Strategic Plan
Strategy is about surviving and thriving during evolution.
– Grant Lichtman
In 2019, Wilmington Montessori School successfully completed its previous strategic plan and embarked on a new journey to design the future of WMS.
Like most non-profits, WMS undergoes a strategic planning process every few years. This time, we are veering away from the traditional, standard-issue process we have used in the past. Instead, we have hired Grant Lichtman, an internationally recognized thought leader in the movement to transform K-12 education, to guide us as we use a design thinking approach to imagine the best possible future for our children. This process promises to be inclusive, energizing and dynamic, prompting us to envision a new path forward for WMS.
Like most non-profits, WMS undergoes a strategic planning process every few years. This time, we are veering away from the traditional, standard-issue process we have used in the past. Instead, we have hired Grant Lichtman, an internationally recognized thought leader in the movement to transform K-12 education, to guide us as we use a design thinking approach to imagine the best possible future for our children. This process promises to be inclusive, energizing and dynamic, prompting us to envision a new path forward for WMS.
FAQ
- Why is WMS undertaking a new strategic planning process?
- Who is involved in the strategic planning process?
- What are the goals of using a design-based process of strategic planning and implementation?
- Why did we choose a dynamic, inclusive strategic planning process?
Why is WMS undertaking a new strategic planning process?
WMS has completed its 2016-19 strategic plan:
- Launch a middle school program.
- Invest in teacher excellence.
- Continue to strengthen WMS’s financial position.
- Complete implementation of the arts integration initiative.
All four goals are either complete or well in-hand, so WMS is now ready to initiate a new strategic process.
Who is involved in the strategic planning process?
- WMS Board of Directors
- WMS faculty and staff
- Current and alumni parents
- WMS alumni
- Outside educators
- Longtime friends and community members
What are the goals of using a design-based process of strategic planning and implementation?
- Create a framework that describes - and helps all stakeholders to implement - a differentiated vision and strategic value proposition for the learning experience at WMS.
- Build comfort and capacity in the school culture that promotes strategic evolution to meet the dynamic challenges of the world around us.
- Produce a robust menu of actionable program prototypes that may be implemented in the near to mid-term future.
Why did we choose a dynamic, inclusive strategic planning process?
- We believe in the power of a larger diverse group including current and alumni parents, WMS alumni, educational leaders from Montessori and other schools.
- We don’t want a small group of people driving ideas forward. Instead we want to include others’ thinking as we move forward.
- A large, inclusive process fosters the development and identification of future leaders.
Watch Grant Lichtman's TEDx Talk
"Imagining session with Grant Lichtman" - One word to describe WMS