Courtney Bourns with Strategic Plan Design Committee members during last Saturday's retreat.
It is with excitement that I announce the launch of our strategic planning process, which will result in a new five year Strategic Plan for Friends School of Portland by September 2023. Our recent NEASC re-accreditation and Friends Council Self-Study have helped us reflect on and evaluate our own processes. I look forward to our entire community spending time between January and April considering the path ahead – one that reflects our values and takes us where we collectively want to go.
Linda Ashe-Ford, a recently retired faculty member shared with me: “We’re not a magic place – a lot of careful choices have led to what can feel like magic here.” Our previous Strategic Plan shaped our growth and recent middle school wing addition, fueled the direction of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and created opportunities for our faculty to develop as Quaker educators, among other aspects of FSP life it would now be easy to take for granted.
This fall, we partnered with Courtney Bourns, a consultant with Quaker education roots, who will guide our community through this process. We have formed a Strategic Plan Design Committee that is a cross-section of our broader community: board members, faculty, administrators, alumni, and parents. This team convened for the first time on Saturday, November 19, and is tasked with creating a map of the process so each member of our community can contribute their voice.
By early 2023, we will have more to share. There will be a range of opportunities for you to participate, from online surveys to listening sessions. As Strategic Planning Design Committee member, Quinn Lavigne ‘09 shared at our opening retreat: “I am proud of this school for taking growth and change so seriously.” I look forward to the conversations ahead as we look forward together with hope, clarity, and a shared vision.