The Board of Education on Wednesday got its first look at the proposed goals of Superintendent of Schools Deborah Wheeler for 2010-11.

Wheeler's goals focus on seven areas: budget and finance, communication, curriculum and educational program development, professional leadership, inter-district collaboration, policy and strategic planning.

"A goal is something to strive for, and this is the framework I'll use to do that," Wheeler said. "These are the targets I sincerely hope to reach."

The two-and-a-half pages of goals are ambitious, Wheeler said, but are a sign of her commitment to bringing improvement to the town's three schools.

"I have high standards and I intend to follow through on them," she said.

Board members Gayle Carr and Wayne Shuhi wondered if Wheeler was taking on too much. Some of the goals, they said, could be delayed while the more important ones are pursued.

"There's an awful lot here," Shuhi said.

Since the goals are in draft form, Wheeler said they could be adjusted if the board feels they need to be. Sometime during the winter, the board is expected to review the goals to determine Wheeler's progress in reaching them.

Here's a look at each of the seven goals.
Budget and finance
Wheeler's goal is to recommend and implement a fiscally sound budget supporting educational priorities. She plans to work with Business Manager Pat Buccitelli to identify efficiencies, collaborate with administrators to develop a budget proposal by the end of January, and hone the proposal with the board's finance committee.

Communication
The goal is to keep faculty, staff, students, families, town officials and the community informed on school matters. Tools Wheeler will use to do that include the school system web site, a monthly electronic newsletter to staff, weekly electronic updates to the board, the use of Constant Contact messaging, and STPC and PTO meetings. She'll also seek input from students, parents and the community, and will maintain communication with town agencies.

Curriculum and educational program development
Wheeler's most extensive goals fall in this area. To ensure a rich and viable curriculum, she plans to work with staff to use data to assess curriculum, meet curriculum development timelines, and incorporate state Department of Education core curriculum standards.

Under the instruction component of the goal, Wheeler will work to ensure that teaching methods meet the state's standards of best practice. The focus will be on identifying strategies for improving student achievement in targeted areas such as math, reading and writing, improving supplemental skills, or remediation, programs, and using professional development to enhance instruction and assessment practices.

Professional leadership
Wheeler plans to put her leadership theory of action to work in building a foundation for decision-making.

Her theory reads, "If we work collaboratively to create a shared, high-quality curriculum and develop teachers' capacity to effectively engage students in rigorous learning through the curriculum, purposeful instructional strategies and authentic assessment, then students will demonstrate increased engagement and responsibility for their own learning, and increased learning in all content areas and the 21st Century Skills."

Wheeler's leadership goals include supervision and evaluation of all staff in a timely manner, representing the school system in community and professional organizations, and negotiating fiscally responsible new contracts with the teachers' and administrators' unions.

Inter-district collaboration
Wheeler seeks to work with neighboring school districts on program development and implementation and in purchasing good and services.

Policy
Continue to review and revise policies and procedures and update staff on requirements of new and existing policies.

Strategic plan
The effort to develop a strategic long-term plan for the school system has been underway for several months. Wheeler, working on the project with staff, the board and the community, plans to have a recommended plan ready for the board by June 30, 2011.

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