yeah. >> Just how many kids were at the musical to watch >> other kids >> and we're excited about it. Sometimes go, >> you know, when the football
036team's told to be there versus when they want to be there. basketball game and fans are filled with kids watching their >> large is we have I can probably hundreds that are third fourth maybe even fifth generation >> and I've made the joke many times over the years is when you live in a very small town kind of the first thing you want to do when you graduate is get But then we're kind of like a greased funnel in that once people are out in the world and they go all their separate ways when it's time to raise a family >> that funnel gets slippery. And most of us or a lot of us >> end up back there because we go, >> man, I've seen other things and I've seen other places and I
037want my kids to grow up here. >> I want them to have the same thing that I had. Um I I've been around a lot of districts and you don't see I mean I don't know the numbers right you can't but I wouldn't be shocked if 50% of our students aren't at least second generation >> and then to see brought this up many times when we uh when we put a job rack out we see the alumni come flooding >> because they want to get back here Right. >> Yeah. With everybody that's struggling to fill jobs, we don't seem to have that problem and like I said, how many of our alumni how many times we do we sit there contract like we did we did one today that was Gina Gabber, you know, she
038was a year behind me in school like my Yeah, but like my point is like we we see those and we go that's just another >> it's another one of us >> that is coming wants to come home >> and it's alumni like I've talked to alumni that have graduated gone on to to teaching jobs and stuff like that that their goal is I'm going to go get the experience back >> and it's that doesn't again that doesn't happen by accident either >> yeah there is definitely a real sense of real sense of pride and support for the school district and it has everything to do with multigenerational three four generations people come through here my mother-in-law >> oh my gosh really >> but I think okay so uh yes that's definitely I think another
039strength is uh and I'm going to say this I'm going to embarrass her but like our our administrators like Deborah the time and energy she's not going to retire 48 or something. >> Wait, let me see that bucket list. >> Yeah, but but I do feel like our principles, we've got and I I know they get approached by other school districts in Stark County. People are trying to steal them all the time and uh >> we know that that happens, right? >> Yeah. I mean they are all four of them are are excellent leaders and uh and they believe in this school district and they feel definitely attached to the community and they feel the support from our school board. So they don't want to I mean they could go other places and make more
040money but we have a really really strong administrative staff. There's continuity there and that continuity certainly uh adds that strength and it and it helps. I mean I they don't get pat on the back near enough. They do a lot. This lady right here does more than I can ever tell you. >> We're blessed to have a lot of good administrators. >> Yeah, we had I was talking to somebody from Louisville a couple weeks ago and they had come here to our facility to talk to our people because they're like, "What are you guys doing?" Like we just all we hear is good things. What's going on? We want to know what you're doing. >> Deborah, how often does that happen? >> Couple times a year. other schools in start count. >> Well, even going
041through your going through your plan, I was updating names like not many have changed, right? That says something. That says something that the people that were here three or four years ago are still here because that doesn't happen very often. Um it's just very very common to especially ad just flip through district. So >> we we opened our open enrollment a couple weeks ago. >> The first week we had almost 60 kids on >> Wow. And that speaks to something too, right? >> Speaks volumes, >> right? People want to transport their children here, bring them here. >> One of them is my granddaughter. >> There you go. >> Jackson, and I'd much rather have her here. So >> something to be said for that. >> We also curriculum because of >> it rotates regularly so
042the kids don't have books that are 25 years old. >> Right. I think I saw it what like every six years. Yeah. >> Which is phenomenal. You're right. Like and to add to that I also saw technology. >> Right. >> Yes. >> I mean that's that's so hard. keep up with, but it's a strength for students. >> I was surprised when I looked the first set of high school classes how many of them were like new and relevant like they were like they're classes that >> that you look and you'd want to take. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> My daughter's already like I want to take all of these and like >> you're gonna have to make some choices. >> Right. But you're right. You look through your choice your classes and you're like wow.
