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Pope John Launches Strategic Planning Program
As part of the school’s renewed commitment to excellence, Pope John XXIII High School is engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning process. Dr. William Fitzgerald, Headmaster, in collaboration with the administration and Board of Trustees, is looking to build on the school’s tradition of excellence by creatively identifying new missions and new ways to make the forty-year old school uniquely relevant to today’s students and the surrounding neighborhoods. "We will be strong, vital and vibrant for many years to come," Fitzgerald said, "and we will focus on returning to our communities’ young motivated and morally responsible leaders. We will do what matters to get things right."
Fitzgerald has put together a Strategic Planning Committee to coordinate the planning process. The committee includes administration, the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, and community and business professionals. The plan’s scope is comprehensive and will address mission, governance, enrollment, educational programs, staffing, advancement/development, facilities, and finances. The plan will go beyond "business as usual." While it will be rooted in the mission and traditions of Pope John XXIII, it intends to make the school an exemplary model of contemporary Catholic preparatory education.
In talking about the process, Dr. Fitzgerald wants it to be clear what this process is and is not about, "First it is very important to note that this process is not a problem-solving effort for current school issues. What it is about is developing a plan that will address the "big picture," long-term goals and the necessary resources so that it will stand as a catalyst for positive change in all areas of school life, for the next five years and beyond."
Because of the importance of this undertaking, school officials felt it was essential to avail themselves of the best resources available and selected Meitler Consultants, a nationally known Catholic school consulting firm located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to coordinate the diverse community discussions essential to such a broad analysis. Meitler Consultants have already begun the process of data collection and analysis. Several meetings have already taken place with the school leadership to learn of their experience and vision. This included meetings with the Headmaster, the Academic Principal, the Dean of Students, the Director of Finance and Facilities, the Admissions Director, and the Director of Institutional Advancement.
The next step is a series of planned focus groups with faculty and staff, Campus Ministry, Library & Media staff, Guidance and Counseling, Academic and Faculty Councils, as well as parents, alumni, local elementary school principals, students, trustees, and local community leaders.
When the data, histories, perceptions, and visions about Pope John XXIII High School has been gathered, analyzed, and processed, Meitler Consultants will work with the Strategic Planning Committee to structure an executable, well-resourced, and well delineated plan for the school to follow into the future. The planning process will be completed in July of this year.
"This is about the future," Fitzgerald said, "We, our students especially, live in a world that is coming at them from the future. We will have our graduates ready to meet that world head on. I am resolute on the importance of this school to this community. We will not provide these students with anything but excellence and we will not return to the communities that support us, anything but excellence. Small schools are the most dynamic learning centers operating in today’s complex society. Pope John intends to be the best of the best."