Community Conversation 2020
Chippewa Falls Senior High School
February 1, 2020
Community Conversation 2014 – On February 6th, 7th and 8th in 2014 over 140 community members, parents, business leaders and school district staff gathered to give input on the vision for the future of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District.
It’s Time Again!
Six years passed, and it was time to update the district Strategic Plan. Once again, the Board of Education and District Administration invited community members in for a conversation to gather input about our community’s vision for its school district.
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The Community Conversation was designed by the community, not just for the community. Design Team members worked from October through January to plan the events of the day. Design Team members we specifically selected to represent a cross-section of our community: 2020 Community Conversation Design Team Linda May Civic Organizations Michelle Farrow Business Community and Economic Development Aaron Sturgis Faith Community Amanda Spitz Business Community, Health Care Community, Parent Angela Eckman Post-Secondary Community Matt Kelm Emergency Services, Parent John Dienger Student Tim Easker Human Services Sherry Fosvik Alumni, Support Staff Member, Former District Parent Colleen Kunsman Teacher, Parent Tim Fries Business Community, Parent Dave Czech Alumni, Business Community, Former District Parent -
Approximately 135 participants pre-registered for the event. Between those who were not able to attend and those who registered on the day of, approximately 125 people participated.
Participants self-reported their association with various stakeholder groups during the registration process. They could select all that they felt they represented. The breakdown of registrants, per their self-reported stakeholder groups identified on their registration forms, were as follows:
Students 8% Parents 32% Emergency Services 5% Post-Secondary 5% Business Community Members 24% Staff Members 22% Faith Community Members 15% Human Services 6% Health Care 7% Economic Development 4% Service or Civic Organization 18% Alumni 17% Other 16% -
In addition to our Board members, additional public officials participated:- Police Chief Matt Kelm
- County Administrator Randy Scholz
- Mayor Greg Hoffman
- County Board and City Council Member Chuck Hull
- State Senator Kathy Bernier
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Student opportunities and productions were featured throughout the event. Participants were welcomed to the school by the pep band. WEB Leaders ushered them to their tables. The centerpieces on the tables were made by the Art Club. The thank you coffee mug was filled with Hersey kisses by members of our Cardinal Transition Academy. While participants were filtering in and waiting to begin, they were able to visit tables of student participants showcasing their work in organizations like Health Occupation Students of America, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, and Distributive Education Clubs of America. A string quartet played in the background. Participants knew it was time for the event to kick off when they heard the drum line coming down the hallway. The pep band led the group in the playing of the school song. After they departed, the string quartet switched to “Pomp and Circumstance” while 11 members of the Class of 2030 (second-graders) were ushered in. The students led the group in the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Then, as is customary, a representative of the group, read the district Mega Result.
During the event, even more student work was showcased as the 2014 outcomes were reported by members of our senior class in a student-created video. The final message of the day was a student thank you video featuring students at Stillson Elementary School.
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Participants engaged in a facilitated collaborative process that included a look back on our world, our community, education, and technology since the 1970's. This process was augmented with a video created by Scott Strecker. The District then rolled out the outcomes of our 2014 Community Conversation. Next, participants discussed the issues and trends community members see facing education (and youth) today. Finally, participants worked through an activity in which each group of participants articulated their ideal vision of what our school district would look like in 2030. From those group articulations, participants tracked common themes they heard. After all themes were reported out to the group, the group voted on what they thought were the most important priorities for the district moving forward. -
Theme Participant Counts Create individualized learning opportunities for students 68 Provide resources, referrals, and supports for mental health well-being for students and staff 59 Foster and expand community relationships to extend learning in all areas 58 Expand the school campus - Upgrading and adding facilities
- Using community facilities
56 Build a system where the value of education is respected and funded appropriately 41 Focus on student-owned career planning and workforce readiness 38 Develop programs to address substance abuse prevention and intervention 37 Create a nurturing and safe environment 37 Establish a positive culture that includes valuing and teaching relationships 36 Provide a framework for accountability and expectations for success for both students and staff 29 Value and teach social / emotional skills 27 Provide teacher training that assists teachers in having a laser focus on learning 18 Improve student achievement 17 Create a positive relationship with technology 12 Ensure and encourage opportunities for co-curricular activities and sports in all grade levels 10 Expand mentoring opportunities in schools, including peer-to-peer mentoring 8 Encourage alumni to stay in, return to, or become actively involved the community 5 Increase graduation rates 4 -
The themes will be used to inform develop the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan. The timeline for plan implementation is July 2020.