043like to take that class and see what that's all about. >> Well, I talked to Sean about this not long ago. As much as anything that's important to attract students nowadays is your athletic facilities. >> It is huge. >> Having kids come because sports has gotten to such a pinnacle high school sports. >> Yeah. Our whole campus. >> Yeah. Exactly. new buildings. >> They're all close together. >> I mean, everything is even renovation. >> What did you just break ground on the fine arts? >> That's an addition onto our storage because we just are running out of room. >> Okay. >> When they need to build sets and things like that and then store things, but then also they just break ground over here on a new fac. as well as a rest because to
044be fair the ones the ones that we had were >> and it was it was >> but I think back to what >> even our we haven't really done much to it since we built it but even our auditorium here like I think back to 30 years ago when we had the cathum >> well they don't put auditoriums in schools anymore like that's like an addon almost >> and to have to have a 700 theater that can put on a dang near professional performance. >> That's That's huge. >> I wish you could have seen the show this weekend. >> I didn't get invited. >> I know. I just >> show people. >> What show was it? >> Which most high schools don't even attend. >> No. Right. >> you have to have the horses. >>
045Yeah. And We had three really amazing >> there was no drop off. >> That's awesome. >> It felt like a professional show. I mean it really was on my feet professional shows not a fan many times but I'm saying I've been to other professional shows that they would have liked before >> and I you know I like you know that goes back to your staff the dedication of your staff that goes back to your facilities to you know the growth and the support of the community the support of the kids who come and see the show or spend their all that extra to rehearse and put on a show like that. >> Hundreds of hours, right? >> Yeah. So that I mean that just speaks volume academically too >> our speech and debate team is
046just >> made it to nationals. There's a lot of good things. >> Virginia. >> Congratulations, kids. >> All right. as we of course >> as we talk about our strengths and we could I I feel like we could sit here and go on and on and on about the strengths of the district which is why I also I do this same exercise with your administrators with your parents with your staff because they're going to have different answers than you all have they they take a different point of view a different lens so we're going to put that all together you're going to be able to see what everybody has has pointed out as the strength of the district, but we also want to talk about our weaknesses. And I really don't like that word, so
047I put challenges, but that changes from a SWAT to a Scott. And so I still stay with the W. But things that you feel you could improve on. What are some pieces of the district, some parts, some things that are happening that we can always improve on? What could we do better than we're doing right now? >> Just as clarification, this is internal stuff, not the external things that we can't control. >> Not yet. Internal. What do you think we could do better as a district? >> I think we could do better at keeping kids here as they get juniors and seniors. So, having more opportunities for the CC. >> Oh, gotcha. Okay. >> Having the leadership in the schools. >> What else? >> We talked a little bit about this conference, how we do
048a great job at prepping the college kids for college. We have vocational >> school, >> but there's a there's a group of students that get caught in the middle. They're not going to go to college. They're not going to go and learn. >> And so they kind of graduate without any kind of connections or clear >> career path. >> Yeah. And so, one of the classes that I went to at OSBA talked about how to better engage those kids with the community and giving them opportunity so when they graduate they actually have some sort of a this is what I want to do, this is what I want to be or at least a a pathway to a job >> outside. That's really purposeful work, right? To say, okay, we're going to provide our high
049school students with curriculum, right? They have to meet certain credits or whatever. >> But then let's add a whole it really is career planning on top of that. >> Um and that's really really purposeful work to say that this is important to us and we have a big enough student body that lands in the middle really right because you have your career tech kids, you have your kids that you know are going to go um to the college path but what about the kids that don't either one of those places and what do you do with that? >> I don't know what that number 25% >> could be. >> I mean I guess it's from year to year but that's definitely something we need to >> and I know skyro >> this year but the
050the numbers actually are dropping next year. >> So that's when I'm like >> okay >> well they are I mean some of the They're trying to address all this, but I I don't know. I don't know what that answer is. We need to explore that because he's right. I mean, it definitely needs we need to find those kids and figure out and I will tell you right now as an employer, >> you can't dying for people who want to come and work, >> right? >> In the industrial world, you can't find people that you can >> have program a CNC machine or be a welder because for years, schools have just pushed college, college, college, >> right? >> And I mean, anybody spends more than five minutes a week on LinkedIn sees it on there.
