Goal Area 1: Teaching and Learning

School Board Professional Development 

In order to lead a district dedicated to equity and innovation, school board members must constantly evolve in their understanding of educational issues impacting our scholars. School board members will engage in individual and collective professional development throughout the school year.

Key Actions

• School board members will develop a deeper understanding of restorative practices and how they are used throughout the district.
• School board members will learn about best/next practices in anti-racist and equitable educational practices locally and nationally, and how we can apply these in Hopkins.
• School board members will develop a more nuanced understanding of social-emotional learning and actions that support scholar mental health.

Measurable Impact

• Community members will learn about these topics alongside the School Board at public workshops.
• School board members will learn from each other as they report on their individual professional development at board meetings.
• School board members will apply their evolving understanding of these topics to policy and budget decisions.

Goal Area 2: School District and Culture

Community Presence 

As representatives of the community, it is important that school board members engage with scholars, staff, parents/caregivers, and community members to understand their priorities and how the School Board’s decisions impact them.

Key Actions

• School board members will pair up with schools to visit throughout the year, participate in events, and intentionally engage with scholars, staff, and leaders. 
• School board members will hold engagement sessions about School Board decisions related to Vision 2031, policy, and budgeting. 
• School board members will collaborate with student board representatives to better understand the experiences, needs, and goals of our high school scholars
   

Measurable Impact

• School board members will deepen their connections with scholars, staff, leaders, and community members through regular engagement.
• School board members will apply their learning from community members to policy and budget decisions. 
• School board members will report on their individual community engagement at board meetings so community members can learn more about each other’s values and expectations of our district.
   

Goal Area 3: Operations

Fiscal Transparency and Understanding
 

The Hopkins School Board is responsible for using tax-payer dollars responsibly by adopting a balanced budget that supports the operationalization of Vision 2031. Public school finance and budgeting are complex processes that can lead to confusion. It is essential that these processes be transparent and understandable to our community.  

Key Actions

• School board members will partner with the Superintendent and Director of Business Services to hold budget education and engagement sessions.
• School board members will collaborate with the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition to educate community members about statewide public education funding issues and invite them to participate in advocacy.
   

Measurable Impact

• Community members will be better informed about public school funding realities and opportunities for advocacy.
• School board members will use community priorities shared during engagement sessions to inform budgeting decisions. 

Policy Transparency and Understanding 

The Hopkins School Board is responsible for creating district-level policies that support the operationalization of Vision 2031. This work is done in partnership with scholars, staff, and community members who are most impacted by these policies. It is essential that the policy creation process be transparent and understandable to our community. 

Key Actions

• The School Board will hold a workshop on how the Monitoring Committee uses the Equity Lens to review and establish policy. 
• School board members on the Monitoring Committee will partner with the Assistant Superintendent to hold policy education and engagement sessions on the revisions of policies 102 (Equal Opportunity Education) and 506 (Student Conduct and Discipline).
   

Measurable Impact

• Community members will be better informed about the Hopkins School Board’s policy review and creation process.
• School board members will use community priorities shared during engagement sessions to inform policy decisions.