Ideas abound at community forum; Temecula school district collects advice on its draft strategic plan

By: JENNIFER KABBANY - The Californian | Thursday, April 12, 2007 11:16 PM PDT ∞

TEMECULA -- Even though only 20 parents and Temecula school district employees showed up Thursday night to a community forum meant to collect feedback about the district's draft strategic plan, there certainly wasn't a dearth of opinions and ideas.

Expanding vocational opportunities, adding more night lighting at campuses, improving the Temecula Valley Unified School District's community service requirement, and better emphasizing the importance of parent-district communication were some of the many ideas proffered.

The forum came after months of brainstorming, weekend workshops and board meeting discussions by school district trustees, who are developing a strategic plan meant to serve as the framework for future school district goals and priorities, academic and otherwise, for years to come.

The draft plan's top three goals are: providing students with a top-notch education so they are molded into intelligent, responsible young adults; getting parents and community members to help with that effort; and maintaining sound fiscal policies and practices.

To meet the first goal, trustees are suggesting a combination of academic and social endeavors and programs. The goal also proposes safe campuses, technology improvements, and continuing learning opportunities for employees.

A common theme among those attending the forum was that there must be more of an emphasis on career technical and vocational education opportunities for students.

"Not everyone intends on going to a four-year college," parent Scott Sloan said.

They also suggested that the district should improve its community service requirement, which calls on students to earn 10 hours of volunteerism as a graduation requirement.

For one, they said they thought 10 hours may be too few hours.

They also suggested the district might want to work with city and county agencies to create better volunteer efforts, such as working with hospitals or convalescent homes, as opposed to having students just picking up trash or other, "less meaningful" efforts.

In terms of improving safety, some thought campuses need better lighting at night. Some parents also said they believed there should be more of an emphasis on "social and emotional safety" for students as part of the goal.

"Beyond the bullying, we need to be there," parent Rachelle Feiler said. "It's an idea of trust, and (a student) being able to be a risk taker in the classroom."

Much attention was also paid to technology, and how its importance should not be overlooked.

Moreover, some suggested that putting an emphasis on "digital citizenship" in this age of opportunities for Internet cheating and online chat rooms is an important concept to consider.

Another parent also said that while the goal called on the district to create "literate, responsible citizens with high standards," the word "moral" should be added to the list of desirable attributes.

The second goal aims to help bolster the first through community involvement from groups such as PTAs, school site councils, advisory boards, educational committees and nonprofits.

Many in attendance questioned how exactly the district proposes to get more parent involvement.

The third goal, to maintain sound fiscal policies and practices, generated little response.

Objectives that will spell out how the district plans to meet its goals will be written through May, and trustees are expected to approve a final version of their strategic plan in June.

"We will make sure every one of your comments are paid attention to while the objectives are written," said Billie Blair with Leading and Learning Incorporated, the company that led the forum.

Another community forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Erle Stanley Gardner Middle School, 45125 Via Del Coronado. Contact Melanie Norton at (951) 506-7903.

-- Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.