Our Association is a farseeing one. We believe in long-range planning and continuous improvement. So it is not surprising that ASCD has been working intensively since last fall to update its Strategic Plan.
Because ASCD's Strategic Plan guides the work of our Association, it is vital that the plan be current and grounded in today's realities. The most recent Strategic Plan, which was created in 1993, has served us well, and the belief statements and mission statement on which it is founded remain valid. But the goals and strategies—the specific targets and the detailed plans for ensuring that ASCD lives up to its mission—were ripe for revision.
The responsibility for updating the plan has been entrusted to ASCD's Strategic Priorities Group (SPG). The 25 members of the SPG include 22 diverse ASCD staff members and three ASCD officers: Tom Budnik, our President-Elect; John Cooper, an Executive Council member; and myself. In a series of meetings over the course of several months, we have reaffirmed the identity and purpose of our Association, scrutinized the work we do, and debated how best to realize our mission in the future.
- ASCD's need to remain fiscally sound while responding to our social imperative;
- ASCD's desire to become more international while continuing to serve the large majority of our members who are North American; and
- ASCD's need to remain responsive to both members and affiliates.
We on the SPG made every effort to consider all aspects of the issues we grappled with, many of which are complex and interrelated.
A New Vision
As of mid-January, the SPG had drafted a new vision statement for ASCD. This statement attempts to describe the organization that we would like to become more fully:"ASCD makes a difference for children by touching those who shape their learning. We are an indispensable resource for everyone who values excellence and equity in education. We build partnerships that advance teaching and learning worldwide. We live our beliefs through our actions, products, and services."
- ASCD's role as a driving force toward excellence and equity in education, to promote the common good;
- ASCD's role in developing leadership among educators, to help them achieve their mission of enhancing student development and increasing student achievement; and
- ASCD's role in forming strategic partnerships that will improve teaching and learning worldwide.
The Board of Directors has been providing the SPG with feedback on the draft vision and goals through electronic conferencing. The proposed revisions to the Strategic Plan will be presented to ASCD's Executive Council in June. If the Executive Council approves the SPG's work, the Association will disseminate the new plan and align ASCD's budget, business plan, and appraisal system with the new goals. Then the real work begins!
Next: A Name Change?
Another way ASCD is looking to the future is by exploring the possibility of a new name for our Association. Last June, ASCD's Executive Council—in response to suggestions from ASCD's Review Council, Governance Evaluation Commission, Influence Goal Group, and members—approved a study to explore the ramifications of a name change and to develop possible new names. Those who proposed the name-change study have suggested that a new name could be more inclusive of all educators, better reflect the broad scope of ASCD's work, and help ASCD extend its influence.
- ASCD is more than the current name implies; the current name is limiting.
- ASCD is an international organization, and our name should reflect this.
- Our name should convey the concepts "leadership," "teaching," and "learning."
Reasons that members have given for keeping the current name include the long legacy of the ASCD name, the symbolism the name holds for members (confidence and trust), the costs associated with a name change, and the high name recognition that we currently enjoy. Some members have said that curriculum is our main thrust, and our name should reflect this focus.
New names suggested by members include The Learning Forum, Educational Leadership International, and keeping the ASCD letters but changing the words they stand for.
This month, at our Annual Conference, 8 to 10 recommended names, including our current name, will be submitted to ASCD's Board of Directors. If the Board supports a name change, a quorum of the membership will be convened. If two-thirds of the quorum votes in favor of the name change, it will be implemented.
Changes as far-reaching as a name change are both exciting and unnerving. One reason that ASCD has thrived as an organization is that we are not afraid to consider making big changes in pursuit of our mission. As proud as we are of our history, we keep looking to the future.