In a two-hour open forum held Wednesday evening, the public got an opportunity to participate in what is to become a long-term strategic plan for the Tolland School District. The event gave audience members insight into the expertise of a team from the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), who the Board of Education hired this past spring to assist in revising their plan. According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Guzman, the school system's plan was last revised in 2000.

Two members of the NESDEC team were on hand to explain the process and begin gathering public opinion on what should be the major areas of focus. Suggested areas of concern by NESDEC's Dr. Donald Kennedy and Margery Clark included student opportunity and achievement, school climate, technology and communications. Members of the audience suggested a number of additional, specific areas of focus.

Of the 44 people attending the meeting, over a dozen spoke up, citing concerns such as classroom size, technological integration and 21st century skills, project-related and team-based learning, staff training and access to studies for all kinds of learners. The topic which garnered the lengthiest discussion was the need to integrate into the classroom, rather than just teach, technology in order to engage today's modern child.

Tolland resident and Stafford teacher, Brandy Gadoury, said that technology integration has been underfunded in the past and that, in this global world, teachers are "digital immigrants" and need training to help integrate this into their classrooms.

Another attendee noted that the ongoing focus of the plan should be on 21st century skills. "[Students] will be competing in a very different world ten years from now," she said.

Surveys were distributed to audience members asking for suggestions, however the meeting's relatively low turnout prompted facilitator Kennedy to push for as much participation in taking the surveys as possible. Surveys will be posted online and can be faxed or mailed to NESDEC. The survey is also posted with this article.

The remainder of the strategic planning process will include establishing specific goals, ongoing meetings with administrators, a January Open Forum, a BOE presentation, and a March State of the Schools presentation. Presenters said the strategic plan will be "ongoing," with updates on what is being accomplished. Several audience members felt that regular updates, progress reports and timelines would be helpful in proving why this investment in the Tolland school system is needed.