Mission+statement+discussion

Post your reflections about this vision statement activity, including what you have learned. Consider:


 * //The differences you see between the education and business mission statements.//
 * //What you have learned about the development of a mission statement and how this type of statement would support a school vision.//
 * //How you would evaluate your own school’s statement based on the criteria your team identified.//

The mission statement of an organization should be developed following the same process used to develop the vision. It should be a collaborative effort of all stakeholders, encompass the values of the school community, and specify the areas that will be addressed to achieve the vision. The mission should give details about the organization's purpose (reason for existing).

My school's vision statement gives the reason our school exists; it's purposeful and reflects the vision. However, it only focuses on one group of the school population (students) whereas the vision reflects the entire school community. In order to get by in, the mission needs to specify a purpose/goal for all stakeholders.

My School Mission: //To accelerate TJ's student progress through effective implementation of the Master Plan, focusing on quality instruction, managing systems efficiently, and sustaining a culture of excellence.//

//~ Fawn//

While the education and business mission statements are both reflective of creating a quality product, I noticed that the schools’ mission statements are framed much more frequently for success in a global or world-wide environment/economy. It seems that education is becoming more and more internationally-minded every year. I also noticed that the stakeholders are quite different; the schools focus mainly on teaching and learning of teachers and students, while the business focus primarily on the consumer. It seems that businesses are certainly customer-first, but may be doing a disservice to their employees by overlooking them in the mission statement. I have learned that the development of a mission statement is a vital part of the school’s success and day-to-day operations. When creating the statement, all primary stakeholders should be involved, important data should be reviewed, the vision should be reflected, and SMART goals should be developed out of the mission statement. It supports the school and school leader’s visions by sharing goals with the school community and keeping the day-to-day operations focused continually on meeting the school vision. Here is my school’s statement of philosophy, as we do not currently have a concise mission statement:


 * || The founders of Cottonwood Classical not only feel that all children can learn but that they should be afforded the kind of high quality education found in private schools at no cost. With a small pupil-teacher ratio of fifteen to one, Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School students of all abilities will not only meet and exceed state standards but will also grow as young adults into productive citizens in the working world. Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School will embrace a variety of methods, curricula, and delivery models to meet the diverse educational needs of all students.

Because the Paideia method is a conversation-based program, it allows the curriculum to be both challenging for the gifted student and therapeutic for the at-risk student. Through Socratic Seminar, students of all abilities and backgrounds will participate in oral discourse, learning over the course of their middle and high school careers essential skills such as reading comprehension, social interaction, teamwork, and critical thinking. The classic texts used will cover ideas and issues of enduring importance allowing students to find for themselves their values and voice.

Cottonwood Classical is devoted to developing highly skilled learners who, through a broad knowledge base, can analyze, synthesize and evaluate new information. Graduates will be prepared to enter and thrive at the world’s finest colleges and universities and will be prepared for a fluid and dynamic 21st century workforce where cultural differences are studied, respected, and valued. They will demonstrate social responsibility and integrity through active community involvement and service learning opportunities. They will be able to communicate with diverse audiences through reading, speaking, writing, and listening. In essence, Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School students will learn "how to learn," thus enabling them to transfer any skills or knowledge into a post-secondary setting and ultimately the global marketplace. ||

all school stakeholders. || -is somewhat clear, vague, and difficult to understand || - is not clear, concise and understandable  ||  **0 ** - The mission statement is not clear, nor concise. It has a lot of great information, but its wordiness dilutes clarity and eradicates conciseness. || teachers, students, parents, community || -identifies some school stakeholders  || -does not identify school stakeholders  ||  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – The mission statement identifies all stakeholders and details their interactions. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-reflects beliefs and values but in a general manner || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-does not reflect the beliefs and values of the school and community  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – The mission statement absolutely reflects the beliefs and values of the school and community and gives a lot of guidance (perhaps more than necessary) for daily behavior and decisions, down to the instructional methodology. ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Criteria || <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fff500; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Proficient (2) **  || <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fff500; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Developing (1) **  || <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fff500; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Insufficient (0) **  || <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: #fff500; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Points Earned **  ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">1. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-is clear, concise, and understandable by
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">2. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-identifies all school stakeholders:
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">3. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-clearly reflects the needs of the entire school community, is attainable and measureable.  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-reflects some needs of the community, some parts are attainable and measureable.  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-does not reflect needs and is not attainable and measureable.  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">1 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – While there are a lot of measurable outputs listed within the mission statement, and the needs of the community are represented well, the entire mission statement is not measurable, and its statements are not concise enough (as written) to assess attainability.   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">4. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-is motivating, memorable, and inspirational to all school stakeholders and others.  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-is somewhat motivating, memorable, and inspirational  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">- //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is not motivating, memorable, and inspirational   || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2 **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - The mission statement is memorable and inspirational in that it calls for a different type of education, one that will truly benefit students, teachers, and the community at large. It demonstrates a desire for academic rigor and social responsibility on the part of all stakeholders.   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">5. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-reflects the beliefs and values of the school and community in a manner that gives direction and guidance for daily behavior and decisions.
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> |||||| <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Total ** || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">__7__ points **  ||

- John Binnert

= = = = =__ Somerset Public Schools /Walmart __=

Question #1 - The differences you see between the education and business mission statements.

