Madison Local Schools identify Value Statements to guide decisions

Like our Mission, we have also updated our Values based on feedback from our input sessions. It is important for a school district to reflect not only on what our students need for success in the world they are facing, but the values of the community in which they are learning, and how these intersect to help develop our students through their Madison Local Schools education. 

Values are important for a number of reasons, but most importantly, for guiding the decision-making process. As a school district, we must identify what programs and services will best provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. Our Values help guide these decisions, providing guardrails as we evaluate the myriad opportunities available to today’s students.

Because Values are so important, we needed to ensure we were hearing from all groups in our community. We gathered information in a variety of ways to ensure that all stakeholders had the chance to share their thoughts, including:

• A student survey to gather feedback from students not included elsewhere in the process. Over 750 students responded. 
• Input sessions with district faculty to provide their input on topics such as: defining the current reality for the district; gathering perspectives of the future environment in which the district will operate; and understanding the requirements for future success. 
• Input sessions with students, parents, and community leaders to provide their perspective on these same topics.
• Input sessions with a group of business leaders and Chamber leaders/members to provide their input on these topics. 
• A community survey sent to over 3,000 community email addresses of Madison area residents not included in other sessions, to gather perspectives on effectiveness and priorities for the district’s future, with 289 individuals responding. 
• Discussions with district leaders to gather comments and information to support the development of a set of Values for the district that will represent how we move forward into the future. 

While a number of ideas and needs arose through the input collected, several rose to the top as key in making any decision regarding the education for our Madison Local School students. These became our new Values: 

• Student focus
• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Positive mindsets
• Respect for others

These Values guide decisions and actions within the district. Our focus has always been our students, but as society changes, we must adjust the way we are focusing on our students. They are craving real world skills: creativity and collaboration. In tandem, we must emphasize positive mindsets and respect for those around us, both within our student body and out in our community. We believe these values will aid our district in becoming the most successful district for our students and community that we can be.