ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY
Our vision at DASD is committed to a culture that honors knowledge, respects individuals, demands excellence, fosters life-long learning, and supports relationships that strengthen individuals, families and community. Here at DASD, every student, staff, and family is a valued member of our community.
We are proud to be home to a beautifully diverse population of students, families, and staff of different races, faiths, national origins, immigration status, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identity. We are a non-partisan and secular school district that values and celebrates diversity.
Mission, Vision, Equity, Belief Statements & Key Purposes
It is not new to public education or private industry that the more clearly you can align people around a common goal, a common set of beliefs and priorities, and a shared vision of what is to be achieved, the more successful you will become. The Board of Education studied the elements of the community’s vision for its public school system. This information was obtained during the Board’s Future Search process, entitled Framework for the Future. In this three-day conference, a large, broadly representative group of citizens and educators laid out the foundation of the Vision for the school district.
This work helps the Board of Education and district staff to design the district's Mission, Vision, and Belief Statements, as well as student outcomes, or Results, and operational expectations. These fundamental priorities drive our district's policies, practices, and continuous improvement efforts.
Mission - The mission of the DeForest Area School District is to provide an excellent education and engage, challenge, and inspire all students to pursue their full potential.
Vision - The DeForest Area School District is committed to a culture that honors knowledge, respects individuals, demands excellence, fosters life-long learning, and supports relationships that strengthen individuals, families and community.
Equity Statement - We believe every student deserves equitable access to high-quality, rigorous, and engaging learning opportunities, so we will ask questions, foster relationships, manage resources, and create systems to increase and sustain access, equity, and safety for all learners.
Belief Statements
Individuals
- We believe that all children are naturally inclined to learn.
- We believe every person is unique and brings individual talents, experiences, abilities, interests, and learning styles to the District.
- We believe every person deserves to be respected.
Learning Process
- We believe the learning process is enhanced by caring relationships built on mutual respect, self-discipline, initiative, and persistence.
- We believe a commitment to continuous improvement and personal and organizational accountability are essential to the educational process.
- We believe a culture for learning is nurtured and sustained by cooperation among students, parents, staff, faculty, taxpayers, and other stakeholders.
- We believe knowledge enhances our lives because it gives us greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
- We believe a sense of perspective and humor is important to the learning process.
Learning Environment
- We believe schools must establish supportive and engaging learning environments that nurture every child’s natural inclination to learn.
- We believe a healthy, safe, and secure school environment provides the best opportunity for learning.
- We believe collaboration between family, school, and community is necessary to sustain a successful learning environment.
- We believe successful learning experiences require positive relationships based on trust, collegiality, and open and honest communication throughout the community.
- We believe setting high expectations, modeling principled behavior, accepting personal responsibility, and displaying professional and personal integrity are essential to establishing a successful learning environment.
Our Culture
The DASD culture is a belief and value system that defines the public’s perception of us, as well as our perceptions of each other. It influences how we work, how we treat students and each other, and it is something we all have an important role in defining and implementing regardless of the job description we hold.
- We keep students as our central focus.
- We expect hard work, risk taking and continuous growth.
- We create an environment for students and staff that promotes understanding, respect, and celebration of individuality and diversity.
- We engage community in achieving our common vision.
- We build relationships that support a positive, caring school community.
- We promote teamwork throughout the district to achieve a common vision.
- We incorporate joy, fun, and humor in what we do.
- We develop leadership skills at all levels.
- We include partners in decision-making processes.
- We foster effective communication throughout the district.
- We encourage innovation.
- We value the efficient and effective use of resources.
