Developing a Clear Staff Vision

This full-day workshop is intended as a whole staff activity that allows all of the members of a school’s staff to align philosophically and establish clear visions for their classrooms and other settings. We use the “Rida Framework,” created by Detroit Free Schools and inspired by the work of education scholar Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade.

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Traditionally, schools demand that educators develop curriculum by first looking to the content and state standards they are required to meet. This approach fuels a culture motivated by test-taking and scores, rather than a culture of meaningful learning. It also makes school irrelevant to the students’ everyday lives. The Rida Framework, instead, requires that the teacher first deeply reflect on the context of their classroom, the purpose of education within that context and their ultimate goals as an instructor. This big picture approach gives school content a critical sense of place and purpose. From this approach, users of the Rida Framework articulate practices (action) that will result in desired/outlined outcomes within their classrooms, which they will document and evaluate via pre-determined metrics (reflection). 

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Mister V will guide the group through the exploration and definition of a school’s context and each educator’s purpose, principles, and vision. We will also establish the school’s “Big Rocks,” defining the soul and shared core values of all educators at the institution.