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Many schools make the mistake of creating a vision around what an organization wants to become or what adults should be doing in a preferred view of the future. The problem with this approach is that it places the attention on the members of the organization instead of the customers. Effective school leaders understand this and refocus their school visions by asking a simple, yet complex question:

What do we want for every student, every day, in every classroom?

The real work of schools takes place in classrooms and by empowering teachers to rewrite the vision of the school around this important question, greater ownership of the quality and standards for learning will take place. Effective school leaders engage teachers in the identification of what they want for every student, every day of school. This leads to a thoughtful investigation of the three elements of the learning environment:
1.   What kind of curriculum do we want for every student?
2.   What kind of assessments do we want to ensure mastery for every student, every day?
3.   What kind of instructional experiences do we want to ensure learning for every student?
 
Passionate teachers are aware of why schools need to change, and given the opportunity, can identify a new vision that is focused on the daily learning experiences of their students:

Curriculum
     → International
     → Rigorous
     → Workforce ready

Assessment
     → Common formatives
     → Rigorous summatives
     → Valid and reliable

Instruction
     → Differentiated
     → Engaging
     → Authentic
Teacher descriptors will vary, but this type of envisioning process redirects the work of the school around shared standards for quality learning experiences for each student.  Once these standards are in place, the vision process works backwards from the classroom by asking other stakeholders what their roles will be in ensuring the vision is reached.  Effective school leaders understand that the vision for their school comes alive in the classroom experiences of their students, each and every day.
 
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