Superintendent looks to build continuity in district

Heather Davis Schmidt has met with hundreds of community members since June when she stepped into her new role as superintendent of Whitefish schools.

In her conversations with city leaders, families, students and teachers, Davis Schmidt says she learned plenty about what makes this community tick and how the school district is tightly woven into the community fabric.

Her efforts to meet with as many different people and groups in the last three months were apart of her “100 days, 100 families” entry plan.

“I wanted to build relationships with the community,” Davis Schmidt said last week in speaking with the Pilot. “I wanted to learn about how the schools operate, how we’re doing and what the expectations are.”

Starting in June, she met with focus groups of students, parents and staff, and reached out to community organizations such as the Lions Club and city council for their take on the community.

“And I went to school activities to meet with parents and students in a less formal setting,” she said. “Those sideline conversations can be powerful.”

Throughout these conversations, Davis Schmidt sought answers to two questions: What is the district doing well that it should continue to do and what can the district do differently?

“I want to make sure we don’t destroy the things that we already do well,” she said of the two-part question.

It quickly became obvious that Whitefish has a strong foundation of teachers, she said.

“People want to come work here and our staff is highly educated,” she said.

Students, she learned, are highly talented and want to be challenged beyond the classroom.

Davis Schmidt also gained a strong understanding of the community’s deep support for the district, both financially and through other resources.

“We have a highly supportive community,” she said “From the various boards, parents and community members — we have a lot of resources available.”

A lack of alignment and consistency across all of the schools is one area Davis Schmidt has pinpointed as needing attention,

“Education is complex and structure, continuity, alignment and clarity is needed,” she says.

Her top priority going forward will be the strategic planning process in how to align the district from kindergarten to grade 12.

She envisions a final document that sets out an overall mission, goals and core beliefs that can be applied district-wide.

By April she hopes to have the plan in place. A communications firm will then help distribute that message through various media.

She compared the final document to being somewhat like a business plan for the district.

“This is something a business recognizes they need right away,” she said.

She’s also says a complete review of the district’s policies and procedures is needed.

“The school board recognizes it, as well,” she said, noting that a review hasn’t been completed since 1999.

“It’s just time,” she added.

A financial plan on how to maintain and upgrade school facilities is a third area that needs attention, she said.

Overall, she believes the district is in great shape.

“This is not a rebuilding strategy,” she said. “There are a lot of good pieces in place. This is continuous improvement while keeping the good things we already do.”