Why do we exist? This sort of existential self-reflection is usually the domain of philosophers and spiritual leaders. However, this was one of three questions posed to a committee of educators, parents, and community members tasked with updating Byron-Bergen Central School District’s Mission/Values/Vision Statement.
“What do we do? How do we behave? Why do we exist? It’s deceptive,” said District Technology Coordinator and Western NY Tech Academy Principal Tom Schulte. “The answers seem simple and then you start to dig deeper.”
The committee was guided by Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement for Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES Marla Iverson. She led the group through a series of exercises to get to the core of not only what the District is, and what the District does, but also the standard to which the District should be held. After serious deliberation over a course of weeks, the committee answered the three questions:
•What do we do? Inspire, prepare, and support.
•How do we behave? With compassion, humility, kindness, and persistence.
•Why do we exist? To change the world.
These answers are the building blocks for the Mission/Values/Vision Statement. The Byron-Bergen Central School District’s mission is to inspire, prepare, and support using the values of compassion, persistence, kindness, and humility with the vision to change the world. The Board of Education adopted the new Mission/Values/Vision statement on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
“This statement is the standard to which we will hold everything we do,” said Byron-Bergen Superintendent Mickey Edwards. “It will inform all of our decisions, our interactions, and goals.”
The Mission/Values/Vision Statement plays a key role in the District. It serves as a benchmark for decision-making. New and existing programs will be evaluated based on the ability to support the District mission, express the District values, and uphold the District vision.
“People have asked how we plan to change the world,” said Edwards. “I tell them, we already are. Every time we show a student compassion, the student takes that compassion out into the world. Every time we inspire a student, the student takes that inspiration out into the world. The challenge is not to change the world. The challenge is to deliberately, mindfully change the world in the best possible ways. That is why the Mission/Values/Vision Statement is so important and why I am so excited to enact it every day.”
This sentiment is reflected in a video posted to the District’s website in which Edwards introduces the new Mission/Values/Vision Statement. To view the video, visit http://www.bbschools.org/SuperintendentofSchools.
Provided information
