Dear SPPS Colleagues,

I am sharing an update about our work to promote positive school and District culture.

The work of initiative 2A in the SPPS Achieves Strategic Plan is to improve culture by using input from students, staff and families. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where all staff feel a sense of belonging. That means staff members are positively engaged and empowered in their work, and inspired to lead courageously.

More information about initiative 2A is available in this summary document.

In the coming weeks, the 2A initiative team will be conducting an online pilot survey for staff at nine schools and four department sites.

Sites were selected to balance participation across District Areas A-F including: program types; grade levels; student demographics; size of the school; and ensuring the results of the survey represent sites supported by each Division of School’s assistant superintendent. Departments were selected based primarily on their size and representation of each Chief Officer. 

The online pilot survey will be available at these sites for two weeks beginning later this month.

Results of this pilot survey will be analyzed by researchers at the University of Minnesota, working in collaboration with REA staff, to generate questions for a survey that will be sent to all staff later this year. 

I try to model positivity every day, and many of the people I come in contact with on any given day do the same. Thank you for your efforts to contribute to a positive culture.

In partnership,

Joe Gothard, Superintendent