You’re Talking, We’re Listening
By Dr. Jane Stavem, Superintendent
Community Engagement is one of the five key areas the Sioux Falls School District is focusing on as we strive for continuous improvement. In the past year, we have spent time listening to stakeholders to learn what you want most from your public schools.
We’ve made the phrase “community engagement” actionable in several ways. We hosted five Community Engagement Sessions with parents, students, and leaders to discuss their hopes and dreams for the future. We met with our Native American families, and with the help of skilled language translators, we sat down with families who speak another language, inviting in small groups of parents and students who speak Spanish, Kunama, Swahili, Nepali, and Bhutanese as their first language.
Those valuable forums revealed some common themes that will result in improvements to our programs and processes in the future. One thing that was abundantly clear from our meetings – all families value our public educational system and want their children to succeed at the very highest level.
Last month, we asked families to watch for a survey because we want to know more about what you enjoy about your school connection and what we can do to increase involvement and a sense of belonging with SFSD staff and with other families.
You responded in a BIG, BIG way and we’re so grateful that nearly 1,000 parents took the time to share their thoughts and ideas. Many of you appreciate the communication you are receiving from your school; some of you offered ideas for improvement. Some suggested grade-specific mixers to help parents get to know one another; others said it’s as simple as a friendly voice on the phone or the principal greeting students as they walk into the building each morning. All of it matters! Watch for more short surveys in the future. You can help us improve our district with just 5 to 10 minutes of your time.
In March, we introduced a new website and app to better serve our families and community. The improved tools are more user-friendly and provide all the information you need in the palm of your hand. We look forward to growing these tools as the go-to resources for school information and the stories that are happening every day throughout our District.
You have also been reaching out to us consistently on the Let’s Talk platform. In just over six (6) months, SFSD school leaders have fielded 442 questions from 387 unique users. Questions range from open enrollment processes, student/staff safety, and class registration. You tell us you are happy with our timely and thorough responses. One parent said, “Starting freshman year is stressful already, so to receive a response on the weekend and get a needed class change was excellent.” Another said, “It provided the info I needed to reach the school, clarification on enrollment and open enrollment, and was received very quickly! Much faster than I’d anticipated.”’
As the end of the school year comes into view, our work to connect with our families and community will continue as we plan for more listening forums next year, add to our opportunities for connection to our schools and each other, and continue building ways for you to know what your students are doing in the classroom and after school. Our students are amazing and it’s important to make their successes visible to Sioux Falls. We value your thoughts and want you to feel connected to your schools. Together, we can become the best District in the nation, one step at a time.
Watch for some exciting new developments in the next newsletter!