District 39 Board of Education Approves Strategic Plan
Posted on 10/01/2021
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The District 39 Board of Education unanimously approved a five-year strategic plan for the district during Monday evening’s Board meeting that will provide a roadmap for education in Wilmette through the 2025-26 academic year. The plan was crafted through a collaborative process that involved many different stakeholder groups, including parents, faculty and staff, community members, and students prior to this week’s presentation to the Board of Education.

“Our focus throughout was really on the mission, the vision, the values, and our goals and strategies,” said Dr. Kari Cremascoli, Superintendent of District 39. “We met on 10 different occasions and solicited extensive stakeholder feedback. We did an in-depth data retreat and SWOT analysis, and sought feedback through survey, in-person and Zoom events. The engagement and feedback helped us to ensure that we were aligning our mission, vision, and goals with the values and desires of our broad stakeholder groups.”

The plan outlines the direction for the district from 2021-26 under the motto of “Engage, Empower, and Inspire”. Additionally, it crystalizes the district’s vision and clearly defines its core values and goals that will guide the work of implementing the plan.  

“The motto encapsulates all that we are attempting to accomplish as a learning community.” continued Dr. Cremascoli. “The team found it very important to not only have strong foundational skills but also aspirations for rigorous learning moving forward. Our Portrait of a District 39 scholar exemplifies what we hope to see in our students as they progress through our system and as they prepare to graduate from our schools.”

“I want to say a huge thank you. I think tackling this in the midst of the COVID environment was really ambitious,” added Amy Poehling, President of the Board of Education. “I think it was well worth the investment of time and energy and puts us on a very proactive path of recovery as we move forward.”

Board member Lisa Schneider-Fabes also expressed, “A heartfelt congratulations to everyone.” She shared, “I think this plan answers the questions of ‘What is your north star?’ and ‘What are we striving for?’ I do not think that we have had a traditional strategic plan since I’ve been a part of District 39 and I think we got here, in large part, due to leadership.” 

“I would like to add how excited I am about the strategic plan,” said Erin Stone, member of the Board of Education. “I love where we landed on this. It’s just outstanding and not a surprise. I think the goals and priorities of this district are exactly what they should be and I really appreciate all the hard work that was done by all the people who contributed to this plan.”

Board Member Frank Panzica reiterated this message. “I want to congratulate the team, not only for the work but also for the output. I really like the core values. I think that's a framework that opens up lots of possibilities to make the curriculum better.”  

The District is preparing to launch this strategic plan immediately, with next steps including a presentation of 2021-22 action steps to the Board in October as well as identification of Key Performance Indicators to measure and monitor its program. A promotional campaign will be launched this fall to build awareness of the plan and engage stakeholders in both understanding and living the plan.

Wilmette Public Schools District 39 serves approximately 3,500 students in PreK-8th grade throughout Wilmette and in parts of Glenview. District 39’s mission is to nurture, guide and challenge students to become creative thinkers, collaborators and socially responsible, compassionate and productive citizens of a global society. District 39 is committed to providing a safe and equitable learning environment that fosters a mindset of empathy, respect and belonging for all students and staff.