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Dr. Markay Winston, Interim Superintendent Entry Plan

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Message from Dr. Markay Winston, Interm Superintendent

Deepening trust and building relationships are at the very heart of my entry plan. I'm fortunate due to my work at MCCSC that I have been able to establish and enhance relationships with a great number of community, business, and non-profit leaders. My relationships with our administrative staff, principals, and faculty continue to inspire me to think creatively on how we work collaboratively to make the Whole Child experience something that is more than just words. I look forward to creating new relationships that will allow me to grow my understanding and perspectives of our schools, support our team, and focus on work that keeps our students at the center of all decision-making. I believe that leadership is earned, not given to someone with a title and it is with that belief that I will strive to earn the respect, trust, and support from every constituent within our corporation and the community. Strong schools build strong communities and I pledge to do my part for our great schools within MCCSC so they can fulfill their role in our community's success. I look forward to having the opportunities to listen, to learn, and to lead as we work together on behalf of every student, in every school, in every classroom, and in every seat throughout our corporation.

PURPOSE

My entry plan’s purpose is to honor the historical academic excellence of our students, teachers, and administrators while also refocusing new energy on aligning resources to achieve the vision and mission that is articulated in our board-sanctioned, student-centered strategic plan. 

 LISTEN 

I look forward to participating in several formal and informal engagement sessions where I can hear firsthand the hopes, wishes, and dreams of our students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and community leaders.

 LEARN 

As the incoming “lead learner” of MCCSC, I intend to leverage my years of experience in Bloomington with my deep listening skills to better inform future decisions that directly impact our students.

 LEAD 

My leadership style will be characterized by a deep sense of humility, respect, and integrity as I strive to earn the trust of our amazing community.

GOALS

  • To accelerate learning for all students while identifying and eliminating opportunity gaps
  • To establish a strong governance team with the Board of School Trustees
  • To ensure the executive team operates as a highly effective, collaborative, cross-functional team
  • To review the fiscal and operational health of the corporation
  • To strengthen two-way communications with employee groups, family, and community members
  • To provide a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and equitable learning culture

 

My new role will allow me to develop a deeper understanding of our corporation strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

Phase I: Transition Planning & Preparation (May-June 2024)

This phase will be characterized as a listening journey across critical MCCSC community partners to identify immediate areas of concern, capture upcoming opportunities, and establish leadership assurance with school leaders and faculty.

• Establish the Board and Interim Superintendent as a cohesive leadership team with a singular focused "immediate need" Theory of Action plan .

• Meet with the district's executive team to gather their perception on "where we are and where we need to go" to accelerate student achievement.

• Participate in a series of meet and greets with internal and external community partners.

Phase II: Hitting the Ground Listening & Learning (July-August 2024)

This phase will be focused on strengthening family and community partner engagement and establishing a Young Child Advisory Council through open, transparent, and enhanced communication.

• Host townhall-style meetings to discuss public trust, commitment, and confidence in the corporation through authentic, two-way communication.

• Engage with selected family and community partners to better understand their concerns and wishes.

• Visit schools and host Muffins With Markay and Listen and Learn Lunches to hear directly from students, teachers, and school leaders.

• Establish a communication process for the introduction of MCCSC needs and changes with an intent of providing opportunities for input and reaction in an open and transparent manner.

Phase III: Strategic Action Update to the Board & Community (September-November 2024)

This phase will concentrate on providing an analysis on the organizational capacity, alignment, and overall fiscal and operational health of the organization.

• Review input of past four months and provide vetted strategic initiatives to achieve maximum effectiveness and usage of budget availability.

• Provide a progress report on MCCSC commitments and pledges for referendum dollars.

• Introduce MCCSC needs and changes in a public and transparent process that provide expanded opportunity for community input and reaction.

Engagement Opportunities 2024-2025 School Year

• Board of School Trustees

• Leadership Team members

• MCEA President

• AFSCME President

• Early Childhood Leaders

• Student Voice/Leadership Advisory

• Local Superintendents, College, and University Officials

• Elected Officials: Mayor, City Council, County Council, County Commissioners

• Business Leaders: Chamber of Commerce, BEDC, Rotary, BBOR, ROI

• Faith-Based Leaders

• Community-Based Organizations

• Parent-Teacher Organizations

• Community Conversations/Town Halls

View the PDF version of Dr. Winston's Entry Plan

GEMS