New era for ACSA strategy

Association of California School Administrators

2023-25 Strategic Plan sets objectives and priorities for the association

June 12, 2023

Starting July 1, ACSA will operate with a new strategic plan to guide the association for the next two years. ACSA will also have new mission and vision statements that define the association’s purpose and outlook into the future.

The 2023-25 Strategic Plan, which was ratified by the ACSA Board of Directors on Feb. 17, outlines three goals, six objectives and nine short-term priorities that will direct ACSA’s efforts, from the state level to the association’s councils, committees and regions.

“Our goal is for the new strategic plan to guide our actions and activities on a day-to-day basis,” said ACSA Executive Director Edgar Zazueta. “My goal is for this strategic plan to be a guidepost for both state ACSA and the regions on how we can better serve our members.”

This new document comes after more than a year and a half of work by ACSA leaders to create the successor to ACSA’s previous strategic plan, which expired in June 2021.

When the global pandemic began in spring 2020, ACSA put efforts to develop a new plan on hold as the association shifted its focus to meeting emergent member needs.

It wasn’t until the 2021-22 year that work began on the development of the next iteration of the strategic plan. The board assigned ACSA’s Leadership Development Committee to lead this important work, with guidance provided by consultant Jim DeLizia.

Acknowledging that pandemic-related challenges made it difficult for members to engage in strategic planning, the LDC requested that approval of the new plan take place in February 2023. This would also allow Zazueta, who became ACSA executive director on June 1, 2022, the opportunity to contribute to the plan.

One of the LDC’s goals was to refine the strategic plan into a more concise and condensed one-page document, said Maria Thompson, chair of the Leadership Development Committee.

“The LDC also aimed to increase member participation and involvement in the association’s activities and initiatives,” she said. “They wanted to create opportunities for members to contribute to the organization’s goals and objectives actively.”

Another goal was to understand and address member needs, Thompson said, and develop strategies to support their professional growth.

Promoting collaboration and networking among educational leaders was another priority for the LDC. “They recognized the value of sharing experiences, expertise, and best practices among members to enhance their leadership skills and improve educational outcomes,” Thompson said.

The committee held a number of meetings and leveraged a variety of methods to collect input from ACSA stakeholders, including live facilitated conversations and in-person meetings, as well as written response forms and electronic surveys to engage these audiences.

Thompson said the input collected from members included several themes: equity and inclusivity for students; professional development and support; and advocacy and policy influence.

Based upon this input and the association’s strategic goals, the LDC selected the following nine first-year priorities that will result in specific actions in the 2023-24 year:

Shorter professional development opportunities.
Options for post-program continuous learning, networking and support.
Customized options for career development, along with mentoring opportunities.
Community groups for members with different interests or job-alikes.
Resources and support for member, student and educator well-being.
More frequent updates on ACSA government relations activity.
More member access to information exchanged and developed in Committee and Council meetings.
Stronger partnerships with like-minded affinity groups.
Intentional strategies to seek out and engage new, aspiring, experienced and retired members.

“One valuable new addition in this iteration of the strategic plan is the emphasis on well-being of our members,” Zazueta said. “While the goal continues to focus all of our effort on serving students, we realize that educators can’t be at their best unless they are taking care of themselves. We believe this should be a priority for ACSA moving forward.”

As part of this process, the board also adopted altering ACSA’s mission statement into two separate mission and vision statements.

“Breaking down the mission into a mission statement and a vision statement allows for a more concise articulation of the organization’s purpose and its aspirations for the future,” Thompson said. “The mission statement describes the association’s current role and objectives, while the vision statement outlines its desired future state.”

Breaking down ACSA’s 2023-25 Strategic Plan

ACSA’s 2023-25 Strategic Plan is comprised of the following: Mission statement: Who we are Vision statement: Where we are going 9 Values: What we stand for 3 Goals: Where we will produce results 6 Long-term objectives: What we strive to achieve in the long-term 9 Short-term priorities: How we will focus action in the 2023-24 school year The Framework is a two-page document containing long-term objectives that span both plan years. The 2023-24 Strategic Plan is a “one-pager” with priorities for the first year of the two-year plan. View the full documents at www.acsa.org/strategicplan.