When we introduced our strategic plan at the beginning of the school year, we just scratched the surface of what the plan means for the district and how we will implement it.

As we mentioned in introducing the plan, the purpose of the plan is to help Liberty set its long-term priorities and establish overarching goals to ensure our students get a well-rounded and quality education.

As with any plan, we need a solid foundation on which to build. Our plan has four pillars, and every month or so, we’ll look closer at one pillar of the plan.

Here, we will focus on the first pillar: Coherence. Our first strategic intent in the strategic plan reads: “By June 2027, create and align 100% of applicable district procedures involving the fluid movement of information and expectations throughout all buildings evidenced by annual perception data.”

What does this mean?

It means that we are working to improve our communication across the buildings and the district to get everyone on the same page on how procedures inside and outside the classroom work and to keep everyone informed.

Why is this important?

We are one district. It is important that students, faculty and staff have consistent measures on which to gauge their progress and success. A move from elementary to middle school or middle to high school shouldn’t mean a whole new set of expectations for a student, and staff members who work in multiple buildings should be able to use the same rules, methods and procedures, no matter which building they are in.

It is also important to have open and transparent exchanges of thoughts and ideas between all members of the school community, whether it be at the grade or subject matter level, building level or district wide. These collaborative actions help build a sense of belonging among our Liberty school family.

How are we doing this?

• We are aligning our goals and setting procedures to be used across the entire district.
• Our strategic plan, District Comprehensive Improvement Plan and building-level plans ensure we are measuring success with a consistent gauge.
• Using Multi-Tier Systems of Supports and Professional Learning Communities, we are regularly assessing our data to gauge where we are succeeding and where we need improvement. This allows us to actively adapt our teaching methods and strategies.
• We also use our PLCs to collectively problem solve and exchange ideas to improve our teaching methods.
• Building- and district-level meetings are also held regularly. We will continue to seek input through community forums, focus groups and surveys for all sectors of our school community.
• We are improving our staff training and are working on making our internal meetings more productive to better share ideas.
• Professional development for all staff is important. Our Professional Development Plan serves as a guide to ensure our staff is getting the tools they need to succeed. We are also developing methods to annually review our procedure and policies with all staff.
• New personnel procedures have been implemented and we are looking at ways to help improve the onboarding of new staff and substitutes to ensure every new employee understands our policies.
• New teachers have extra support. They have mentors who they meet with at least once per week to address issues the new employees face. They also work together to set and achieve at least one SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound) goal. Professional development begins with new teacher orientation and continues with mentor/mentee specific sessions available throughout the year. We do this to provide opportunities for teacher growth, support best practices, maintain the best classroom instruction, cultivate a positive school culture and promote teacher retention.

By ensuring coherence, Liberty Central School District will be able to better lead Liberty into the future with one voice.