Envision: Exploring Our Vision, Values, and Aspirations Facilitator Guidance Document Why It’s Important • Schools and districts are best positioned for Continuous Improvement when they have a shared set of values and principles that guide both their long-term vision and day-to-day operations. • Schools are complex systems that constantly undergo change. Having a set of shared values, aspirations, and principles can provide a foundation for the future. These values and aspirations can serve as a basis to align actions, energy, and resources in service of what the school is working toward. This can serve as a constant in an everchanging world. • While school team members may have had previous experience writing “Vision Statements,” teams should be prepared to go beyond selecting words that might serve this function and explore what they consider to be the important values and principles that will anchor the work ahead. In order to think about the future, team members will need to spend time considering what they see as the school’s purpose, values, and the principles for which the school stands. How the Envision Activity Fits into the Improvement Planning Process • The Envision Activity should occur at the start of the Improvement Planning process. Identifying a common set of values and aspirations provides an opportunity for the team to begin working together and understanding the perspectives of different team members. Having a common set of values and aspirations can also g
