Setting four specific goals, Dr. Sean Alford outlined his 100-day entry plan as the Aiken County School Board's new superintendent at a special called meeting of the School Board on Tuesday.
"My intent with presenting a clearly defined entry plan is to establish and outline a set of activities that will serve to guide my transition into the school district while encouraging stakeholder engagement and fostering a passion for teaching, learning and partnering with Aiken County Schools for the betterment of our children, their families and our community's economic and social vitality," said Alford, who became superintendent Aug. 1 replacing Dr. Beth Everitt, who retired July 31.
During his presentation, Alford said his four goals during his transition into his new position are:
- To establish and promote highly effective district governance by building a trusting, productive, collaborative relationship with the ACPSD Board of Education
- To ensure an effective, efficient and orderly transition of leadership while emphasizing a focus on the acquisition of employable skills and "solution-driven" service
- To create opportunities to listen to stakeholders and gain a comprehensive understanding of the district and school community
- To increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency and ensure high performance and support to schools.
To achieve these goals, Alford said he will listen to stakeholders, using formal and informal meetings to engage students, teachers, parents, school and district administrators and other ACPSD employees, community and business members, and state and local leaders.
Alford said he will learn organizational performance indicators, student achievement data and community economic indicators and share his leadership story, educational philosophies and core values.
He also will establish strong working relationships and build rapport with the Board of Education, ACPSD leadership and employees, and community, state and local leaders and deliver specific action steps to guide the work of the district and the Board of Education in preparation for the 2016-17 school year and beyond.
Alford said these activities are intended to yield three key outcomes:
- A comprehensive summary of his findings
- Insight and information gained from listening and learning
- An outline of the process he will use to analyze and manage the district's strategic priorities.
"I look forward to our community establishing and redefining excellence," Alford said. "The Board and I will work together to guarantee a high-quality educational experience for all children while energizing the district and community in support of college and career readiness."
A native of Aiken, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter.