As we move toward the year 2000, the education system's ability to foster lifelong learning will be seen as our single most important route to personal fulfillment, better citizenship, and a higher standard of living. Therefore, many educators are trying to improve the entire education system, with some futurists projecting that a new system will be largely in place by the beginning of the next century.
If ASCD seizes the opportunities in the emerging world of the early 21st century, we can become stronger and more successful than ever before. Conversely, if we attempt to apply 20th century thinking to a 21st century environment, we will be unable to create our own destiny. Therefore, reshaping ASCD in the image of the future is essential.
ASCD's strategic planning process continues to be a vital tool as the Association charts its course for the future. The rapid change that is sweeping the world prompted the Executive Council to establish a Strategic Planning Commission last year to take a fresh look at the Association's mission, goals, and core beliefs. The new strategic plan that resulted highlights the directions the Association must take as a leader in the new century.
ASCD's mission is the keystone upon which the entire strategic plan depends. The mission makes a psychological statement, influences the organizational climate, and directs operational patterns. It is a statement of purpose for ASCD. It tells who we are, what we do, whom we do it with or for, and what our aim is.
The new mission statement developed by the Strategic Planning Commission and adopted by the Executive Council reads: ASCD, a diverse, international community of educators forging covenants in teaching and learning for the success of all learners.
Recently, ASCD's Executive Editor, Ron Brandt, synthesized the thoughts of the Executive Team to create a statement elaborating upon ASCD's new mission statement. It explains:
We are diverse—in age, gender, ethnicity, geography, and role—because it strengthens us. We are more sensitive to the virtues and needs of others, and therefore can make better decisions, when we have continuing opportunities to interact with people unlike ourselves.
We are international because we recognize that education is a universal process and that we live in an interdependent world. At this point, a large majority of ASCD members are Americans, but we have numerous members and affiliates outside the United States.
We are a community because we share a set of common values.
We are educators because we engage others in the process of learning.
We forge covenants by joining with others who share our deeply-held commitments. We strive to serve with integrity as the conscience of education.
We are concerned with teaching and learning because these are the fundamental processes of our profession.
By success we mean being productive workers and participating citizens, as well as being able to set and achieve valid individual goals.
When we say all learners, we include all children and adults engaged in becoming educated persons, including the disabled, both genders, members of all social classes, and all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
ASCD's new mission statement reaffirms our commitment to the Association's distinctive qualities that set it apart from other organizations. Everything else in the strategic plan will spring from it and must be judged by it. We must keep the mission in mind at all times. It is the guiding force behind the decisions we make and helps members and staff focus on the big picture.
This statement also underlies ASCD's broad goals: to support diversity, achieve a truly international organization, forge new relationships to improve teaching and learning, and create a self-renewing organization.
You don't need a crystal ball to determine the shape of the new century; after all, it is only seven years ahead. Many of the trends are already visible. It will be an exciting and challenging time filled with unprecedented opportunities. ASCD cannot afford to rest on its past achievements and reputation. Over the next decade ASCD must strive to position itself as the leader, without peer, in promoting quality education for all students.
The purpose of planning is to make decisions about the future before the future forces the decisions. Preparing for change can only make ASCD stronger and more competitive. Our mission statement will enable us to look beyond today's crises to tomorrow's opportunities.