Guests were asked to split into groups to discuss future impacts, both internally and externally WCS could face in the future.
(Photo by Alyssa Richardson)
Community leaders, business leaders and Warsaw Community School administration, staff and even students met Wednesday at the Russell Center in Winona Lake to review the school corporation strategic plan and progress as well as to discuss the future of WCS and its leadership.
The event, which ran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. was lead by Steve Barone, founder, associate and former CEO of Transformation Systems. Barone said he has worked with WCS since 2009 on achieving and monitoring the progress of the school corporation through the creation of WCS’s strategic plan.
“Years ago my company assisted this community in developing this strategic plan and we support them, usually once a year, by conducting a meeting with folks who are responsible for its implementation to help them stay on point,” explained Barone. “They (WCS) are holding themselves to a much higher standard than other districts that I know of, I’m not saying there aren’t other districts I just don’t know them all.”
Guests listen as Steve Barone discusses the growth WCS has made over the past few years and the growth necessary to reach the school corporation’s goal.
(Photo by Alyssa Richardson)
During the discussion attendees were invited to reflect on the implementation of WCS’s strategies. Guests were also able to share reports on the progress made by the school, which Barone noted was both amazing and emotional to witness. Of particular note to Barone was the school corporation’s focus on the dreams of its students.
“WCS is having kids not only do their academic studies, but declare what they want to do with their lives … what matters to them …” Barone explained. “The school corporation is assisting them in declaring goals and achieving them. This district is working with kids in being able to say out loud what they want to achieve that matters to them in addition to the curriculum.”
In addition to WCS’s focus on student’s dreams, Barone also noted the many strides the school corporation has made with technology, “The use of technology in this district is just accelerating, and not just adding stuff. A lot of districts buy stuff, when asked about their technology they simply state how many computers they use. There is training and development of curriculum involving families so that the tools will become tools not toys — tools for toys. And those are just some of the examples.”
Barone also encouraged attendees to look into the future and identify both internal and external changes and factors that could both positively and negative effect the school corporation. Guests were split into four brainstorming groups and were ask to consider political, financial and technological changes in addition to local and internal school changes.
“When guests leave this meeting, there will be a mood of ambition and a sense of progress but not achievement, we still have a long way to go,” explained Barone. “There is a real sense of confidence that the transition from Dr. Hintz to David Hoffert is the right thing. To implement this plan it is going to have to straddle two leaderships. David is as committed to this journey as Craig was the first time I met him, and that is critical. When a leader becomes a leader who does away with an agenda everybody else in the organization gives up, when the agenda remains the same, people believe in it.
“I think they are going to leave proud of the progress that is being made, confident of the progress to be made but not satisfied yet,” stated Barone. “One thing I like about this town is it is never good enough. Whatever is good enough for today is not good enough for tomorrow.”
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