Thus, rather than start at the bottom with cuts we might wish to start at the top with priorities. That provides some guidance for the Superintendent. It puts some responsibility on the Board. And it is a manageable undertaking. Based on the policies to which the Board has already committed itself, and without adding anything new, the following would appear to be logical conclusions regarding our present ranking of priorities.
Academic ends are the most important.
Literacy is the highest priority of the academic ends. Additional academic programs for which we establish ends policies but no priority ranking. Next up on our list are ends policies for writing, math and science. Until we do, however, they would have a lower priority than literacy except, of course, to the extent that we include writing as a part of literacy. Academic programs for which we have not, and do not intend to, establish ends policies.