Rockwood Board of Education Unanimously Adopts New Strategic Plan

The Rockwood Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the district’s new five-year strategic plan, Forward Together, on June 5. The plan is the culmination of a yearlong process that involved student, staff, parent and community input to develop a visionary roadmap that will guide the work district staff engages in to educate and support students.

Between May 2024 and May 2025, five community engagement meetings and seven Strategic Plan Steering Committee meetings were held, and their work was shared with a variety of groups during the spring semester to gather feedback. There were also multiple surveys and a ThoughtExchange that garnered more than 3,900 ratings. Forward Together has four goal areas:

• Nurturing Learning
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Highly Qualified Staff
• Safe and Caring Schools

Forward Together will serve as a framework both for the long-term direction of the district and the specific plans for each school year. Each of the goal areas has focus areas that will lead to objectives on which schools will base their Building School Improvement Plans.

Through the process, the Strategic Plan Steering Committee also developed the Rockwood Promise – also based on patron feedback – as a foundation for the strategic plan. The tenets of the Promise include:

• WE CULTIVATE BELONGING - We promise to embrace diversity, foster strong relationships and ensure inclusivity.
• WE EMPOWER ALL - We promise to empower each other to take ownership of our learning and our future.
• WE HONOR DIGNITY - We promise to foster an environment where everyone is respected, safe, seen and heard.
• WE EMBRACE INNOVATION - We promise to nurture curiosity, creativity and problem-solving to achieve at high levels.

“Everyone plays a role in supporting students,” said Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain. “Staff, families, peers and members of the greater Rockwood community all have the opportunity to influence and support our students in a positive way. The Rockwood Promise embodies who we are and who we want to be for our students. As a community, it is my hope that we will aspire individually and collectively to live up to this promise to our children, empowering them to achieve great things and contribute to our thriving community.”

Forward Together is a roadmap that all Board and leadership decisions will align to, and it will be reviewed annually to allow for adjustments as needed as district staff monitor and learn what works best for students. 

“We recognize that maintaining the Rockwood standard of excellence requires a proactive and forward-thinking approach,” said Board of Education President Lynne Midyett. “Forward Together outlines our vision for the future, embracing innovation and addressing the evolving needs of our learners to ensure they are not only academically prepared but also equipped with the critical skills and mindsets necessary to excel in a rapidly changing world. Forward Together and the Rockwood Promise represent a commitment to every child, every family and every employee of Rockwood.”