Strategic+Planning

Welcome to the Strategic Planning page
I realize that our efforts to draft a meaningful strategic plan have taken longer than I anticipated. We are a multifaceted agency, providing a vast array of programs and services. As a result, we are a bit like the Indian tale of the group of blindfolded people feeling one part of an elephant and trying to describe an elephant in its entirety. I have appreciated the opportunity to meet with various groups of people throughout the organization to discuss their perceptions of the Collaborative and the unique role that each department plays in our overall organizational cohesiveness. This strategic planning page reflects the thoughts of several groups from the Collaborative. All departments were invited to participate in this process and many elected to do so. After reviewing the notes contained here and engaging in additional conversations with people throughout the organization, I have identified a few things that I invite participants at this site to comment on. The themes are: =Mission= Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative – promoting educational excellence, efficiency, and equity with our member districts.

=Vision= Guided by an innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial spirit, the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative helps school districts meet the needs of every student while maximizing resource allocation. We are committed to responding responsibly to the //changing// needs of school districts by providing the highest quality programs and services at an affordable cost.

=Values= The LPVEC values: Our strategic planning process is organic. That means that our next steps will include sharing these themes with the organization as a whole, asking for additional feedback, and finally determining the specific actions that we will take to achieve our mission and vision while adhering to our values. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and participation.
 * A safe and respectful environment for all students, parents, and staff
 * Educational excellence and program accountability
 * Collaborative partnerships //with schools, parents, and the community.//
 * Relevant, rigorous, and continuous professional development
 * Entrepreneurship
 * Responsibility, shared knowledge, and shared decision making
 * Recognizing the talents, achievements, and contributions of students and staff

Belief Statements/Special Education Staff

 * 1) The LPVEC helps member districts program for students whom they cannot serve.
 * 2) All students deserve learning experiences in a safe environment to prepare them to be functional and successful members of their community.
 * 3) The LPVEC believes in offering a curriculum that is accessible and meets individual needs.
 * 4) We are a community of professionals who engage in continuous and collaborative learning.
 * 5) Parents are a vital part of a child's experience in creating appropriate and realistic goals.
 * 6) The LPVEC believes in building cooperative relationships with the community


 * Belief Brainstorming - Number of Participants 8/Special Education Staff**
 * Programs available for all students (18)
 * All students deserve education to prepare them to be functional/successful members of society (24)
 * Values staff training/experience, time, commitment to students (24)
 * Partnerships are vital to success of students, coops, opportunities to be involved with students, after school activities (20)
 * Building confidence, social, self-esteem skills (24)
 * Make parents aware of child's strengths/limitations. More realistic parent expectations (21)
 * All students will finda program that meets their needs (19)
 * Curriculum should be designed so every student has access (24)
 * Staff should come together to share ideas (20)
 * Curriculum adjusted to meet student needs (21)
 * Value having high school students work with our students - getting involved at our schools (17)
 * Adaptive to individual needs (23)
 * Important to be in a school that accepts students/includes students (24)

Mission Statements
The LPVEC provides all students with learning experiences in a safe, supportive environment; it offers programs that are accessible and meet individual needs while maintaining appropriate and realistic goals for students enabling them to be functional and successful members of their community.

We believe it is our mission to: = = Dedication of each and every employee - 100% committed to students' well being Link for all towns to communicate with each other We open doors for students and parents We are accomodating, flexible, provide high quality in service training, and collegiality Transportation employees work 1:1 with parents and families Low turnover Employees and administrators have open lines of communication The LPVEC is a resource to school districts providing cost-effective, quality programs and services which include:
 * Ideas from the Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Programs -**
 * Promote an understanding of, respect for, and provide support for all children with special needs at the LPVEC
 * Promote a network of parents or children with special needs and provide the forum to share information
 * Promote communication between special education parents/guardians, teachers, para-professionals, administrators, and local, state and national organizations, councils, and groups
 * Promote communication and programs within the community to encourage understanding, acceptance, and inclusion
 * Provide informational fora and training opportunities for parents, educators, students, professionals, and para professionals
 * Collaborate with LPVEC staff on operations and development of special education programs
 * Promote adult education for people with disabilities
 * Ideas from our Staff in Transportation**
 * Beliefs**
 * Buses and vans are an extension of the classroom.
 * All students deserve safe and efficient transportation and our member towns deserve safe, efficient, and cost-effective transportation.
 * Students are valued.
 * It is the responsibility of transportation staff to communicate and intervene when students might be in danger or present a dange to others.
 * Mission**
 * Provide quality service and transportation
 * Assist parents
 * Caring for the needs of students and parents
 * Provide vocational and technical education
 * Pooler of resources - teachers, classrooms, regular education programs, special education programs, and transportation
 * LPVEC goes above and beyond to accomodate the needs of all students
 * LPVEC is an extension of member school districts, allowing them to provide services that they could not do on their own.
 * LPVEC promotes equity through access
 * Strengths**
 * Strategic Planning Ideas from the Administrative Support Team**
 * Beliefs**
 * The LPVEC believes in equality, safety, and respect for all students
 * The LPVEC sets the standard in providing an equal and and quality education
 * The LPVEC believes in retaining highly qualified staff members and promoting continuous professional development
 * The LPVEC believes in being entrepreneurial to increase/promote economic efficiency
 * The LPVEC believes in recognizing contributions and achievements of staff and students
 * Mission**
 * Career/Vocational Technical Education
 * Special Education
 * Transportation
 * Professional Development
 * Continuing Education
 * Municipal Reimbursement
 * Energy Management
 * School Business Services
 * Strategic Planning Session Administrative Leadership Team**
 * Beliefs**
 * The LPVEC believes in equal access to quality educational opportunities for all students and staff.
 * The LPVEC believes everyone is considered important, equal, and valued.
 * The LPVEC believes in providing cost effective services and a network of knowledge for our member districts and surrounding communities.
 * The LPVEC believes that we do not function in isolation; partnerships are necessary; and relationships are valued.
 * The LPVEC believes in team decision-making.
 * Strategic Planning Session Collaborative Board and Corporation Board**
 * Beliefs**
 * equal voice
 * clearinghouse
 * all children can succeed in the right setting
 * pool of resources
 * accountable to member districts
 * cost effective
 * valued service
 * meeting student needs
 * regular layered communication
 * dedicated to students
 * everyone treated equal
 * community cannot operate on academic learning only
 * students are a part of sending school community
 * safe environment
 * respect each member beliefs/views
 * exploring new ideas and concepts
 * districts should benefit from expansion
 * underutilized programs
 * collaborative
 * innovative
 * superintendents and board members should collaborate
 * responsive and responsible service
 * visionary
 * Mission**
 * Providing programs and services to prepare students for the opportunities of tomorrow
 * Strategic Planning Session Superintendents**
 * Beliefs**
 * Cost effective
 * Programs
 * Collaborative
 * Innovative
 * Superintendents and board members should collaborate
 * Visionary
 * Notion of accountability
 * Entrepreneurial
 * Mission**
 * The mission of the LPVEC is to provide high quality efficient programs and services to meet the ever changing needs of our districts.
 * The LPVEC is a clearinghouse of high quality, innovative, cost effective services and programs that are visionary, entrepreneurial, and responsive to the ever changing needs of our districts.