Strategic Plan

Updating the WPS Strategic Plan

Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, the Wellesley Public Schools is working to update its district-wide strategic plan. WPS began this effort in 2019, but was significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A new Strategic Plan Steering Committee was formed in the Fall of 2022 to develop an updated five-year plan for the Wellesley Public Schools that will begin with the 2023-24 school year. The Steering Committee’s proposal is expected to go to the School Committee for approval before the end of the school year.

Profile of a Graduate

The district has long planned to incorporate its “Profile of a Graduate” (POG) into the updated strategic plan. The POG was developed in 2017-18 with considerable input from throughout the WPS community. The competencies outlined in the POG, along with the Wellesley Public Schools core values, will be foundational to any long-term strategic vision for the district.

Process

Incorporating feedback from a variety of voices is essential to charting the district’s course for the future. To that end, the steering committee has hosted a series of focus groups with parents, staff, and students, with additional groups featuring community members and college admissions officers.

The focus groups have been asked for input on a set of topics, including the Profile of a Graduate, the concepts of student agency and educational equity, and the ways in which success at WPS should be measured. The groups have been asked to think about the most important skills our students will need when they graduate. They have been encouraged to suggest changes to WPS or new investments that they would like to see.

Feedback from these groups is being incorporated into a districtwide survey that is planned for January 2023. The survey will inform the proposed plan, which must be approved by the School Committee. Ultimately, as with the 2013-19 strategic plan, the community will receive a full report on the updated vision for the district.

Profile of a Graduate

• WPS Profile of a Graduate 2022-23 (Accessible)

Presentations to the School Committee

• March 21, 2023 Strategic Planning Update
• December 20, 2022 Strategic Planning Update

WPS Strategic Plan Steering Committee

Fall 2022

Central Office: David Lussier, Superintendent of Schools; Sandra Trach, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning; Cynthia Mahr, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations; Jorge Allen, Director of English Language Learners and Interim Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Megan Bounit, Director of Educational Technology; Hannah Tolla, Director of Curriculum, Assessment, & Accountability; Sharon Gray, Coordinator for Community Engagement

Building Leadership: Jamie Chisum, WHS Principal; Mark Ito, WMS Principal; Grant Smith, Hardy School Principal; Becca Zieminski, Early Childhood Director

Faculty: Heather Heon, Elementary Math Specialist; Adam Blumer, WMS Social Studies Department Head; Dana Plunkett, WHS School Counseling Department Head; Kyle Gekopi, WHS Teacher and Wellesley Educators Association President

School Committee: Leda Eizenberg, Chair; Linda Chow, Vice Chair

Parent Representatives: Shana Cashman (Elementary), Amy Hernandez (WMS), Meridith Edmonds (WHS)

Student Representative: Siena Cohen, WHS senior