2013-2020STRATEGIC PLAN

AN INTRODUCTION TO USM’S STRATEGIC PLAN

University School of Milwaukee’s previous Strategic Plan, which spanned five years from 2006 through 2010 and was directed by former Head of School Ward Ghory, made significant enhancements to USM in the areas of faculty, curriculum and programs, facilities, value propositions, and financial planning. With that Plan having been completed in impressive fashion, it became my task to lead the School on a new strategic planning process.

This new Strategic Plan addresses the importance of continuing to provide the excellent academic experience that USM is known for, while embedding a culture of leadership for our faculty and students and maintaining a financially sustainable structure that provides us with the ability to “think big.” Our primary goal remains ensuring that our students receive the best possible education, in every sense of the word–not only in the state of Wisconsin, but also nationally.

This Strategic Plan more formally introduces the concepts of global education and engagement, professional leadership, and innovation, and focuses on the importance of providing our students with an experiential learning component that ensures the vital hands-on experiences necessary for a true and demonstrated understanding of concepts, skills, and ideas.

It is truly an exciting time to be a part of USM, and we look forward to implementing and continuing to refine and enhance this Plan in the years to come.

Laura J. Fuller Head of School

STRATEGIC VISION AND POSITIONINGUniversity School of Milwaukee (USM) aspires to engage our students, families, faculty, staff, and the community through the use of innovative educational practices in classroom and experiential learning. The objective is to create new connections for our students with the world around them and continue to prepare them for the future. To accomplish this, the School will position itself to extend its boundaries and relationships in the greater Milwaukee area. As a result, USM will earn a reputation as a thought leader and resource for primary and secondary education in the community.

This will enable USM to:• Enhance the existing ACADEMIC PROGRAMS for current and future students • Ensure long-term FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY • STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS with external constituencies • Grow MARKET RELEVANCE and connectivity

GUIDING STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES• Maintain USM’s focus on academic excellence and achievement,

while also updating and enhancing the School’s curriculum and pedagogy• Embed a culture of leadership at USM among students, faculty, and staff• Focus on financial sustainability and resource stewardship,

including management of costs, tuition, fees, and other revenue sources.

Strategic Plan Approval

This Strategic Plan was formally approved by the 2013-2014 University School of Milwaukee Board of Trustees at its meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2013.

2013-2014 Board of Trustees

PRESIDENT: Richard Seesel | VICE PRESIDENT: Andrew A. Petzold | SECRETARY: Marina Rosenberg | TREASURER: Stephen F. Geimer ’78

TRUSTEES: Danae Davis | Deanna Doerr | R. David Fritz ’81 | Michael Grebe ’85 | Jon Hopkins | Karen Huffman | Patricia Juranitch | Sangeeta Khanna Charles A. Mellowes ’87 | Linda Mutschler | Dr. William Pennington | Dr. Anthony Ross | Michael A. Roth | Frederick P. Stratton III ’92 | Erskine Tucker Jr. ’79 Edie Turnbull | Adam J. Wiensch | Sarah Zimmerman ’92

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THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIPDevelop a leading center for best practices in 21st-century teaching and learning with a focus on connecting and collaborating with the broader community of professional educators.

The purpose of this Center is to strengthen the existing USM teaching and learning experience through professional development, to broaden leadership skills for our faculty, and to serve as a catalyst and resource for best practices in our region and beyond.

1. Attract, hire, train, and develop and retain the best teachers.

2. Identify, cultivate, and coordinate expertise across all divisions and departments in order to share this expertise more effectively, both internally and externally.

3. Develop symposia or institutes on innovative teaching, leadership skills, online learning, and other topics.

4. Collaborate with the greater Milwaukee educational community through partnerships with colleges, universities, and other primary and secondary schools.

5. Investigate the creation of an innovation school that encourages teachers to experiment, provides new opportunities to our students, and connects to the broader community.

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THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENTEnhance a globally-integrated and diploma-designated academic experience that brings our diverse world into the USM classroom and sends USM out into the world.

The purpose of this Center is to foster a global perspective among USM students, expand local and global learning alliances, and enhance the learning opportunities for students at USM.

1. Formalize and embed global education and engagement into the PK-12 curriculum at USM, and adopt an annual global theme or topic to be taught in all grades.