051It talks about, you know, we really need to look at I mean, if you go into a skilled trade right now, >> normally the first or second year, you're making six figures and have >> better job opportunities than you would with most fouryear degrees. >> The opportunities are there. I think that just finding ways to have those fire. Yes. And have them feel like, yes, they want me. I along. This is my path. I mean, just to get them to >> catch fire with it, you know, to really have them be interested. >> And it's interesting even when our college students get to college, I still have students who are like, I think I want to be a teacher, but I'm not quite sure, but I'm in this program because when I was in high
052school, this is what I thought I want. You know, it's it's a lot of decision making, adult decision making for 17 and 18 year olds. >> I changed three times in college. and now that I >> has nothing to do with my job. >> Well, I I mean I look at my own career path, right? I mean, I was an educator for so long and then I just went a completely different direction. Yeah. Turned hard left, right? But um I think it's really it's really hard. You're you're right that we need to educate them, but I think they're 16 and 17y old brains. I think we also need to realize it's different when we were in school. You came out, you knew what you were going to do and you did it. And it's not
053unusual now for them to change or five times because they find something they like. So it's that balance of exploring but not something that they feel like because they don't have a problem. I changed jobs again this like I have a military son. I had no idea he wanted anything to do with the military at all. He went off to was going to be a football quarterback. He was a year later he said uh guess what? I joined the army. I was like what? We had no idea. >> So talk about changing careers. >> To Deb's point, when we went to college, it was 50 bucks a credit hour. >> Now it's $30,000 a year. >> Yeah. >> So it does kind of >> sway you one way or the other. I mean, >> for
054sure >> you do have to make harder decisions that have much >> at a younger age. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So what else? >> I mean, write that down. So finding that that 10 to 25 to 30% of those kids that don't know I mean how do we >> I really think finding them is one thing I think what we're really talking about is just kind of career education how can we you know we used to call them career fairs you know is that really what but bringing >> I think a public does a really nice job with their careermies >> but we have to be careful as to Deborah's point that you don't pigeon hole students into certain but just knowing what's available, what might be out there for me, what if I'm not
055interested in something, but okay, this this firefighter came and spoke to our and now like, okay, maybe this is something I could consider even across the board, too. >> Oh, yeah. Like my degree in food science, like there's 13 offer it, so nobody knows what it is, but then you start to get into it, you're like, okay, that makes more sense. But I had no idea about it >> when you when you were obtaining it. >> Yeah. Right. >> Yeah. So, like I love going talk to kids about that stuff because like the science side >> I like it. Okay. What else? What else is something that you think you could improve on? We're already five minutes. There's got to be others. >> I guess I have we have an inside. So, it's hard for
056me because I know the to know what the are. I can come up with some things that I hear out in the community every day that I'm I know what they're going to say. >> Well, you can you can share that. That's okay. It doesn't have to be just internal. >> I think that there's a large misconception in our community that we spend. >> Okay. >> I don't believe that because I see the things that we approve and I know the wise, but I understand also that perception is sometimes It's just about communication, right? >> Yeah. I was going to say that takes us right back to communication >> because you can do it well, but there is also so much area for improvement all the time, right? >> Yeah. As good as we are
057in the community, I mean, as an alumni, I think we do a terrible job with our >> with your alumni. >> Again, talk about a really specific somebody has to take charge of that. alumni is just as important as the career piece. >> Well, it's funny you said that one of the other classes that I went to SBA was it was a school that came and talked to us about they actually have a a person who's not it's not their full-time job but it's a piece of their job is the alumni they call it the alumni >> foundation or >> but it's actually a staff person. Now >> they said that could also be handled by a volunteer. We do have Tammy who does a fantastic job, >> but she tries really really hard. It's
