Oshkosh -
After years of a perceived disconnect between the Oshkosh community and its school district, there's a community-wide push underway to fix the problem.
Stan Mack has only been the superintendent of the Oshkosh Area School District for about nine months. He was drawn to the position after seeing the Oshkosh community's interest in improving its relationship with the school system.
Mack says, "When I learned of the efforts that were underway by the community foundation and thus forming the Education4Oshkosh work to explore the visioning plan for where the school district should go to that was one of my major attractions to come to the school district."
Part of that effort is a survey. Created by Oshkosh4Education, it asks Oshkosh area residents to rank five pre-identified priorities community members thought were important to the education system. Those priorities include things like improving communication, equality in all school buildings and working to create educational experiences beyond the classrooms.
According to Beth Wyman, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation Board President, "We want everyone to take this survey, not just someone who has a child in the school district we're al in this together. And it's as important to those people that don't have children in the public school system right now as it is to those who do."
The results of the survey will then be analyzed and applied to improve that school/community relationship.
"It's a wonderful way to partner with the community and to also help to set the course for the next three to five and normally a strategic plan is about three to five year cycle," says Mack.
