Thank you for your understanding and patience as we progress with
the Design Team process for your school. I would like to take
this opportunity to provide more information and clarity on
Design Teams in hopes of clearing up any misconceptions.
The Design Team process is an opportunity for representatives of
teachers, parents, students, staff and community to meet, review
data, conduct research, engage in discussions and think
creatively about ideas that would make your campus an even better
school in the future. The data gathered by the Design Team will
assist the Board of Education with making an informed decision.
Although each Design Team tends to follow its own path at the
direction of its members, in general, Design Teams:
Establish a vision for a school
Brainstorm possibilities
Create a detailed prototype
Share results with the school community at large
Revise or update plan based on feedback
Ideally, the Design Team will work as efficiently as possible,
keeping in mind the school community’s urgent desire to know the
results of this focused attention. However, I would like to
emphasize that there is no specific timetable for the Design Team
to complete the work. We must allow these thoughtful and thorough
conversations to unfold without the pressure of a schedule.
Also, I would like to stress that there is no pre-planned outcome
for this work. The final recommendation could be significant
changes for your school or no changes or, potentially, something
in between. It is the Team’s recommendation to make.
To keep you updated and informed, we are asking the Design Team
to post its meeting minutes on the district website
(www.scusd.edu). You can also request a paper copy in the school
office. An important part of the process is reporting results to
the community and receiving feedback.
If you would like more information about your school’s Design
Team, please contact your principal. I hope this letter has
provided some insight and perhaps answered some questions.
