The reason to determine your Core Values is to then determine your Purpose, the first P. What is the One Thing that your school is known for. What do your Core Values allow you to focus on, be proud of, and be known for. What is the simple but profound message you can tell all your stakeholders you abide by. You now have the foundation for making all decisions. In my first post I asked about Crane vs. Covey, or Computation vs. Calculus.
Schools are complex, varied, and cater to many different students and community members. But through all of that, what is the underlying foundation for EACH student? Their Core Values may be different than yours, but you are essentially giving a guarantee to each student that by the time their schooling is done with you, you will have provided them with the opportunity to become _____ (fill in the blank).
This becomes your Mission. Your Core Values help you determine your Purpose, and your Purpose is your Mission. Your mission should be simple, straightforward, easily understood by students and parents, and something on which you can take action, set goals, and measure progress.
The Mission of my current district is Inspire. Empower. Nurture. - Simple and straightforward, easy to remember. But is that measurable? Are our goals aligned with these words? How do our evaluation instruments intersect with these.
My building mission is "For Each Student" - that is something we have helped define. That each student has a sense of belonging, believes their is a caring adult in the building, and believes the work they are doing has value. We regularly survey students, and follow up with those who do not feel connected both by demographic and individually.
So what is your simple, actionable Purpose?
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