!42! Topic #16: Mission Statement and Final Topic

A two-parter this time.  You have to put something down for both parts, though you are welcome to focus on one and keep the other small/short/light.

Part the First:  Last Blog
Quick question: next week's blog will be our very last blog in this class.  What would you like the topic to be?

Part the Second:  Mission Statement

This is the mission statement for the St. Helens School District.  It is worded as a series of beliefs -- well, sort of.  It starts that way, then they throw in a couple of statements that seem more like promises or definite goals; then back to the beliefs.  Then it ends with another self-affirming descriptive sentence.  Okay, this one isn't very well written.  Here it is anyway.

St. Helens School District

Our Mission



Our Beliefs

We believe all individuals will be SAFE, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE.

We believe students with a mastery of core subjects will be successful in the ever-changing world.

We believe students are lifelong learners with critical and creative thinking skills.

A wise stewardship of resources must provide 21st Century educational and technological facilities.

District resources will be aligned to the advancement of K-12 programs.

We believe the community actively participates in defining high expectations for students, education and well-being.

We believe that safe, nurturing and inclusive school environments provide opportunities to expand world views by promoting good citizenship, fostering tolerance and broadening the mind to new ideas.

We believe students shall be challenged to learn at their full potential through rigorous instruction while providing tiered levels of support.

We believe it is our role to help students discover their strengths and talents and encourage creativity and individualistic approaches for the success of every student

We believe in engaging students in the learning process by addressing individual needs and learning styles, recognizing that each student can learn and learn well.

We believe that learning must be relevant to real life situations, utilizing technology as it adds value to the learning process.

We believe it is critical to communicate to all stakeholders the importance of student achievement.

We embrace human diversity seeking to recruit and retain culturally rich and diverse perspectives.

 
 
Here's a better one:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America

A mission statement is supposed to communicate, to yourself and others, exactly what you intend to do, and why.  According to Wikipedia,

Mission statements often contain the following:
Purpose and aim of the organization
The organization's primary stakeholders: clients, stockholders, congregation, etc.
Responsibilities of the organization toward these stakeholders
Products and services offered

According to Hill, the mission statement consists of: 1. a statement containing the reason for using your product 2. a statement of some desired future state (vision) 3. a statement of the key values the organization is committed to 4. a statement of major goals

So: leave out #1 there, since you don't have a product (Unless you are a creator, in which case you might).  Give me the other three: a statement of some desired future state (What you want to be, and who you want to be, and where you want to be, when you "grow up"), a statement of the key values you are committed to, and a statement of your major goals -- specifically what you want to accomplish.  Try to dress it up all pretty, if you can.  Here is a brief how-to guide for business mission statements, though the examples are a little too brief. I like this one, personally: Starbucks Mission Statement.
 
Mine (which I will try to compose properly soon) would include some of the following.  There will come a day when I am a full-time writer of novels and essays, when I set my own hours and answer to nobody but myself and my vast legions of fans.  I will live on a large, isolated property fairly close to some civilized city, most likely outside the United States.  I will still be married to my wife, and we will have many pets, including dogs, cats, birds, and goats.  I will have an awe-inspiring library, and my house will have secret passages and hidden rooms.  My key values include compassion for my fellow human beings, and contempt for their ignorance and stupidity.  I believe art is what sets humanity above other animals, and it is the only thing that does so -- which makes it the highest calling.  In all other things, we should act first with love: in art, we must first act for the truth, and for beauty.  My goals include winning awards, becoming a bestseller, writing an epic fantasy series, breaking genre lines, and never selling out.  I want to found scholarships and fellowships and support education, particularly for artists.  I want to inspire people to speak out, and to create art of their own.
 
Please write some kind of mission statement for yourself by next Tuesday, June 8.