Charles Ungerleider, Professor Emeritus, The University of British Columbia
[permission to reproduce granted if authorship is acknowledged]
A strategic school board is one that effectively plans and deploys long-term policies to achieve its vision and mission. This approach requires the board to prioritize its resources and actions in a way that aligns with its overarching goals and objectives over several years.
Being strategic means considering the broader picture of the school district's needs and potential for improvement. It involves conducting assessments of the current state of education within the district, setting goals, establishing precise objectives, developing detailed strategies, and defining relevant measures and metrics to ensure progress and success.
For example, if a school board's mission is to improve literacy among students, a strategic approach might include setting a long-term goal of increasing the average reading level across all grades. This could involve developing a five-year plan that includes objectives like integrating more comprehensive literacy programs, promoting a reading culture among students, specifying how progress will be measured, and establishing a district plan to improve language arts instruction.
A strategic school board considers factors like changing demographics, shifts in provincial educational policy, technological advancements, and societal changes and takes them into account in its strategic plan.
The primary
difference between being strategic and tactical lies in the scope, timeframe,
and level of detail. Strategic decisions are long-term, encompassing, and
focused on the bigger picture. Tactical decisions are short-term, more
detailed, and focused on the specific activities that help implement the
strategic plan; they are operational in nature and the responsibility of the
superintendent. Both strategic and tactical approaches are crucial. Strategic
planning provides the direction.
Tactical, operational actions drive the implementation.
I hope you have a restful spring break. This blog will resume on April 3rd.