Foundation Funds ‘High Priority’ for District

The Waukee Community Schools Foundation is making a major investment in the classroom experience of every single Waukee student. The Foundation’s Board of Directors approved a $19,000 Professional Development Grant to the district. The funding will allow two teachers from every school to attend a High Reliability Schools (HRS) conference in June.

The Waukee Community School District’s Priority One of the Strategic Plan speaks to the implementation of an Academic and Social Emotional Learning framework. “A District Leadership Team has been exploring the High Reliability Schools framework. A smaller group from that leadership team recently attended a High Reliability Schools Summit and returned with enthusiasm that this framework is the right direction for our district,” said Associate Superintendent Terry Hurlburt. District leaders said they liked the High Reliability Schools’ approach, which concentrates school improvement in five key areas, with the maintaining of a safe, supportive, and collaborative school culture at the foundation of best practices within all of teaching and learning.

The district had already planned to send principals and members of the School Improvement Team to an HRS leadership conference in July. The additional funding from the Waukee Community Schools Foundation will allow 26 teachers to attend a similar HRS conference in June for further exploration and learning.

“We were thrilled to receive this request for funding from the district,” said Adrianne Towe, WCSF Executive Director. “One of the Foundation’s priority outcome areas is to create a strong sense of belonging for all students and district employees, and we are excited to support the adoption of High Reliability Schools as part of the District’s strategic efforts to enhance the classroom and work experience for everyone.”