MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT #34
Belfast Belmont Morrill Northport Searsmont Swanville
Reaching and Teaching All Students
office of the superintendent – po box 363 – belfast me 04915
Telephone: 207 338-1960 FAX: 207 338-4597
POLICY MANUAL
THE DISTRICT’S VISION
What is the district’s vision for the future? How was it developed?
The vision of MSAD #34 is encompassed in the statement “Reach and Teach All Students.” The Board of Directors has adopted an educational philosophy which states the beliefs upon which the vision is based and the mission derived from the vision. The philosophy states that “MSAD #34 is committed to providing the means and leadership for maximizing the intellectual development of our students so that they may function with confidence, flexibility, and self-direction as responsible participating citizens of our expanding community.” This philosophy was reviewed and revised in February 1998 to ensure that its components were current and aligned with the needs of the District. The vision of reaching and teaching all students is derived from the following beliefs embraced by the District.
- The total community is responsible for the education of our youth
- An encouraging environment is supported by the partnership of the school and the family
- The learner is the focus of all educational programs
- The heart of the school is the relationship between the student and teacher, all personnel and facilities exist to serve this interaction
- Learning empowers the individual within society
- Achievement of individual potential is made possible through successful learning experience
- Recognition of achievement is essential in all aspects of the school community
The development of the vision for MSAD #34 has been an ongoing process involving all of the stakeholders in the District. The vision emerged from an initiative in 1992-93 in which Critical Issues Planning Teams were formed to go into the community and reach out to all stakeholders to determine how the District was going to educate tomorrow’s citizens. These teams searched for the answers to the following questions:
- How can we teach and reach all levels and all students?
- How do we get our community to invest in education personally and financially?
- How do we use facilities and transportation to provide the best educational environment for a community of learners?
- How do we ensure more accountability from parents, students, teachers, and administrators consistent with District goals and determined student outcomes?
From those issue papers, the District has moved forward to implement the recommendations of the Planning Teams. The challenge before the District now is to continue in pursuit of the vision of reaching and teaching all students incorporating the community vision with the vision of the state as outlined in Learning Results.
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