HAMILTON-WENTWORTH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
HWDSB is planning a New Path Forward

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) Trustees celebrated the start of a new path forward with the announcement of the 2023 multi-year strategic planning process to identify future values, priorities, and goals.

HWDSB communities will be invited to give their input into what students will need to improve their well-being, learning, and overall success in the years ahead. Once the feedback is collected, the Board of Trustees will review the themes and approve a new multi-year strategic plan.

"The Board of Trustees is excited to support the development of a new vision, mission and values," said Dawn Danko, Chair of the Board. "As a new Board, we are eager to set priorities that will improve our schools and help students succeed. The first stage of engagement will gather feedback from diverse voices to help get us started. I welcome everyone to provide honest suggestions and criticism so we can put our resources where we need them most."

Engagement activities including a community-centred listening tour, a civic lottery for HWDSB supporters, a survey, and an Engage HWDSB project are planned this spring to hear from students, parents, staff, and community members. Outreach to youth, Indigenous and equity-deserving groups will be prioritized to ensure diverse voices are heard.

HWDSB will build on its work related to human rights to create new goals using an anti-racism, anti-oppression and anti-colonial stance. Trustees are interested in setting directions that will allow staff to better support every student and ensure they feel welcome.

ENGAGEMENT PHASES

• Generate (March - June): Encourage public participation to engage in the consultation.
• Validate (July - August): Trustees review and define themes and approve values, priorities and goals, ready to share for the start of the new school year.
• Elevate (September - November): Youth engagement activities will be used to execute the directions and inform staff and school teams about the strategic actions.
• Celebrate (December - January): Board Annual Plan will be launched and celebrated within the new strategic directions.

"The strategic planning process at HWDSB is a time of renewal," said Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Director of Education. "We are working with a team of leaders to facilitate engagement discussions with youth, communities, and staff to bring the best ideas forward. In the months ahead, we look forward to listening to real experiences to ensure that we define our values and priorities. I cannot wait to work with the Board of Trustees to develop a clear and compelling vision for the future, aligned with our values."

LEARN MORE

• Strategic Planning 2023: hwdsb.on.ca/pathforward