LT article about Dr. Leary's Initiatives

Please see below an article that was published in the LT about a lot of Dr. Leary's initiatives. GREAT STUFF!!

I guess my only comment is to enjoy reading between the lines!

Maria


Saturday,August 11, 2007
By Mary Stegmeir
Leader-Telegram staff

When James Leary was selected as the Eau Claire school district's interim superintendent last month, he knew exactly how he wanted to spend his year in charge.

While assisting the school board in choosing a permanent system leader,
Leary also wanted to help district officials set educational and operational
priorities. During some of his first meetings with board members this
summer, Leary started to lay out a school improvement process the district
will follow this year to plan for the future.

It's a method that's tried and true, said Leary, noting that the process has been followed by more than 100 school districts across the country.

"I know this works," he said. "It's all about setting goals and being accountable."

Leary developed the program about 25 years ago. He has shared his process with school leaders as president of MacroVision Associates, an education consulting firm in Holcombe that is temporarily shut down while the administrator works at the Eau Claire school district.

The program starts with board members crafting a district philosophy and setting goals for the system. Next, the board, along with teachers and administrators, will evaluate the district's needs, selecting up to 60 areas for improvement. Annual objectives also will be developed to ensure the new ideas are put into practice.

"We'll do the work this year so that the new superintendent can step right into the swing of things," Leary said. "I want this plan to be fully operational in this year so that it can form the basic foundation for allowing Eau Claire to move forward over the next three to five years."

The process is internal, but residents will learn about the district's plans throughout the year, Leary said. The school improvement plan is separate from the community comprehensive plan that the school board has discussed creating.

"Experience has shown that's important that we work and get our plans together in-house first," Leary said. " ... We should be able to solve our own problems in-house and then reach out and give."

Leary's school improvement process benefited the Chippewa Falls school district, said board president Roberta Rasmus. The administrator served as interim superintendent with that system in 2003-04.

Using Leary's planning process, district employees realized the system needed to add a human relations position. The new job cut costs by decreasing the number of employee grievances, Rasmus said.

"He helped us understand possible changes we could make or where we should be prioritizing our limited resources," she said. "When he left us we were at a really good place to have a new superintendent come in."

Eau Claire school board members started working on their school improvement plan last month. One of the first steps is completing a district needs assessments. The surveys list 112 objectives, from adding more after-school programs to establishing a public relations program. Board members are in the process of selecting which objectives are most important for the district.

Teachers and other staff members will complete assessments when the school year starts.

"I think this is an excellent way to get everybody involved," said board member Brent Wogahn. "After we figure out what we perceive our needs to be, then we can go to the public."

The improvement plan can guide progress in the years to come, Leary said. He hopes that Eau Claire can one day be recognized as a top school in the state and nation.

"There's just so much potential for this school district," he said.