Just Remember That It Is An Investment

Provide an example of a successful (or unsuccessful) implementation due to strong (or weak) executive and stakeholder involvement. What occurred?

Our district is moving in the right direction in terms of planning for desired future state and making decisions.  The Blueprint document has helped that a great deal, and is operating as the district architecture for now.  One item that is particularly looking to be well-planned is VUSD's move toward personalized learning paths.  Blueprint author Matthew Doyle is leading the way with this, and his communication has been early and often.  The district has chosen several "Challenge Schools" that will pilot some products and processes for taking us into the world of personalized learning.  So instead of just purchasing a product and rolling it out, there will be a period of research and experimentation, along with discussion and feedback among the various projects in the Challenge Schools and district leadership.  Support and training are being provided, and corporate partners are involved as well.  So far it is feeling like a team effort, involving schools, very different from each other in terms of program design and approach, and these schools serve students representing the wide spectrum of demographics.  I have a good feeling about this process, as it is well-designed, patient, has an eye on the future, and solid communication is part of it.  Stay tuned  :)

The way I see it, large and important decisions do require patience, forethought, and communication.  After all, it is an INVESTMENT in the organization to set the stage to make large decisions that affect an organization and its many stakeholders.

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