2. Develop capstone experiences for individual or small groups within the Global Education and Engagement curriculum at grades 4, 8, and 12 that include a presentation of students’ work.

3. Examine and expand foreign language offerings throughout USM, including immersion programs.

4. Formalize and develop foreign educational travel programming for students, families, alumni, and others, with a goal of being recognized as a leader of such study experiences.

5. Develop a program to attract international students to enhance global programming and increase revenue.

6. Develop collaborative relationships with schools in the Milwaukee area and abroad to share educational experiences.

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THE CENTER FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGDevelop a Center for Experiential Learning that builds on the professional relationships that USM has engendered in the region. This Center will provide real-world learning and diploma-designated experiences in selected academic areas.

The purpose of this Center is to leverage the collective human capital among the USM parent, Trustee, alumni, and other stakeholder communities for the benefit of our students. Interaction with community leaders will provide students with opportunities to problem-solve and discover pragmatic solutions.

1. Develop a PK-12 professional-preparedness curriculum, culminating in a diploma-designated program, in cooperation with outside partners.

2. Develop a PK-12 Milwaukee-focused service learning program that can also culminate in a diploma-designated program.

3. Engage business, educational, and civic leaders from our region and beyond to help teach USM students how to approach the dynamic challenges facing our world.

4. Embed the “capstone” concept in experiential learning programs in grades 4, 8, and 12.

5. Implement experiential learning elements in current curricular units through enhanced use of outside resources in Milwaukee and online.

6. Implement experiential learning elements in USM’s extracurricular activities, such as arts, avocations, after-school programs, and summer programs, using tutoring, community outreach, and online learning.

FOCAL AREAS OF SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION1. Inventory, research, assess, and coordinate current resources and future programming of the Centers to reduce redundancy and to improve scheduling management. Address programs needing possible redesign or elimination as part of the assessment.

2. Develop a revenue strategy in order to marshal financial resources and the energy of the School community around the Plan.

3. Facilitate and host signature events that enhance opportunities for student, faculty, and staff engagement and build USM’s reputation as a thought leader. Create a platform to spread ideas throughout greater Milwaukee.

4. Form community partnerships to enrich both USM and the community. Engage business, educational, and civic leaders in our region and beyond regarding the dynamic challenges facing education.

5. Develop and execute a marketing and communication plan to promote USM’s position as a primary and secondary education thought leader in Milwaukee and beyond.

This Strategic Plan is a bold step forward for University School of Milwaukee, and it is only through the dedication and effort of so many that it has been created. The Strategic Plan Steering Committee, listed below, led these efforts, but hundreds of individuals have been involved in its development. That inclusiveness is part of what makes USM such a special place.

A total of more than 60 individuals were involved in Steering Committee work groups, and many more faculty, staff, parents, alumni, Trustees, and friends of the School had a direct impact on this Strategic Plan through survey responses, questions and suggestions at feedback-gathering sessions, and other communications. We wish to formally thank all of these people for their work and input.

We have been through five formal phases in this planning process, and each step along the way has helped us to further refine and enhance our documented vision and aspirations for USM. We are well aware that the work that has been done in creating this Strategic Plan is vitally important to the direction and future of USM. The level of engagement by everyone involved in its creation is a constant reminder of why USM has always been and will remain such an excellent school.

Andrew A. Petzold Sangeeta Khanna Richard SeeselCo-Chair, Co-Chair, President, Strategic Plan Steering Committee Strategic Plan Steering Committee Board of Trustees

Strategic Plan Steering Committee

TRUSTEES: Andrew A. Petzold, Co-Chair | Sangeeta Khanna, Co-Chair | Thomas W. Florsheim Jr. ’76 | Marina Rosenberg | Michael A. Roth | Richard Seesel

ADMINISTRATORS: Sylvester Cutler, Director of Financial Aid | Maurie Daigneau, Director of Special Giving | Laura Fuller, Head of School Pamela Nosbusch, Head of Middle School | Tim Quinn, Assistant Head of Upper School | Janell Schmidt, Director of Finance

FACULTY: Kate Gay, Upper School teacher | Michael Landgraf ’92, Lower School teacher | Mike Snyder, Upper School teacher

ALUMNI: Fred Geilfuss ’71 | Sarah Zimmerman ’92

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION: Karen Huffman | Cindy Zautcke

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