Quarterly Update - December 2006:
The P-16+ Education Task Force has met three times since September. At their first meeting, members were given an orientation and overview. The group is using the interactive web access Blackboard, which is being provided by Troy University Dothan, to enable them to maintain meeting materials; post relevant web links and resource materials for review; and communicate, chat and meet using distance technology. The group was also given two assignments: 1) visit a Dothan City school and 2) review the resource materials being posted on Blackboard.
The second meeting was divided into three parts: 1) A review of the Blackboard system; 2) discussion of reactions to school visits; and 3) discussion of possible achievements and approaches for each of the Task Force’s five objectives. It became apparent that Objective 1 - Work to address issues of Pre-K-12 public school performance, preparedness and perception, was the most critical. This was supported by the ENVISION Steering Committee’s proposed “Action Steps” which focus almost entirely on Dothan City Schools. Public perception adding to abandonment of local public schools by families with means; workforce readiness and general level of education of students who graduate from local schools; under-reported and unacceptable levels of stop-out and drop-out from local schools. Given these concerns, the Task Force decided to begin its work on Objective 1. It also was determined that Objective 4 - Work to address issues of poverty, drug use and teenage pregnancy, while an essential focus for the Task Force, was also a primary issue for the Quality of Life Task Force. The P-16+ Education Task Force did not want to move Objective 4, but felt strongly that it was too broad a topic for any group to handle as part of a greater whole. The Quality of Life Task Force chair was contacted and it was determined that a separate subcommittee, perhaps a joint Education/Quality of Life group and/or a wholly different task force, could be formed to focus on these key socio-economic issues. The chairs, Dr. Lawson Bryan and Dr. Barbara Alford, will recommend a new concentration of community leaders to work on the issues of poverty, drug use and teenage pregnancy as part of ENVISION to the ENVISION Steering Committee.
During the third meeting, which was originally intended to assign role, scope and timelines for two key subgroups for this year’s activities: Student and Stakeholder Input, and Curriculum Relevance, the agenda was quickly altered after two Task Force member issues became clear:
- Concern over concentrating so exclusively on the Dothan City Schools, and
- Concern over the quantity and quality of stakeholder input gathered and assessed to-date to make assumptions about what a public school curriculum should be: 1) to produce well-rounded students; 2) enable students to achieve post-high school; 3) prepare essential workers without limiting options for children; 4) draw and/or maintain enrollment by middle- and upper-socio economic families (mostly white) who have the ability to bring resources; and 5) involvement into the school system.
It was generally agreed that neither ENVISION nor the Dothan City Schools’ strategic planning processes to-date had sought or obtained sufficient information from the people being directly impacted by the less-than-stellar enrollment, retention, involvement and achievement of local public schools. Therefore, a subcommittee consisting will meet with the chair in December outline substantive and varied ways to obtain stakeholder input into key questions: 1) what do you as a/an student, parent, employer, government official, et al expect from your public school education experience. (NOTE: the subcommittee has not yet met, and it is expected that they will refine the actual key question, and that issues may vary somewhat from one stakeholder group to another.) The subcommittee will make its recommendations to the full Task Force during its December 15 meeting. The Task Force also will assign its members as leaders for the various initiatives and will recommend additional community citizens to work on each of the focus areas. Using the ENVISION web site and other public media, members of the public will be invited to participate in these programs. They also will be recruited to work on solving the problems/creating the programs/services that result from stakeholder input recommendations. The number of projects and ideas expected to come from this process is likely to be large, and no volunteer willing to work to create school systems reflective of the community vision will be turned away.
The stakeholder input initiative should take place in the months of January and February, 2007. Dr. Alford will ask to make a presentation to the Dothan City School and Houston County School Boards of Education in January to discuss what is being done and why, and then will ask to be scheduled to make a report from the Task Force (and Steering Committee) back to these Boards in March. As it was noted during the 11/14 community meeting with Dr. Jesse Register, Dothan City School consultant, that additional community input was needed, it is anticipated that the work being done by the Education Task Force will provide much-needed structured input for Dr. Register’s work groups.
The Education Task Force also will be expanded on the basis of the projects undertaken following stakeholder sessions and input analysis. It also is fully expected that some of the ideas coming from substantive community input will provide the initial work groups for Objective 2 - Maximize the impact of the region’s higher education institutions on the local workforce and economy; Objective 3 - Provide the supportive resources necessary to develop a competitive workforce; and Objective 5 - Retain and attract “knowledge” workers and young college graduates in the Dothan region.
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