058it's not, how I want to say, she's not really connected to the school, >> but she's a she's an alumni passionate because she loves >> and she she could probably use a board of others to help her out >> and it's hard to force acceptance, too. >> It'd be it'd be really cool to see that all four build engagement because There are people that much more comfortable going engaging with primary kids or middle school as opposed to the high school itself. >> Well, we're fortunate to have our staff's alumni. So, it is. Yeah. >> But it is something that you know really again needs a dedicated person perhaps to really have some focus on. What do we want that to look like? Engaging your alumni. How do you want Ask them fundraising piece. Do you
059want them to just be engaged as far as students and staff? Like what is that? What does that mean to say, you know, we want them to be more engaged? >> Yes. >> Exactly. Yes. Whatever you can get. >> Okay. What else? I'm happy you're not rattling off like 120 week. But I want you to think like facilities, transportation, food service. Like we're thinking board and we're thinking big organized. >> We need restrooms. We need restrooms. Take it easy. I think somebody cut them. We have fun. Somebody cut that. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Facilities can we are working on that but >> obvious works in the district. when she retires. >> This girl can go days and not talk to anyone, which perfectly fine. >> I remember in Southeast, they had an alumni foundation that
060threw an event every year and they raised money and then that went back into like scholarships for students, which was a great engaged alumni. >> You need to have a person too that who can speak to like graduates in their 20s as well as >> speaking to graduates in their 60s. You know, that's a rare person. >> That's true. >> But you get scholarship for just about anything. You can our kids. They need tools. They need I mean, not going here, but they're really >> web design things like that where there are ways that you could offer scholarship. >> Yeah, I suppose scholarship's the word that you associate with college right away, but it could just be something, you know, we have this person, you have an interest, you go to their internship. >> Yeah.
061Along that line would love to see some >> meaning using alumni that is in the field that that child wants to go into alongside them or even community members. just >> is that is that a perception that we're not is that what people say in the community like hey we need to do more like they want to be more involved is that out there >> meaning do your do your community members want to be more involved is that what you're asking >> that's what I'm asking >> I I think people always want to help it just they don't know how to help and maybe and if that if that's what's happening we need to do better and Sometimes I think the the commitment would be a ton of time, >> you know, like once once
062you're you're in on something you're never getting away. No, >> it can be help out for the day. >> That could be communication. >> It can be, you know, a couple of alumni that are attorneys, right? >> It could be coming in and having that attorney work debate kids because let's face it, a lot of those speech debate kids, what do they say? They want to move the wall, right? So, why not have a couple of law alumni come in >> have a little workshop maybe give a tutorial on the the different branches like law means 100 different things, >> you know, I don't know. I just I think workshop a great way to connect alumni people with these kids. So that way they also the community can see like they get to see the
063outside, right? But they don't get to see what you got to see in that workshop of how bright and engaged these kids are. I work with them all the time and it blows me away. We I was not like that. >> I mean these kids are laser focused and they know what they want and I was all over the Well, and I think a lot of times when we talk about alumni pieces, people just don't know where to start. Like, where do I even And >> you're kind of narrowing in on it a little bit. Maybe it's just a gathering of a community resource. If you are in our community and you want to lend your services, your ideas, your >> your trade, your wisdom, right? Fill out this form. That's like just start by
064gathering that information and then you tie to it somehow. But if you don't start there, you don't know what's available or who's willing >> to do that work. So, um I think a lot of it is just understanding where to start. >> And part of you mentioned our vision and our mission statement. Part of that is having a deeper like a real like you have these places that have collaboration, but they're not real. You know, like to have that situation here. I think we have we can get there. It's just yeah, it's take time and energy and ef people that want to be engaged. But that is that is part of our mission statement. We're committed to having a real working relationship with the uh with the community. >> Well, it's you know, and not
