About PHS

Presidio Hill School Vision and Values

First and foremost, the strategic planning process reaffirmed the community’s support for the School’s vision and values. Sometimes characterized as the “Presidio Hill flavor of progressive education,” the vision set forth below provides the foundation to our strategic planning recommendations, grounding them in the current and historical vision of this institution.

Presidio Hill School believes these principles are the hallmark of a progressive education, and that the success of the School over the years speaks to the power of these principles. This plan presents a set of goals intended to further enhance and integrate the presence of these practices in school life.

Recommended Strategic Priorities

Hundreds of suggestions were made throughout the strategic planning process. The following three priorities were distilled from all of those efforts and encompass the priorities that emerged from that process. The Strategic Planning Committee recommends that the primary focus of our work over the next three to five years is to strengthen our school in three primary areas:

• Continue to develop and evolve excellence in delivering a progressive education that embodies our core values
• Support an accomplished and respected staff and insure their retention
• Promote an engaged and inclusive school community

The emphasis of this plan is to strengthen Presidio Hill School’s ability to be a progressive, respected, and inclusive educational community in which accomplished and respected staff provides an excellent progressive education.

The community recognizes that there has been significant effort and accomplishment in all of these areas, and in many others as well. Prioritizing these three areas, and using them as guideposts in decision-making and resource allocation, will help keep the school on track with its mission and values.

These three areas do not exist in isolation and are not distinct. In practice, they intertwine, supporting one another and yet sometimes seemingly competing for scarce resources. These priorities are consistent, will push the school in the same positive direction and, if adhered to, will synergistically facilitate one another. So, for example, PHS cannot deliver excellence in progressive education without hiring and retraining accomplished staff members. The staff members, in turn, are better supported and are encouraged to make long-term commitments to the school if the school community is engaged and inclusive.

Summary

A strategic plan is just that, a plan. It sets the priorities that the school has identified for use of resources, both time and money, over the next three years. As our environment changes, or new opportunities or challenges face our community, the Board will be responsible for revisiting this plan and making modifications as necessary.

Excellent Progressive Education

• Examine the K-8 curriculum to ensure continuity, best practices, and mission across grades, subjects and programs.
• Continue to develop and evaluate the middle school to ensure that the program is cohesive, intentional, and aligned with the PHS mission and vision.
• Examine the methods we use to assess and report progress to students and parents
• Explore and define the role of technology in the context of a progressive approach to education, students, and parents

Accomplished and Respected Staff

• Continue to develop and support excellence in teaching through professional development and other activities.
• Support a teaching environment that enables teachers to grow, evolve and master their craft.
• Ensure that total compensation and benefits allows PHS to attract and retain excellent faculty and staff.
• Continue to support PHS staff providing leadership in the field of progressive education.

Engaged and Inclusive School Community

• Give increased visibility in all school activities to core values and mission of the school.
• Increase and nurture the diversity of the community and infuse the values of diversity, multiculturalism, and acceptance into every aspect of community life.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for parent involvement that orients new families and encourages and maintains involvement over the years.
• Develop and implement an effective communication plan that allows information to flow through appropriate channels among all constituencies in the community.