歪歪漫画

鈥淏egin with the end in mind鈥� 鈥� Stephen Covey. This is a quote that I often reflect on when I am considering a directional shift.

A critical mistake that organizations make is to approach change in a haphazard way. We let the enthusiasm of a fresh start cloud our vision instead of thinking about what is really desired in the end. We exchange deliberate progress toward a goal for the fleeting excitement of quickly doing something new.

I would advocate that change for change鈥檚 sake only leads to confusion and frustration. When we consider how to move an organization forward, we need to start first with the type of organization we desire to become. It is imperative that we capture a detailed vision of what that future organization looks like.

We need to write this down, think about it, and in our mind's eye cement our vision for the future. We need to ask what we want in the end before we can start designing a strategy for the future. The desired destination must be established prior to beginning the journey. Organizational change should be a result of strategic action steps to achieve our vision for the future.

As a community, we have asked you to help with this vision of where we are going by attending listening sessions and by completing the surveys that were sent out earlier this year. We are now in the process of formulating what our future looks like based on this community, staff and student feedback.

Over the course of this summer and once we have firmly established where we are going, we will begin to design strategies for how to make this vision a reality. This will take some time as it is very important that our strategies are strong enough to lead to the outcomes we desire.

Once we have developed these strategies, our next step will be a systematic implementation of these strategies over time. Aspirational statements without well-implemented strategies do not produce results. Poorly thought out and implemented strategies may be flashier; however, I would argue not very effective.

Consistent implementation of well-thought-out strategies takes time. We will reject the trends and bandwagons in favor of a consistent process that involves vision, implementation, reevaluation and course corrections over time to achieve our desired end result.

Thank you for your involvement in our strategic planning process: We had several community members, parents, staff and students take part in our strategic planning surveys and listening sessions. Thank you for your input as this is helpful information to take into consideration as we work throughout this summer to put together the Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s Strategic Plan.

This plan will serve as a roadmap for our schools over the course of the next five years. As a district, we want to be responsive to the needs of our community. We are listening and appreciate your input in this important process.

Cancellation of activities and programs on June 19: At the conclusion of the legislative session this year, Juneteenth was passed into law as a state holiday effective immediately. Juneteenth is on June 19 and per this new legislation, prohibits schools from holding programs, activities or meetings.

This came as a surprise to many districts because the original legislation had Juneteenth as being delayed for one year so that districts could prepare for these impacts and schedule accordingly. When this legislation was passed into law, it was changed from a delayed implementation to an immediate implementation which resulted in the district having to immediately change summer scheduling.

This is an exciting time to be a part of Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s. I am proud of the staff, students and community that make up our district. If you have any questions or would like to visit with me about Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s, please feel free to reach out.

Jeremy Olson is the superintendent of Bemidji Area 歪歪漫画s. He can be reached at (218) 407-9645 or dr_jeremy_olson@isd31.net.