MVUSD to Host Telephone Town Hall to Discuss New Strategic Plan

If you’re a parent in the Moreno Valley Unified School District, your phone will ring precisely at 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 3. Superintendent Dr. Judy D. White will be calling to talk with all parents about a new plan for student success: the district’s new Strategic Plan. The plan is the result of months of work and the most inclusive process for a district-wide initiative anyone can remember, with participation by students, parents, teachers, classified staff, administrators, and School Board members, plus a variety of stakeholders representing local business, faith communities, and higher education. “We knew from the beginning that this had to be an inclusive community process,” explained Dr. White, “because everyone in our community has a vested interest and a role to play in student success. The Telephone Town Hall is the beginning of our efforts to share the results of our work and enlist support.” The strategic planning process was conducted in concert with the development of the district’s newly required Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), which also requires extensive community input under the state’s new schools funding formula. Creating the two plans together ensured that academic goals and priorities aligned with the district’s spending priorities. The Telephone Town Hall is a new way of engaging the public in discussion by coming to them instead of asking them to attend a meeting. “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to participate,” said Dr. White. “They can listen to the conversation or join in by submitting questions, in English or Spanish.” Whereas a meeting might draw as few as 10 or 15 people, the Telephone Town Hall is expected to engage thousands of parents for at least some if not all of the conversation. The new Strategic Plan is organized according to Priorities, Principles, Processes, and finally, Commitments, which is crucial to its success. “The plan includes a list of commitments to be fulfilled by each of our stakeholder groups,” explained Dr. White. “This is where we hold ourselves and each other accountable for playing an active role in student academic achievement.” In preparation for the Telephone Town Hall, parents are asked to make sure their phone numbers on file with their schools are accurate and up to date prior to June 3.