Florence Township School District Creating a Strategic Plan for the Florence Township School District Mission Statement The Florence Township School District, in partnership with students, families, and the community, will provide a diverse, challenging, and enriching academic experience with the goal of developing independent, creative, successful individuals who are ethical and responsible contributing members of society. The district commits itself to creating a high achieving educational environment in which all children will be able to reach their full potential and excel in a changing world.

Session 1 What are the Strengths/Achievements and Challenges of the Florence Township School District? On September 23, 2015, Florence Township School District administrators, Board of Education members, education staff, parents and community members, thirty-six (36) in all, came together to initiate strategic planning for the Florence Township School District. The first evening's topic focused on the strengths, achievements, and challenges of the Florence Township School District. The meeting began with a welcome and introduction by Florence Board of Education President, Ms. Emma Cartier and Superintendent of Schools, Ms. Donna Ambrosius. Ms. Ambrosius then presented the current “State of the Schools.” Facilitators Jesse Adams Jr. and Terri Lewis, from New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), were introduced and Jesse provided an introduction to the strategic planning process. We reviewed the consensus process utilized in strategic planning. The topic for the evening focused on identifying the school districts strengths/achievements and challenges. Participants gathered in randomly assigned groups, four groups in total, engaged in brainstorming the district’s strengths/achievements and challenges. After group discussion, each group identified their consensus points, “Top 10” strengths/achievements and challenges, and presented those to the full group of meeting participants.

Florence Township School District Strategic Planning Meeting #1 Outcomes

The information that follows is a summary of the work of the small groups. As discussed with the meeting participants, all consensus points are recorded and posted on the web to share the group work with the public during the course of the strategic planning process.

Group Consensus: Strengths/Achievements & Challenges Team One: Strengths/Achievements Size Sense of community Teacher retention

Challenges Budget Communication Lack of involvement from parents, teachers, and students Constant changes from NJDOE 20th Century teachers teaching 21st century skills Resistance to change Ratio of students to guidance counselors at the high school and Riverfront

Theater, sports, music programs Transportation Childcare costs offered by district Meeting AYP Graduating high school students are offered thousands of dollars in scholarships Schools are maintained Aggressively seeking academic opportunities: nontraditional

Team Two: Strengths/Achievements Communication Teachers who care about kids Administration wants all kids to be successful Students are great! Small size of district Supportive parent organizations Community – Support for education Supportive Board of Education Technology – moving forward Diversity in the community

Challenges Course offerings and/or need for early interventions $ - Budget constraints Small size of district We need AIR CONDITIONING! Home lives of some students (compromised backgrounds) 2% CAP Programs for parents Security (of facilities) $ Needed to maintain/upkeep “old” facilities Teachers who don’t utilize technology or who might need more training

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Florence Township School District Strategic Planning Meeting #1 Outcomes

Team Three: Strengths/Achievements Facilities Space Work order responses New visitor security Social Media School Resource Officer Community support Dedicated teaching staff Strong core of administrators Increasing technology Analyzing data driven assessments PTO/PTA Booster Club 15K Wellness Grants

Challenges Not enough support for at-risk students Hanover Report - drop in enrollment Resources/Funding Capital Funding Broader curriculum Entranceway at Roebling Charter School/out of district No online courses Add hybrid classes Competitiveness for college Union Contract – a.m. drop off

Team Four: Strengths/Achievements Small community New HS facility Teacher dedication Think outside box Strong PTA/PTO Future Ready Safety Social Media Image elsewhere Shared vision for higher learning Inter-community relations

Challenges Money/Budget Small community Outdated facilities Desire for increased technology Cohesiveness among administration/buildings Need to expand Core/Arts Need to expand Extracurricular More parent involvement Underutilization of resources Charter School Communication/Promotion

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Florence Township School District Strategic Planning Meeting #1 Outcomes

After reviewing the small groups’ consensus points, the large group identified the following Common Threads/Themes: Strengths/Achievements Staff Social Media PTA/PTO/PO Size Facilities Security Community Relationships

Challenges $$$ Extra-Curricular enrichment Charter School Communication Parent involvement Online courses/More course offerings Security/Facilities/Infrastructure Technology Interventions/At-Risk Size

The second strategic planning session is scheduled for:

Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Florence Memorial High School. Sign-in begins at 6:45 pm. Meetings are scheduled for a maximum of 2 hours and end promptly. During the October 15th meeting we will create a shared vision together for the future of the Florence Township School District . . . we will talk about our aspirations and expectations for our students and district. Please join us. Everyone is welcome! We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP to the Office of the Superintendent at [email protected]

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