Reflections and Learnings from Strategic Planning with School Districts
- Roots & Rivers Team
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
Creating a strategic plan that is a living, breathing guide for a community is far more complex than it might look from the outside. Through our recent work with school districts, we were reminded of how deeply human the journey can feel. We have had the privilege of engaging with thousands of people who care deeply about education in their communities. In every engagement, we learned about the wide range of high stakes felt by students, staff, caregivers, and community members. This extensive engagement has taught us that the most successful strategic planning processes are built on a few key truths.
1. Acknowledge Multiple Realities
Every person has a different and deeply personal connection to their school district. We have learned that a strong process doesn’t force consensus too early, it creates space for multiple truths to coexist.
Consider the parent worried about class size, the teacher focused on the new curriculum, the student concerned with well-being, and the administrator balancing the budget. Acknowledging these many realities is the first step to building a plan that feels honest and credible to everyone.
2. Equity and Foundational Skills are Linked
Our conversations often surfaced a perceived tension between a focus on equity initiatives and a desire to strengthen literacy and numeracy. We believe this is a false choice.
What we see in the data and hear in stories is how deeply these concepts are intertwined. Foundational skills are tied to well-being: a student who feels competent and confident in the classroom has a stronger sense of belonging. And well-being is tied to equity: a student cannot thrive if they are facing systemic barriers or do not feel safe, seen, and valued for who they are.
An effective strategy makes this link visible and measurable, showing how a commitment to creating an equitable environment is the very foundation upon which academic success is built.
3. Educators Are the Missing Link
We have seen that even the best strategic plans can fail to reach the classroom. A major focus of our work is bridging the gap between high-level commitments and the daily realities of educators, who ultimately carry out the work. This means embedding educator voices throughout the process and building clear, realistic channels for implementation. Without this, a strategy remains an administrative exercise rather than a catalyst for change.
4. Meet People Where They Are
Caregivers and educators are stretched thin. Traditional planning processes often overestimate how much time people can give. We have learned that reaching people requires creative and flexible engagement—using digital tools, holding pop-up conversations, and leveraging existing meetings. This honours people's time and ensures the voices shaping the plan truly reflect the entire community, not just those with the most time to spare.
Putting These Truths into Action
Our recent collaborations with New Westminster and Burnaby Schools are powerful examples of this work in action. Through a deep and flexible engagement processes, we partnered with them to build truly shared visions that are both visionary and practical.
See These Plans in Action
Curious about how strategic planning can support your school community? Take a closer look at how these districts turned complex conversations into clear, actionable plans:
If you are ready to bring this kind of clarity, collaboration, and action to your district’s future, we would love to connect. Please reach out to connect@rootsandrivers.ca.
