About Vision 2015
About Vision 2015
Vision 2015 is a 10-year strategic plan for Northern Kentucky. The plan is a product of a year-long visioning process that sought input from nearly 2,000 people throughout the region. The plan identified six strategic goals Northern Kentucky must meet in order to enjoy economic prosperity and a high quality of life for all residents. Vision 2015 is also the name of a community group that promotes the goals outlined in the plan. The not-for-profit organization consists of a small paid staff and a large diverse group of business and community volunteers known as the Regional Stewardship Council.
Vision 2015 worked with community partners to launch the Center for Educator Excellence which is a key component to "exceed national standards for educator excellence in school systems."
The following are excerpts from the press release which was sent January 15, 2008, close to the time the Center for Educator Excellence was launched:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Center for Educator Excellence launched to Accomplish a Main Vision 2015 Goal
Covington, KY January 15, 2008 - Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College, the Council of Partners, the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, the Partnership for Successful Schools, the Education Alliance, Gateway Community and Technical College, and 17 Northern Kentucky school districts have joined together to take on one of Vision 2015's main education strategies, "to exceed national standards for educator excellence in school systems that pay competitive salaries, reward performance and require accountability." The Center for Educator Excellence will be launched this month to begin working towards that goal.
The center will be housed at Northern Kentucky University under the leadership of the College of Education and Human Services. A Steering Committee composed of educators, community volunteers, and business professionals has been developed to oversee the direction of the Center. "It is critical that we offer focused, relevant professional development for our educators and integrate such offerings into the work individual districts are already doing. We will get more bang for our buck if we approach professional development from a regional perspective," said Elaine Jarchow, Dean of the NKU College of Education and Human Services. The Center for Educator Excellence will begin offering workshops designed to enhance and build upon the professional development opportunities already being offered within various districts. In all,
The Center for Educator Excellence will have seven specific goals:
- Develop Future Educators organizations in all area high schools.
- Increase incentives to recruit and retain top quality teachers and teacher candidates, such as scholarships, loans, financial breaks on regional services, etc. in return for commitment to remain in Northern Kentucky.
- Create a regional plan for focused and relevant professional development and a strategy for integrating the learning into district plans.
- Develop regional guidelines for teacher preparation and teacher professional development to help ensure that all Northern Kentucky teachers will be prepared to help every student learn the skills to prepare them for the future.
- Create a system to track teacher turnover and the reasons why teachers leave Northern Kentucky schools.
- Develop regional structure for encouraging teachers to aspire to National Board Certification and to support them in the process.
- Develop methods to measure teacher excellence in terms of student learning.
Dr. George Ann Rice, retired Associate Superintendent for Clark County School District in Nevada, where approximately 2000 additional teachers must be recruited each year, has been hired to assist with the launch and coordination of the Center.