065to go back to the I Promise school, but talk about the ideal scenario of wraparound services. You know, you belong to that school. When you said attorneys, they have an attorney that's there four days a week from three or four different law firms, but they do proono work. who need help with evictions, with rent, with driver's license renewals, with whatever it might be that they're they've got some legal issues with. They offer proono services, right? They've got somebody that's there from >> um child and family services, >> you know. Yeah. It's just amazing those services. And I think in a community like this, you could have something very similar because people just want getting paid by a foundation. I get that. But when you have a a community like this who just wants to be
066involved and wants to lend their services, you could create something very similar to that whole idea of wraparound services through your alumni. Yeah. Great. Okay. Let's we we skipped opportunities, but we'll go back to it. I'd like to look at threats next, and we'll we'll zip through these pretty quickly. Threats are things that are out there that you can't do anything about. you see them, you know that they're coming. I always give the idea of, you know, I'm standing on a beach and I see a tidal wave. All I can do is duck behind a rock and and hope for the best. It's coming. It's going to hit the beach no matter what. But knowing that it's coming and knowing that I can brace for it and hopefully get through it is part of the
067idea of the threat. You might not be able to do anything about it, but you know it's there and you can kind of race for it. Ky, I'm going to ask you rather than trying to write these down. Okay. So, what are those what are those pieces to work over there for a change >> funding 100% >> state cuts >> just not knowing I mean that's the uncertainty >> yeah there's a lot of uncertainty from the state level it's really >> I think it changes regularly as well so it's one yeah one week you think it's this and then the next week it's something else how can you possibly budget >> or write you know fac management plans. How can you possibly do all those things when that piece is constantly changing? >> Government overreach,
068right? Politics just in general right now. >> Let the school run the school. They do a much better job if the state and federal government keep their nose out of it. >> Give us the money that they promised. >> Give us the money we're promised and let us run. Exactly. >> So just just the whole government overreach is is a threat. what else is out there looming that is really hard to control or something you see >> we had hit us >> I mean just a pandmic in general you who knows what what might be next right so that's a I mean the amount of havoc that wre every single school district is just >> I think the pressures that kids are under like social media >> social media the drugs the alcohol >> meal
069That's a constant worry and constant fear trying to be here for the last decade that is skyrock that is so low on the total >> a couple kids every yearcrease. Yeah. People are not our birth enrollment numbers are down and not just a year there is consistent >> and I think we're seeing that across the field of Summit County I know just at the university alone gosh >> I think our last numbers were about 14 or 15,000 when I was there we were in the >> 3000 this community is growing this community is growing but not necessarily what is our kids what is our average class number >> I would say it's about average about 115 to 120 that's down a little bit not much >> I think we were like in the 130s >>
070the trend the trend is definitely we were in the 200 >> about half the So just like you said, >> you can't do you can't change that, but it's something to be mindful of. >> No, it's the population. Okay. >> Big group that been here for a long time. That's a huge resource >> when they retire too. >> Well, and I think you know when Deborah says I I'm thinking more about what you said, right? People aren't having giant families anymore, >> right? I mean, >> I have my my youngest has one and she had problems and she said, >> Joe We thought five years and that is the lowest like were they scared? They did not >> Blizzards make you reproduce. Blizzards will make you having babies. Not >> co >> maybe in five
071years >> is that what it is? I mean you said something about people aren't staying at Stark County or is it just people aren't having kids? >> Well that's what you were talking about. I think it's population Ohio. >> Yeah. I mean, you look at I can't tell you how many, you know, had four or five in their families and now most are at one or two. >> Some of my friends just decided they're not. >> It's an affordability piece. I mean, it's all kinds of things. It's later in life. And that becomes >> right. Right, Dominic. >> We could have a whole conversation about population. >> Okay. What else? Other threats that you see. Did we say social media? >> Yeah. Right. It's a big one. I It's a communication piece that's a mustave.
