A good world, a good school looks alike to most people. But Everson disagrees. In working with dozens of schools, Everson says she has found that educators and parents have much easier time developing mission statements than vision statements. They're much better at mission. They have a heck of a time doing vision,'' she says.
Collaboration is crucial to developing both vision and mission statements.
Interviews with several consultants and schools that have gone through the vision-mission process suggest a general plan for developing these statements. Many schools use the existing school improvement team. Gather the representatives together for an initial meeting. If your school or district already has a vision or mission statement, begin by looking at that. If you're starting from scratch, talk out your dreams for your school.