It has been my pleasure to embark upon this 90-day journey as the new superintendent to learn more about Portage Public Schools and the Portage community.
Even though I held the assistant superintendent position in the school district the past four years, I did not want to take for granted that simply because I knew our people and practices, that I knew everything about the school district and community. Therefore, I approached the 90-Day Entry Plan as both an insider and outsider. This allowed me to ask questions without making assumptions and to re-introduce myself to our school community in my new role of superintendent.
The 90 days went by quite quickly. Coming into the role as superintendent, I was often asked, “What is your vision for the school district?” My response is I want to learn more, build upon our successes, and address our gaps. All of this work is attributed to a growth mindset.
After dozens of meetings and hundreds of pages of notes, I want to share a high-level overview of my experience. As a high level overview, this is not a forensic audit that includes everything I heard from all stakeholders.
In the report, you will find themes, including words and phrases I heard from our staff, students, families and community, that encompass the parts of PPS that make us proud and the areas where we can improve together. These themes helped guide me in laying out the next steps for our district.
The report will give you a glimpse into what I gathered while listening and learning, the relationships I cultivated to share and build as a district and some of the action steps I plan to take to help move us into our future – for every student.