072Can't survive without it. But it's also a giant threat to the operation of the district because you know as well as I do something happens during the school day, it's going to hit Facebook before Sean may know about it. Like it just it happens. >> How many times do I send >> that? Hey, just so you know, this is out too. >> Snap. He goes, oh, I'm not >> It is It is uncontrollable. And all you can do have people in your circle that support you and that know, oh my gosh, maybe he doesn't know this is happening yet. I'm going to shoot him a text. Right? Like, you have to have that that circle of support that says, I've heard something that, you know, I think maybe >> and whether the information is correct
073or not, it's out. >> Yep. It's out there, right? And so when you're talking about the reasons why something happens or explanation of what has happened, Yeah. whatever's out there, >> AI. AI giant piece a plus and a minus can be disastrous in some >> aspects. Yep. >> Well, we have resource officers. We live in a different world now. >> Yes. >> You hate to have kindergarters have to walk in next to a guy with a gun to get to the class. But >> it's the world we live in. >> That's a string of really good. We did well Dennis set a good base. We had a good SRO. He was by himself and we finally pushed our superintendent second one and we've been very fortunate when it comes to the relationships they >> because
074there's another funding piece, right? >> We're always indential. Yeah, >> we don't do that kind of laws. >> But so what industry do you work in? >> Physical security. Electronic security. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, so >> cyber security >> literally literally >> huge threat all the time, right? The district could immediately be under some type of cyber attack. We've got all of your records and we're not releasing it unless you pay us a certain amount of money. Right. That that's always >> if that happens, we're not paying for. >> Okay. What else? Anything else that we want to talk about? I know we're we're pushing our time here. Opportunities. Let's talk a little bit about opportunities. When we talk about this, we're talking about things that we know are out there, resources in our
075community. And I We've touched on it a little bit today with some mentoring or internships or alumni pieces, but what else might be out in our community that we are just not taking advantage of that there's an opportunity out there that we just aren't tapping into? Is there anything that you can think of that we haven't already talked about? >> That was good. And I think there's an opportunity there. I know our kids love this school, but I don't know how many of them understand the history and how much this community loves this school. And so Sean did this thing. He actually went and he interviewed an alumni member from like each gener. >> Yeah. >> And they played that for our teachers on their first day. I think if the ones who are alumni,
076but even the ones who aren't, I don't think even the kids know how love they are, how supported they are, that there's this entire community of people that would drop whatever they're doing and come help them, >> right, >> if need be and does behind the scenes >> and does behind the scenes every single day. I was going to say earlier we were talking about whatever it was I was like I think every single one of us does some sort of volunteer work for the school >> right >> because this board thing the reason we're here is because like you know it's not the money it's not fame it's not you know not to get our picture in the paper right it's it's it's because we bleed this school and if anything was ever asked
077of me I don't care what it was I say yes every So maybe an opportunity. So if we the opportunity be would be to continue to tap into the history of the the district, the community resources, the support. How do you opening day, great video, wonderful, but how do you continue to so they have that same >> feel when they I hate to say when kids are in the thick of it, sometimes they hate school, right? They hate come back. >> But my point is letting them know what they belong to. >> Yeah. Well, that sense of belonging is always a piece. We struggle with that at the, you know, the university level. How do kids get that sense? How do you help them feel like they belong somewhere? We started doing we started doing
078a hall of fame thing a few years ago four years ago and >> there I think there could be a better way. I've talked a little bit with this not this is this is just a a part of but this is still an opportunity >> to have you know we have so many people out there who are just kicking butt around this country you know and the idea was to or or in this community who are out there working on them to have them maybe you know my idea was that hall of fame person let's bring them back and speak at graduation so they these kids can see like you can be a we be a lawyer you can be a minister >> yeah the girl from my class that works for NASA She's literally
079a rocket scientist. >> Yeah. Bring her back. >> Let's bring her back to talk to these kids. >> Yeah. I think I think almost in a way graduation's too late, >> right? >> It should be that that direction >> freshman orientation >> or like we brought the I can't remember the guy's name, the guy from Orlando, the drummer, >> the beard. >> Came and spoke to the kids that pumped those kids up, >> right? Yes, that's it. >> I was talking about we were texting. >> So the opportunity then is to bring again graduates back to some level, right? Like it could be all the way to your elementary >> students >> to bring them back and again instill that sense of wow look at >> this person was like was in this third grade
080>> and look where they're at. Why can't I? >> Yep. It's that role model piece. It's that seeing the outside of where they currently are. >> Yeah. It's also like your those bases that you're learning in this grade like where does that grow to? Like your your love of science led you here. Your love of English led you led you this direction. >> It all started that direction. >> I wasn't here. >> You're right. Graduation probably too late. But I was at I was at a graduation where a guy had graduated like 52 years and he was working for a petroleum company in Australia and he hadn't been to America like in 46 years >> and he got put on this uh you know this hall of fame and he flew back to get his
081to speak to you know and and he was funny and he was engaged and he talk about his life and what he had done and you know talking about like all the pieces and parts he knew of this particular school but then did these great things in Australia and saw the world. I mean, that's that's what I want my kids to see. Even if it Yeah. Graduation might be too late, but at least >> they're seeing it. They're hearing it walking out the door. >> You can do both. >> Some people come and speak. Yeah. >> Right. >> Anything else opportunity wise? Again, I I'm kind of going back to you're talking about alumni. We're talking about internships within the community and internships, mentorships, whatever you want to call it. You How do we bring
082people back in the fold? And how do we get our students, you know, it doesn't always have to be here. Is there some program that our students can go over the summer and get community service or whatever you might, you know, call that? Is there a better way to manage that and make it more solidified, meaningful, all of those pieces? What about um hospital systems, student teachers? Do you have opportunities there? Yes. No. >> They have student teachers in >> Do you have student teachers that come? Yes. Great. Great. >> Yeah. We have partnerships with >> Walsh. Yeah. They like they like their kids coming since you and I have been working with them. They've been they've been very good about sending us some of their >> great $2550 to children's hospital that happens every
083year. >> Yes. The sky's the limit. We just need to It's almost like you need you know you get busy like a principal gets very busy person goes crazy I mean you need to have one person who's g like there's everybody doing it in pockets right all these things that go on and we don't we don't six of us don't necessarily know or seven of us don't know about it but it's happening and I kind of hear about it I'm like the whole world should this community should be hearing about this why why are we not you know I'm always I mean once a month I'm saying like why why aren't we putting this out Yeah, there's so many awesome things. So, we need to have one person who I mean, maybe that's me, I
084don't know, maybe that's that's Deborah, maybe that's a counselor, somebody to galvanize that and really push it and get it out there. >> Yeah. >> Yes. She's always waiting like, "Hey, just give it to me and I'll take it." >> But she's doing a nice job with that. >> Well, yes. No, because what I see is this Here's a picture from this event. >> Now, what's happening? >> There's Yeah, there's no like >> here's a here's a program that we're doing and this is what it's leading to and this is why we're doing it. There's it's just >> there was a there was a basketball game Friday night. Well, okay, there was a musical. Okay, but there's all this stuff that's happening in these buildings that could really again help engage with >> and again
085I go back to it's it's how do you get started with that right do you create a Google drive where you know somebody who wants to put something out there can just dump it in there and then she can go pull it out right it's it's a communication >> like there's 30 second interview a minute interview sit down with Mr. and let him talk about the speech and debate team and put it out on our Facebook. >> Right. Right. It's just a matter of how do you make it happen >> and do it for every so like let like let let him talk for a couple minutes. >> Yeah. He gets fired up. >> Yeah. There definitely you're right. I feel the same thing. There are opportunities that that it would be nice to get
086that out there to galvanize that and maybe that's the way you start. Okay, start telling us you go out there and find it. What what what is coming? But >> teacher by teachers by >> by nature do not like to brag on themselves. >> They don't. And so it it's very difficult to get them to be like talk to us, tell us, show off. They don't do that. >> I know we have the one day where it's community service at the end of the year. >> I think if we could find a way to do that throughout the year >> because you do it once and you writing all this down >> you do it you do it once and then you know people have stuff that happened in the spring and they're like oh
