Community Conversation 2014 

On February 6th, 7th and 8th in 2014 over 140 community members, parents, business leaders and school district staff gathered to give input on the vision for the future of the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District. To read about the 2014 event, please visit this link: (//cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us/district/Communityforexcellence.cfm).

It’s Time Again!

Six years passed, and it was time to update the district Strategic Plan. Once again, the Board of Education and District Administration invited community members in for a conversation to gather input about our community’s vision for its school district. 

The Design Team

The Community Conversation was designed by the community, not just for the community. Design Team members worked from October through January to plan the events of the day. Design Team members we specifically selected to represent a cross-section of our community: 

Public Officials:

In addition to our Board members, additional public officials participated: Police Chief Matt Kelm, County Administrator Randy Scholz, Mayor Greg Hoffman, County Board and City Council Member Chuck Hull, and State Senator Kathy Bernier.

Student Showcases:

Student opportunities and productions were featured throughout the event. Participants were welcomed to the school by the pep band. WEB Leaders ushered them to their tables. The centerpieces on the tables were made by the Art Club. The thank you coffee mug was filled with Hersey kisses by members of our Cardinal Transition Academy. While participants were filtering in and waiting to begin, they were able to visit tables of student participants showcasing their work in organizations like Health Occupation Students of America, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, and Distributive Education Clubs of America. A string quartet played in the background. Participants knew it was time for the event to kick off when they heard the drum line coming down the hallway. The pep band led the group in the playing of the school song. After they departed, the string quartet switched to “Pomp and Circumstance” while 11 members of the Class of 2030 (second-graders) were ushered in. The students led the group in the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Then, as is customary, a representative of the group, read the district Mega Result. 

During the event, even more student work was showcased as the 2014 outcomes were reported by members of our senior class in a student-created video. The final message of the day was a student thank you video featuring students at Stillson Elementary School. 

The Conversation:

Participants engaged in a facilitated collaborative process that included a look back on our world, our community, education, and technology since the 1970's. This process was augmented with a video created by Scott Strecker. The District then rolled out the outcomes of our 2014 Community Conversation. Next, participants discussed the issues and trends community members see facing education (and youth) today. Finally, participants worked through an activity in which each group of participants articulated their ideal vision of what our school district would look like in 2030. From those group articulations, participants tracked common themes they heard. After all themes were reported out to the group, the group voted on what they thought were the most important priorities for the district moving forward. 

Themes: