WVUSD: 2019/2020 Year-End Results
In addition to scheduled meetings, leadership and management utilized other arenas to
strengthen relationships with both WVEA and CSEA, including lunch meetings, attendance at
the CSEA Annual Conference, and one-on-one meetings with site principals.
District leadership worked alongside site leadership, certificated staff, and classified staff in
improving a variety of different practices and processes. More recently, the COVID-19
coronavirus-related school closures resulted in the enactment of new policies built through
collaborative processes with our stakeholders. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were
crafted with both WVEA and CSEA to articulate the work expectations for our employees as the
District responded to school closures. The trusting relationships among all parties have
produced strong Distance Learning opportunities for our students, and continued the safe and
functional operations of the District.
Improve and Increase Communication
A hallmark leadership practice in Walnut Valley is the integration of the “circles of influence”
communication philosophy into everyday practice. Simply put, the underlying principle of the
“circles of influence” practice is to ensure all parties that are impacted by a decision, no matter
how big or small, receive effective communication. Leadership across all levels have
implemented the “circles of influence” approach, which has resulted in increased and improved
communication across the District.
To improve our communication with our respective “circles of influence”, the District contracted
with K12 Insight to integrate its innovative communication tool, Let’s Talk!. This tool provides a
real-time platform to listen to the needs of the community while connecting inquiries to the
appropriate personnel for response. On the backend of the software, the District is able to
capture and disaggregate valuable data on the types of inquiries that are submitted, which in
turn provides improved responsive approaches to the community’s needs. The District’s initial
strategy for implementation was to methodically roll-out Let’s Talk! over time. However, the
coronavirus-related school closures created an unexpected, yet timely, opportunity to launch the
tool in a more expedited time frame.
The District Office and school sites have created a stronger social media presence over time,
with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts shared with our followers and the Internet
community. These social media tools have been instrumental in showcasing the incredible work
that occurs in Walnut Valley schools on a daily basis. The District’s Outlook print publication
continues to be a source of pride as articles highlighting student accomplishments and
Districtwide information updates are communicated with the parent community.
Ongoing communication and leadership development through existing committees, think tanks,
and work groups continued this year. This included regularly scheduled meetings with the
following groups: Coordinating Council, Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, Superintendent’s
Student Advisory Council, Parent Leadership Development Seminar, TK-12 Curriculum
Councils, Diversity Think Tank, and the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Advisory
Council.
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