Environmental Charter School

Foundation for a Culture of Excellence: A Clarifying Process for Moving Forward

It has been a journey. Introduction Thank you…to all of

you, past and present

Outgrowing Imagine Moving forward with

clarity and consistency

Objectives for Tonight:

Where are we now? Where do go from here?

Review the process faculty have gone through over

Connect governance and operations

Begin dialogue around stakeholder roles in moving the institution forward

ECS Moving Forward:

Why has our identity been unclear?

How We Came to Be… Our history, Our story

Multiple Forces of influence … Founding Group Founding Board Imagine Charter Teachers Parents Pittsburgh Public Schools

ECS Moving Forward:

Why has our identity been unclear?

The Results of Multiple Forces of Influence: Identity Crisis Different

interpretations of mission

Disjointed systems Important decisions

made without a clear organizational foundation

Rapid Expansion - $, people, buildings

ECS Moving Forward:

Where do we need to go?

Lack of shared direction

Lack of a common roadmap

Lack of shared language for the journey

ECS Moving Forward:

Why is this so important?

Starbucks Analogy Two Buildings - One

Culture New faces, new

structures - One Culture.

No decision lives in isolation

The Survey Results The Common Adjectives The Common Themes

How do we clarify our vision and move forward?

Adjectives

ADJECTIVES

Common Themes Emerged

ASPIRATIONS for ECS

Catalyst (agents of change)- We are

innovators in education-We are a

progressive institution

Character- We are

dedicated to making the

world a better place

Collaboration and Clarity

-We believe in reflective, respectful

communication- We want to

promote our work

Commitment- We are a dedicated

community of leaders

- We endorse an interdisciplinary

perspective

ECS Guiding

Principles Catalyst: As a charter school, we are innovators in

public education. We are a passionate and progressive group of educators who work to develop individuals into global thinkers with diverse perspectives

Character: We are dedicated to making the world a better place, socially and environmentally, for future generations. We engage students in character development through educational experiences that evaluate the impact of individual choices and that are born from collective discussion and the investigation of diverse perspectives.

Collaboration: We value collaboration with our

community and recognize the power of systems thinking. We believe that respectful, transparent, and reflective dialogue among our constituents (students, families, faculty, neighbors, and regional partners) is necessary for elevating educational experiences for all learners.

Commitment: We are a dedicated community of passionate leaders who are committed to defining ecological literacy in an educational setting. Our educational model endorses an interdisciplinary view of complex environmental systems.

ECS Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles

Instructional Pillars

Curricular Framework

Practices

Moves

Foundation for a Culture of Excellence

Next Steps: Defining our Guiding Principles for all

stakeholders Phase 1: What do we believe? Who

are we without Imagine Schools?

Phase 2: How do the ECS Guiding Principles translate into our work as a board of trustees? How do we build consistency and efficacy?

Phase 3: What framework and/or systems will support action and advocacy?

Phase 4: What resources will we need to translate our roles into action?

Guide this process over several months Revamp our monthly Administrative Report to

the board based on information that you need to do your work

Defining clear roles of how governance and operations exist and support each other

Next Steps: Short Term Expectations…Begin with the End in Mind!

Moving Forward“We are like sailors who on the open sea must reconstruct their ship but are never able to start afresh from the bottom. Where a beam is taken away a new one must at once be put there, and for this the rest of the ship is used as support. In this way, by using the old beams and driftwood, the ship can be shaped entirely anew, but only by gradual reconstruction.” – Otto Neurath