Climate and Culture Connection 4/3/19
In January 2019, the Board of Education contracted with the Wilson Foxen consulting firm to perform a climate and culture study of the Aspen School District. On Monday and Tuesday, April 1 and 2, Liz Wilson held several different meetings to present her findings to the Board of Education, the Superintendent, the District leadership team, all school staff, and the community. Her presentation included a power point deck which may be accessed by CLICKING HERE. Several other documents provided are listed below:
     O-Factor
     Culture Matrix
     Recommendations

The Board of Education is in the process of developing a full understanding of the study’s results and Wilson Foxen’s  recommendations. We anticipate that as we digest this information, the Board will discuss next steps and develop pathways forward. Look for much more communication as we wend our way thorough this process. We appreciate your trust and patience as we continue to work toward creating an exemplary culture and climate for our students, our staff and our community.

Aspen School District Board of Education  
 

Have you ever been curious about serving on the Board of Education? Want to learn more about what the Board does? 

Every year ASD board members try to attend the National School Association’s annual convention. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see what other districts are doing and consider best practices. Something that inspired us this past year, which we loved, is what we’re calling our “Board Academy”. We see this as a chance to offer exposure and educational opportunities about the Aspen School District and Board of Education and its functions to community members who may have an interest in running for a Board seat.  It’s also just a great opportunity for anyone looking to further understand the District and how it operates. 

The Academy will consist of six monthly sessions, beginning October, concluding May and excluding December and March. It will be the second Wednesday of the month in the District Boardroom from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. The first session will be Wednesday October 10th. 

Here is a list of our curriculum topics:

• Oct 10 - Inner workings of the Aspen School District – Administration and its Buildings
• Nov 14 - School Funding & Finance
• Jan 23 - Board of Education Functions & Coherent Governance
• Feb 13 - What to Know about Elections
• Apr 10 - Stakeholder Groups of the District:  AEF, FAB, DAC, SAC.
• May 6 - Attend a Board of Education Meeting in the board room on May 6th @ 4pm
• May 8 - Follow-Up to the BOE Meeting on May 6th/Final session: What Worked & What can we Improve? 

The Board Academy is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Please consider joining us. We look forward to sharing with you. Email your interest in attending to Angela at arittenhouse@aspenk12.net.

Board Goals/Priorities for the 2018-19 School Year:

1. Academics - Continue to monitor progress for our Math and Literacy curriculums, with an emphasis on vertical alignment and improving the transitions between individual schools.
   
   
2. Climate and Culture – The Board believes creating an exemplary climate and culture for teaching and learning in the Aspen School District is an important and never-ending task. The Board will continue the effort to improve our organizational climate throughout the District by modeling, and encouraging others to model, key behaviors that help to build a positive climate such as enhanced and constructive communications, openness and fairness, inclusive decision making processes, and authentic leadership efforts that practice empathy, respect, and compassion when dealing with other District members.
   
   
3. Employee Housing – Develop an understanding of the number and type of housing units for which the District has a real need. Complete the West Ranch housing expansion.
   
   
4. Fiscal Planning – Continue long-term financial planning taking into particular consideration the bonds that are to be repaid and the funding measures that sunset over the next five years.
   
   
5. Communications – Continue to strengthen our public relations and outreach to the Aspen community. Create opportunities for two-way communication with our constituents. Have rotating members post a monthly blog on the BOE webpage.