087man I could have used >> a group of students for that maybe it's just as simple as just having a community relations group where you have >> like kids that want to volunteer and get their hours in in different ways Well, I think that's the thing is does our community even know that our kids have to do community service? >> How do you get that out there? >> How do you >> and then people in the community say, "Hey, I've got tons of hours to give kids. Send them my direction." >> Right? It's that two-way communication piece >> because now all of a sudden the school is serving that >> community >> and they may be alumni, they may not be alumni, but now it's a senior citizen >> and you're going Uh, hello. We
088care about >> everybody, >> right? >> And they're making not just parents, not just families, not just care about >> current families, right? >> Okay. I I'm so sorry. >> Yeah. I promise we'd be out in an hour. So, >> I'm sorry. Yep. No, we're good. We've got our um our base started. Um Sean and I have figured out dates for this whole process. >> Yeah, we're going to meet with uh if you guys want to come to the faculty and staff meeting. >> You're welcome. I know. I don't want you to feel like anybody's gonna be looking at you guys, but if you want to be there, participate or just watch or come to the parent one to watch or participate, it's up to you. I don't want you to feel like, oh, you
089know, it's it's you guys and super I don't we won't let that go on. We don't want that. >> I would say let's make sure that we have obviously some of these Yeah, Sean typically will show up and introduce me and then he leaves and I just take you know >> years ago we have you have good participation big crowds for all but it was good. >> Now was that you do that per building or how do you do that? >> I do uh per building with the staff so each staff all sit with each of them but then the community parent focus groups are just open. We house them I think here. >> Uh we were there >> in the comments area. >> Yeah. Um and so we just host them here. >> See,
090so here this this gives you an idea, right? So that was when my son was probably what a sophomore. Never heard of this. Had no idea. >> Okay. >> So that gives you an idea of you know was a student at the time >> and I had no idea this was >> I think will help. We're going to put it out. I've already put out the but >> yeah, you'll put it out for yours. I can create um an actual schedule. We'll put a QR code to it, too, that'll link to the survey. So, again, if a parent can't necessarily make it to the focus group, they can answer the same exact question. >> We got some of the put flyers out down at some of the places in town. >> We put them a
091lot of times we'll put them just on the front desks of each of the buildings. So, just coming in, office student or something and you just grab it or click the QR code and keep >> and I'm even thinking like restaurants in town library any place that people go that necessarily wouldn't come here >> and make it so that they can put it on your Facebooks and that'll get the most engagement because I hate to say this but if people if it's on Facebook and they can click the link and go right to the survey five minutes to fill it out we'll probably Yeah, I was I was saying my thought was more >> is there a way in that link >> to verify that they're a real person? >> Um yes through survey monkey
092because they do um they do enter their email but no other identifying information there people out there >> that will fill out the survey 50 times and say, you know, our our biggest strength is, believe it or not, bugs in the cafeteria. >> There are guard rails through survey monkey, too, that um they will identify something that is >> because people are they're not smart and they'll just copy and paste and fill it out five, 10 times, but then Survey Monkey picks it up. >> Yeah. And then it it'll put all the comments in in a row and you'll see the same comment five times and like okay this is >> copied and pasted. So it's it's got a lot of guard rails. >> When we did this a few years ago too we started
093seeing themes like we heard from you guys. You guys launched this as you should right when we take it and we go to we start talking to our administrative team and when we talk through all these things with everybody it's like wow you start hearing I mean it's it's a school you start hearing the same. So we can but we can really get to that's what we look for. We look forward >> repeated themes and things that we feel would be worthy goals. Some of the goals that we had before I think will never change, right? You guys I gave you copies of those so you guys can see that those goals are never right. They're going to be there good communication all that. But there are things that we need to you know the
094next three years taking us to almost 2030 which is weird. >> Yeah. >> How about that? So but thank you for this. Thanks for staying here. Thank you. I'm sorry. A little >> longer. Everyone's out here.