In 2018, the Worcester Public Schools adopted a strategic plan, the first in 25 years. As we come to the close of the five-year term of that plan and lay the foundation for the development and adoption of a new guiding document, it is important to consider progress made to date, areas where we have stalled, and lessons learned.
Worcester’s plan was unique in that it was developed through a process involving both the district and the community. The plan set ambitious goals in five areas: Creating a Culture of Innovation, Academic Excellence, Welcoming Schools, Investing in Educators, and Technology and Operations. Accountability to the outcomes articulated in the plan were to be monitored by a set of accompanying benchmarks to measure success.
And then came the pandemic.
