Jeanie McDowell

Rowan-Salisbury Schools (RSS) officially revealed its new strategic plan, Renewal 2027, at a special launch event in the Moody Center for Innovation at Wallace Educational Forum this afternoon.   

Superintendent Dr. Tony B. Watlington, Sr., shared the work of the 45-member steering committee and the participants of more than 35 focus groups held over the past year during the plan’s development.  Students, teachers, parents, school and district administrators, college and university officials, and business and community partners were involved in developing the strategic plan that will serve as the roadmap for RSS until 2027 and beyond.  

“Rowan-Salisbury Schools has been at the forefront of establishing fundamental standards while using multiple measures to assess student growth. Moreover, we are a leader in expanding career and technical education (CTE) to meet the needs of our local, state, and national economic demands, with RSS CTE students ranking 4th among 115 school districts in North Carolina for CTE credential attainment,” said Watlington.  “While we have much to celebrate, we have much room for growth.  We believe children are more than a test score. We know when teachers are empowered and have the flexibility to lead and work together while using research and formative data to improve their practice and actively engage learners, students become more engaged and learn more. This simple, yet powerful idea is at the heart of extraordinary schools.”

Building upon the district’s Renewal flexibilities, Renewal 2027 takes into account the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on teaching and learning, and how the district is thinking differently about what it means to promote and support healthy and engaged learners at every level of the district, for students and staff.

Renewal 2027 outlines seven overarching focus areas, 13 goals, and 42 specific strategies that the district will work to accomplish in the next five years.  Guided by this plan, RSS’s efforts will focus on:

• Student wellness and engagement
• Academic skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Unique life goals
• Human capital
• Operational excellence
• Parent and community involvement

“We seek to educate the whole child in Rowan-Salisbury Schools. We know what matters most is improving literacy and providing life-changing opportunities and outcomes for our students. We are doing this through the RSS Renewal Directional System, a three-pronged approach addressing student academic skills, interpersonal skills, and unique life goals for healthy and engaged learners,”  Watlington shared.  “We are actively pursuing a better tomorrow for our students by providing access to highly-effective teachers, using high-yield teaching strategies, and providing social-emotional learning opportunities.”

The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education approved the plan’s goals on December 13, 2021, and held two retreats on June 24, 2021, and February 1, 2022, to discuss the strategic plan.

“This strategic plan launch marks a new beginning in many ways for the students and staff of Rowan-Salisbury Schools.  Rowan-Salisbury Schools has been a leader in innovation for many years.  As a board, we are extremely proud of the hard work and effort that has gone into the development of the strategic plan,” commented Board Chairman Dean Hunter.  “It is our sincere hope Renewal 2027 will be the catalyst for helping our students be better prepared and to learn real-world skills in preparation for life after high school. I want to say thank you for being here today, andfor supporting and partnering with our school system as we attempt to make a difference in the lives of all of our students right here in Rowan-Salisbury Schools.”

“I think students have historically been overlooked in the decision-making process, but as the products of and the consumers of education, it is important to include our perspective and understand how we navigate this road of education.  Renewal 2027 does just that,” stated  Salisbury High School senior Ali Khatib.  “We, as students, were included in the decision-making process, were members of the steering committee, and I think the inclusion of our voices is the first step in creating agency.”

Parents, business leaders and community members are invited to partner with RSS to achieve extraordinary education every day for more than 18,000 RSS students and their families.  To learn more about Renewal 2027, visit www.rssed.org/about/stratetic-plan-2027.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools (RSS) officially revealed its new strategic plan, Renewal 2027, at a special launch event in the Moody Center for Innovation at Wallace Educational Forum this afternoon.   

Superintendent Dr. Tony B. Watlington, Sr., shared the work of the 45-member steering committee and the participants of more than 35 focus groups held over the past year during the plan’s development.  Students, teachers, parents, school and district administrators, college and university officials, and business and community partners were involved in developing the strategic plan that will serve as the roadmap for RSS until 2027 and beyond.  

“Rowan-Salisbury Schools has been at the forefront of establishing fundamental standards while using multiple measures to assess student growth. Moreover, we are a leader in expanding career and technical education (CTE) to meet the needs of our local, state, and national economic demands, with RSS CTE students ranking 4th among 115 school districts in North Carolina for CTE credential attainment,” said Watlington.  “While we have much to celebrate, we have much room for growth.  We believe children are more than a test score. We know when teachers are empowered and have the flexibility to lead and work together while using research and formative data to improve their practice and actively engage learners, students become more engaged and learn more. This simple, yet powerful idea is at the heart of extraordinary schools.”

Building upon the district’s Renewal flexibilities, Renewal 2027 takes into account the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on teaching and learning, and how the district is thinking differently about what it means to promote and support healthy and engaged learners at every level of the district, for students and staff.

Renewal 2027 outlines seven overarching focus areas, 13 goals, and 42 specific strategies that the district will work to accomplish in the next five years.  Guided by this plan, RSS’s efforts will focus on:

• Student wellness and engagement
• Academic skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Unique life goals
• Human capital
• Operational excellence
• Parent and community involvement

“We seek to educate the whole child in Rowan-Salisbury Schools. We know what matters most is improving literacy and providing life-changing opportunities and outcomes for our students. We are doing this through the RSS Renewal Directional System, a three-pronged approach addressing student academic skills, interpersonal skills, and unique life goals for healthy and engaged learners,”  Watlington shared.  “We are actively pursuing a better tomorrow for our students by providing access to highly-effective teachers, using high-yield teaching strategies, and providing social-emotional learning opportunities.”

The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education approved the plan’s goals on December 13, 2021, and held two retreats on June 24, 2021, and February 1, 2022, to discuss the strategic plan.

“This strategic plan launch marks a new beginning in many ways for the students and staff of Rowan-Salisbury Schools.  Rowan-Salisbury Schools has been a leader in innovation for many years.  As a board, we are extremely proud of the hard work and effort that has gone into the development of the strategic plan,” commented Board Chairman Dean Hunter.  “It is our sincere hope Renewal 2027 will be the catalyst for helping our students be better prepared and to learn real-world skills in preparation for life after high school. I want to say thank you for being here today, andfor supporting and partnering with our school system as we attempt to make a difference in the lives of all of our students right here in Rowan-Salisbury Schools.”

“I think students have historically been overlooked in the decision-making process, but as the products of and the consumers of education, it is important to include our perspective and understand how we navigate this road of education.  Renewal 2027 does just that,” stated  Salisbury High School senior Ali Khatib.  “We, as students, were included in the decision-making process, were members of the steering committee, and I think the inclusion of our voices is the first step in creating agency.”

Parents, business leaders and community members are invited to partner with RSS to achieve extraordinary education every day for more than 18,000 RSS students and their families.  To learn more about Renewal 2027, visit www.rssed.org/about/stratetic-plan-2027.