Howard County Superintendent Bill Barnes announced a five-year strategic plan for the school system that is “reflective of our diverse community” and includes collective values that he said have been missing from other strategic planning processes.

“As I’ve said many times since becoming superintendent, this work is not about me; it’s bigger than me. And it’s not about any one of you; it’s bigger than you. But this work is definitely not bigger than us and together, we can do some great things,” Barnes said at a Jan. 30 Board of Education meeting.

The community asked for an emphasis on seven overarching core values — belonging, equity, growth, reimagination, excellence, accountability and teamwork — that are included throughout the plan. The core values spell out the acronym “BE GREAT,” a theme of the overall goals for the school system.

Being a “great school system that inspires growth, well-being, and excellence for all” is the wide aspirational vision for the school system set out in the plan. A mission outlining commitments to equitable access to opportunities, building an innovative environment for work and learning, and supporting inclusivity and belonging helps to achieve the vision.

Work began with input from students, family, staff and others, as well as more than 12,000 survey responses, to establish shared values and skills that guide the plan.

Each superintendent usually develops a plan of action for the school system when assuming leadership. Barnes’ predecessor, Michael Martirano, informed his leadership team through his Strategic Call to Action. When Barnes officially assumed the position on July 1, 2024, after serving as acting superintendent due to Martirano’s retirement, developing a strategic vision was one of his top priorities.

At the base of the plan are Blueprint for Maryland’s Future commitments, an educational equity framework and the Board of Education’s five focus areas formed under the previous superintendent. Those five focus areas include attendance, reading by third grade, middle school math proficiency, college and career readiness, and effective discipline practices.

The community raised communication, critical thinking, perseverance, problem-solving and teamwork as the five skills it would like students to obtain before leaving the school system rather than some of the more academic-centered skills, Barnes said. To help work through the mission, there are five priorities listed in the plan: strengthening instruction and learning, building a safe and supportive environment of belonging, showing value for educators to foster staff growth and engagement, bolstering systems for planning and distributing resources, and increasing engagement with families and community members.

However, the Board of Education has its own mission and vision to follow, which Linfeng Chen, an at-large board member, said has left him struggling to figure out how to navigate the overlap. The board has the purview to decide how to go about it, Barnes said.

“I thought about this [as] a strategic plan for five years, and the board’s vision and mission is sort of bigger than that,” Barnes said. “This is a slice. This is a moment in time that works towards the attainment of the board’s vision and mission.”

Each priority area under the plan’s mission has strategies such as redesigning special education, amplifying student voice and retaining top-notch staff, among others, with goals to measure progress. Much of the board’s focus areas are included in the goals.

With the plan completed, the school system is educating staff and helping them connect with the plan while delegating leaders for different portions, Barnes said. It’s “the beginning of the beginning,” he said, as the district will work through specific strategies with accountability in “pursuing greatness together.”

Public reporting of progress in the form of dashboards and reports will keep the school system accountable and point out areas in need of improvement, which Barnes said he is excited about as accountability is often another piece left out of strategic plans. Accountability has been at the forefront of conversations for years, Barnes said, and if data isn’t used to track what needs shifting, work often “piles up.”

“So, when there is something worthy of celebration, like the creation of this plan, we will celebrate,” Barnes said. “When there is cause for concern, we will pause and reflect, we will pivot.”

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