In preparation for the creation of a new 5-year strategic plan, Superintendent Designee Deborah Gist and the TPS Board are reaching out to teachers, students, parents and community members to provide feedback about opportunities for the district’s future. Today TPS released an online survey available at www.tulsaschools.org/survey, in both English and Spanish. The deadline for taking the survey is Wed., June 17, 2015.
“It is an honor to be in transition to becoming your new superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools,” said Dr. Gist. “We have a wonderful district with many strengths and examples of excellent work. At the same time, we have progress to make and opportunities for improvement. This survey is just a first step, and there will be many more chances for engagement. The TPS Board and I are committed to getting input from parents, students, family and all Tulsa residents, as well as from teachers, principals and other educators. I look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts and will share the results back with the community and the board once we have had a chance to listen.”
The survey covers a broad range of topics, including:
· Helping to define/redefine the purpose of K-12 public education in Tulsa;
· The most important skills current public school students should learn prior to graduating;
· Public perceptions about the importance of quality of K-12 public education in impacting Tulsa’s success as a community and identifying the values most important in a public school;
· Determining priorities for the district and identifying skills necessary for students to be successful in the year 2020; and
· Impressions of public schools in Tulsa and suggested improvements.
In a recent end-of-year message to TPS teachers, Dr. Gist said, “Over the past two months, it has been my pleasure to visit with teachers, principals, students and families from across the district. Tulsans have been so welcoming and have already begun to share their hopes and dreams for TPS with me. From you and your colleagues, I have begun to learn more about your passion in the classroom, your vision for our schools, and your ideas for the future. This has been a profound and personal experience. As someone who grew up in Tulsa and attended our public schools, I’ve been inspired by how teachers and leaders have embraced the challenge of serving a district and a city that is constantly changing, always putting the needs of students above all else. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead a district I call home and eager to spend more time in the coming months getting to know you, your students, your schools and your neighborhoods. Please know that you play a central role in our work, and your engagement in our planning for the future matters very much to me.”