×

Goals galore

Marshalltown School Board, superintendent objectives discussed for upcoming school year

Niblock

Narrowing down goals can be a lot of work for anyone, and especially for a school board and superintendent of a large school district.

That’s what the Marshalltown School Board and Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte sat down to accomplish Monday evening and a board work session, and each walked away with a list of three general goals for the 2017-18 school year.

“Obviously, student achievement is our number one,” said Board President Bea Niblock. The goal of increasing student achievement was one of both the board’s and Schutte’s listed goals, though each will be responsible for developing different aspects of that goal according to their role in the district.

Niblock outlined the other two goals set for the board at Monday’s meeting.

“The board is working on preparing for the wage structure, handbooks, negotiations, collective bargaining … and everything that the collective bargaining laws will force us to change,” she said, adding future law changes must be adapted to as they are implemented.

Board self-awareness was another goal to come out of the meeting.

“The board’s third goal is for self-improvement, our own staff development,” Niblock said.

The staff development part of the goal is to include things like books studies, self assessments and welcoming and supporting new board members.

The board’s set of three goals was narrowed down from a larger set of general goals after detailed discussion. One item brought up as a possibility, communication, was designated to the superintendent’s list of goals.

Another possible written goal for the board was of fiduciary responsibility, but that was decided to be a regular board responsibility and not something that needed to be specifically put on the 2017-18 goal list.

Other than student achievement, Schutte’s goals will include the completion and implementation of the district’s strategic plan. The goal also involves communicating the plan clearly to the public and within the district.

The remaining goal on Schutte’s list was the development of a communication and marketing plan.

“Communication and marketing is under there [the strategic plan] too, but I also have it as a (superintendent) goal,” said Board Vice President Janelle Carter of the communication and marketing goal.

She said it was important that the item be given its own spot on Schutte’s list of goals. Niblock agreed.

“It’s something that we want to be sure gets accomplished this year,” she said.

More information is expected on these goals as the current fiscal year goes on and as the general goals are fully developed.

“Janelle (Carter) and I will sit down with Dr. Schutte and word them and develop the areas of focus under each one of those general topics,” Niblock said.

——–

Contact Adam Sodders at (641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today