DCMO BOCES Superintendent Michael Rullo introduced a new strategic plan, the Blueprint for Excellence, at an all-staff gathering on Tuesday. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH – DCMO BOCES kicked off the 2024-2025 school year with an all-staff gathering on Tuesday at the Alan D. Pole Campus in Norwich.

The traditional gathering of teachers, administrators and staff from all DCMO BOCES locations bought everyone together for collegial conversations, training, and lunch together.

District Superintendent Michael Rullo welcomed the staff back, expressing appreciation for their contributions and excitement for the coming year. Vanessa Warren, President of the DCMO BOCES Board of Education, told the group that the board was aware how dedicated everyone was to helping students succeed, and that their hard work was appreciated.

The highlight of the morning’s presentations was the introduction of the 2024-2025 Strategic Plan, A Blueprint for Excellence. The plan was the result of a months-long collaborative process that gathered feedback from DCMO BOCES stakeholders and developed it into a clear mission, vision and set of core values.

The leadership team and board of education worked together to develop and refine the plan, guided by an outside consultant, and reviewed it with a community group of stakeholders in June. From that meeting, priority areas were identified, which were further refined to create more specific goals and action plans to implement them. “The Blueprint for Excellence provides the foundational structure needed to propel our organization forward for years to come,” according to Rullo. “Developed through a process which included significant and diverse stakeholder input, the Blueprint has a learner-centered focus and emphasizes the development of a collaborative approach to strengthening both internal and external experiences.”

The plan identifies three priority areas as a collaborative culture, student focus and attention to operations and services. Action plans have already been developed that identify a series of specific goals and initiatives in each of the three priority areas, all tied to the new mission and vision. Quarterly progress reports ensure accountability, and Warren indicated that she is delighted with the outcome of the process. “Entitled The Blueprint for Excellence, the new strategic plan is just that,” she said. “The DCMO BOCES Board of Education is extremely grateful to and proud of the administration and staff, along with representatives from the component districts and communities for their work in creating this plan. It is a tool designed to both clearly articulate the goals of DCMO BOCES in providing programs and services for our learners, component districts and communities and a plan for achieving those goals.”

The superintendent is equally optimistic. “Our renewed Blueprint for Excellence provides us with the roadmap we need as we work to improve and grow our organization, support our work, and, ultimately, promote our success as a diverse, multi-faceted organization,” said Rullo.

Classes for the new school year begin on Thursday. DCMO BOCES is a regional provider of educational services to students and schools, including adult learning programs, and operates school campuses in Sidney Center and Norwich. To find out more about their services and programs, visit www.dcmoboces.com.

-Information from DCMO BOCES