Strategic Planning Work Reevaluated
The most recent work of the Strategic Planning Committee, co-chaired by Assistant Principal Karen Lassey and Biology Instructor Anne Rankin, has yielded the “Strategic Directions for Exeter.” Released to the faculty on April 5, the document reiterates “a commitment to the kind of exploration and experimentation that will allow [the school] to grow and improve.” During the faculty meeting on April 9, faculty reviewed the direction’s specific goals.
"The draft included that there is a gap in that 'students and adults do not all feel included the community.'"
The Strategic Directions draft outlines five overall directions for the school to build upon: student health and well-being, financial inclusion, equity and inclusion, environmental stewardship and a teaching and learning center.
The directions identify community concerns, including “data and anecdotal evidence [that] show that high-achieving students are feeling increased and unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety and need proper supports for their health and well-being.”
In the section regarding financial inclusion, the Strategic Directions notes, “Students on aid do not have a comparable experience to students not on aid.”
The draft included that there is a gap in that “students and adults do not all feel included the community.” Lassey said that work targeting this issue began before the document was completed. “A lot of what we’ve done this year has been focused on this priority,” she said. “We have responded to a lot of the requests from ALES at the end of last year.”
However, lower Genesis Baez, a member of ALES, disagreed. “We haven’t seen any changes, whereas [the administrators] haven’t answered any of our questions about the proposal,” she said. As an example, she added that the proposal requested more faculty of color and said, “We haven’t seen a change in that, so we’re just waiting.”
Rankin noted that this goal would not be assigned to a specific committee until the new Director of Equity and Inclusion was hired. “We want to make sure that that person is involved right from the moment that committee receives a charge,” she said. She emphasized that this decision was “about trying to empower the person we’re bringing into the committee, not about a lower priority.”
She added that, in the meantime, “this area has not been ignored while waiting for the hire and charge to a committee.”
The committee had a similar approach to the environmental stewardship goal. Rankin said that the goal would be more focused on changing community standards. “There’s a rare opportunity in a residential school to live in 24/7 community. Could we use that experience to educate students about climate change?” she said.
Though not currently involved with strategic planning, student clubs could also have a significant impact in offering solutions. Co-head of Divest Exeter and upper Sophie Faliero said that her club remains adamant in its effort to make divestment a part of Exeter’s mission for sustainability.
Divest Exeter adviser and Biology Instructor Eben Bein noted that students should be involved in the Strategic Planning process. “There were no student voices. We’re making a strategic plan for a high school in which no high schoolers have given feedback,” he said. “If the institution is to be non sibi, it needs to think about who it is serving and actively serve them.”
Because many of the goals outlined in the plan are long-term, it is unclear that any small but concrete actions are being taken that would also improve the community. Bein sees many potential actions that would not require anything “hugely radical.” For instance, he mentioned a national movement in schools to implement Meatless Mondays, which would entail eliminating meat from both dining halls one day a week.
The faculty discussed the five topics at the meeting on Monday by examining posters detailing each idea. Faculty wrote feedback on sticky notes and attached them to each poster. The notes were then sent to committee members to be reviewed and addressed. The final edition of the Strategic Plan will utilize the ideas generated by the faculty and staff.
Rankin said that in developing the draft, the grassroots approach was prioritized over efficiency. “We could probably do this really fast if we had a top-down approach, if the administration just said this is what we’re going to do,” she said. “The process is by definition of who we are going to take a lot longer because we’re trying to build community around the process.”
English Instructor Tyler Caldwell found the poster presentation of the five missions effective, since faculty “do not have time and space for everyone to share their thoughts or ideas regarding Strategic Planning in the traditional format for faculty meeting.” He added that he thought faculty would “emerge from this process with a greater understanding of the vision…and we can all feel involved and invested in the process.”
The Strategic Planning Committee will continue with its original initiatives despite MacFarlane’s departure. “The process is absolutely not starting over with a new principal,” Rankin said. She noted that the transition between Principal Hassan and MacFarlane was different than the current one since “we weren’t really as far along.”
A candidate’s opinions on the strategic planning may affect the appointment of the 16th principal, and the committee would like to see the new head of school bring the plan to life. “We’ll show the document we’re generating to applicants to ask, ‘What would you be excited about this plan?’” Rankin said. She said that they would like the next principal to “see this plan and help bring it to life.”
Biology Instructor Erik Janicki hoped that “after the document has reached a final draft and the problems have been identified and prioritized, that we seek lots of different solutions.” Janicki emphasized the importance of being more experimental. He said, “We don’t just try one way of resolving a problem.”