The obvious differences between Somerset's and Walmart statement include the following:
 * Walmart main focus is making a profit and Somerset focus is for society's greater good.
 * Walmart's mission is concise and short. ( due to name recognition)
 * Somerset's statement is multifaceted as compared to Walmart has a single purpose.

Question #2 What you have learned about the development of a mission statement and how this type of statement would support a school vision. I have learned that a mission statement is essential to support a overall vision. It acts as a road map that could influence decision making such as:
 * School Budgets.
 * Cyber Policies
 * Drug and Alcohol Policies
 * Professional Development
 * Evaluating academic progress

The question should be asked: Do many teachers know their vision/mission statement? If so to they reflect on its importance or direction?

Question#3 How you would evaluate your own school’s statement based on the criteria your team identified?

Vernon Twp School's Mission Statement:

The overall mission of the Vernon Township Public Schools is the attainment of learning for all students. That mission is and will continue to be accomplished:


 * by a supportive, professional and highly skilled staff;
 * in a student-centered environment that encourages building students' self-esteem;
 * by providing a strong academic, remedial and enrichment program as well as a variety of experiences and activities beyond the classroom;
 * through the development of students' citizenship, responsibility and independence and respect for achieving their academic potential.

all school stakeholders. || -is somewhat clear, vague, and difficult to understand || - is not clear, concise and understandable || 2 || teachers, students, parents, community || -identifies some school stakeholders || -does not identify school stakeholders || 1-missing language on addressing the community aspect/global ||
 * Criteria || Proficient (2) || Developing (1) || Insufficient (0) || Points Earned ||
 * 1. || -is clear, concise, and understandable by
 * 2. || -identifies all school stakeholders:
 * 3. || -clearly reflects the needs of the entire school community, is attainable and measureable. || -reflects some needs of the community, some parts are attainable and measureable. || -does not reflect needs and is not attainable and measureable. || 1- mission statement is hard to quantify n . ||
 * 4. || -is motivating, memorable, and inspirational to all school stakeholders and others. || -is somewhat motivating, memorable, and inspirational || -is not motivating, memorable, and inspirational || 1-motivation language should be revisited ||
 * 5. || -reflects the beliefs and values of the school and community in a manner that gives direction and guidance for daily behavior and decisions. || -reflects beliefs and values but in a general manner || -does not reflect the beliefs and values of the school and community || 1- our mission statement is once again vague on the shared values of the community. ||
 * |||||| Total 6 out of 10 ||

**Jon Bruno**
The immediate difference that I see with education and business mission statements is, generally speaking, the business statements seem to be more specific. It made me realize that the school's role is so broad and we are tasked with doing so much, it's very hard to boil it down to a statement that can be specific enough without sounding flowery or over reaching. It's really quite frustrating when you think of how much school's are tasked with doing that they are not funded in a way that reflects their value. I believe it is important for schools to develop a mission statement that exclaims their purpose. The purpose of schools is to help all students learn, but how a school expresses that idea gives an impression of what they value. They can then develop a vision of what they want to see their school become. I’ve come to understand the importance of the shared vision in a school. How can we have the school we want if we don’t articulate what that is exactly? Once it is articulated it becomes easier to begin to align actions to move in that direction. Our school mission statement was created a couple of years ago, when our school first became a magnet school. Judging with our rubric, I see that it doesn’t mention staff or teachers specifically but I think it implies we are a learning community. It is reflective of our needs in that our magnet focus: arts, technology, and wellness (yes all three!) were chosen due to student needs. It is somewhat measurable and I believe attainable. It reflects beliefs and values that could give direction and guidance, however, it has never been utilized for that. We fall into the category of writing a mission not living a mission. As part of my internship, I will be facilitating a revisiting of our mission statement and developing a vision statement that will hopefully help us begin to live our mission. The Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School is a collaborative learning community that promotes high achievement by integrating the arts and technology throughout the curriculum. CKMS supports the health and wellness of the whole child, facilitates family involvement, and strengthens community partnerships. Karen Bryer

This assignment provided me with insights into the development of mission statements. I was glad to have the opportunity to evaluate mission statements from education and business. When evaluating the statements of business and education I did see a difference in the quality of the statements. The business mission statements tend to be clear and concise. They encompassed all the elements that a good mission statement should have. Business statements also included the stakeholders and they were realistic. Looking at the education mission statements I found them to be broad and in some cases did not meet all the criteria that is required for mission statements. For instance a school statement may include some stakeholders versus all of the stakeholders. Also, I found school mission statements were not specific enough to meet the needs of the school.

During this assignment, I was able to see how important a mission statement is to an organization. It is clear that if a mission statement is written correctly it can benefit an organization. Another main point I learned is the importance of having everyone understand the mission statement and to implement and "buy into it". Also, I have a better understanding of how the mission statement supports the mission statement.

Based on the criteria we set for mission statements, I see areas in which my school's mission statement needs to be improved. We need to include more stakeholders, make it more concise and more attainable based on the demographic of the students we service. I feel as if we have an okay statement now but using the rubric the team set out will help us to enhance our mission.

Kenneth Caesar