The Port Washington Board of Education is looking to implement a series of goals for the upcoming school year that will focus on academic excellence, school climate and communication.
The board continued its discussion on its proposed goals for the 2023-2024 school year Friday morning, which they began at their Aug. 1 meeting.
The board considered a series of goals, including thriving for excellence in education, fostering a positive school environment and climate, and strengthening and advancing communication with parents, guardians and the community.
“Whatever we are proposing now doesn’t mean we’re not going to focus on other things,” Superintendent Michael Hynes said.
The first goal the district proposed is to support the continual strive for excellence for students, staff and community while fulfilling its district initiative called Portrait of a Graduate. Portrait of a Graduate is the district’s vision of the skills and characteristics students should graduate with and how the district will support that.
Within the district’s goals, Hynes proposed superintendent goals that are measurable for him to achieve and work on over the school year.
Hynes said that last year he received feedback about an imbalance between support for STEM programs vs. the humanities. He said he proposed a goal to focus on balancing the support for those two in the upcoming year.
Multiple trustees agreed that bolstering humanities will better the academic opportunities offered to students.
“We do a disservice to the humanities kids if we don’t afford them those opportunities,” Trustee Deborah Brooks said.
Board President Adam Smith said that while the district is looking to increase the services for humanities, it does not mean that STEM programs will be cut in exchange.
Hynes said that he also wants to have a superintendent goal to provide opportunities for job growth in all departments beyond just educators, including clerical positions as well.
Smith said that advancing communication with parents, guardians and the community entails improving how the district communicates with those individuals using better methodologies.
While some goals may be achieved in a single school year, Hynes said that some goals will begin this year to be continued and completed in subsequent years.
“Clearly we would like to see everything corrected in one year,” Hynes said. “In some ways, it’s borderline impossible. These are longitudinal in nature, but we want to see at least an increase.”
The Port Washington Board of Education will approve its board goals at the next meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19.
