Taking Flight

Imagine a plane taking off. As it taxis down the tarmac, it gathers speed and then lifts off the leaving the earth behind. The plane climbs steeply at first until it slowly levels off at 30,000 feet and you breath a quiet sigh of relief as the captain turns off the seat belt light.

This is the metaphor that we focused on as we began our strategic planning process at Wednesday night’s board meeting. Our goal is to help Gross Schechter lift itself higher, building on our strengths and successes, as we move into the years ahead. Our conversation wasn’t on what was wrong, but rather using a technique known as Appreciative Inquiry, focused on finding what is right and building from it.

To kick off this process, we began by thinking about the things that make Schechter excellent. We shared our own personal experiences and what we felt during those moments. Then, we shared wishes and hopes for the school in the next three to five years. These Appreciative Inquiry tools will push us to discover more about Schechter, dream about our future, design plans, and, of course, deliver results.

Over the next few months, a group of board members, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members will serve as our strategic planning committee. The group will be led Beth Rosenberg, past board president,  and supported by consultant Marcy Levy Shankman, Vice President for Strategy and Director of Leadership Cleveland for the Cleveland Leadership Center. With Beth and Marcy’s guidance, we are excited to embark on this path of growth and seeing the heights that Schechter will soar to.

Shabbat Shalom V’Chag Same’ach,

Dr. Ari Yares
Head of School