Cherry Hill Superintendent Kwame Morton speaks at a meeting about the district's forthcoming strategic plan.
More support for eighth-grade students transitioning to high school. A broader range of special education opportunities regardless of the school a student attends. Programs geared to students who do not plan to attend college. Time management. Up-to-date computer knowledge.
Those were some of the opportunities and skills that should be available to students, about two dozen Cherry Hill parents told school officials during a community meeting held January 27 at Rosa International Middle School.
The meeting was about the planned update to the district strategic plan, which district officials said would focus on the "portrait of a graduate." A similar meeting was also held January 21 at Cherry Hill High School West.
"As we look toward the future, there is a host of new realities that we need to look at addressing," said Superintendent Kwame Morton. "That is the reason we are going through this process."
Carole Roskoph, the school district special projects supervisor noted: "The portrait of a graduate we are doing now will have a much greater impact on the younger children in our district than it will on the juniors and seniors graduating this year and next."
Morton and Roskoph spent part of the January 27 meeting asking parents for student-specific examples of integrity, empathy, empowerment and equity. Parents said they hoped their children would be able to advocate for themselves and build greater confidence in themselves. They also said every student should be allowed to access district programs and events.
The community meetings were one of the last steps the district is taking toward updating the strategic plan. According to Morton, the update formally began in summer 2024 with meetings of school board members and district and school leaders. Last fall, district consultant Hanover Research analyzed student academic and behavioral shortcomings and inequities in access to programs.
A draft of the strategic plan is expected to be ready for public review in May, according to Morton.
Responses from a related community survey now are being tabulated and analyzed, Morton said. Next, focus groups will answer open-ended questions, including ones developed from the input the district has received since the summer. The focus group answers will help establish procedures for implementing the strategic plan and tracking the progress the district makes toward following it.Â
Nina Baratti, a spokesperson for the district, told 70and73.com that members of the public can email suggestions for the district strategic plan to publicinfo@chclc.org.
