School districts are primed for innovation and change now more than at any other point in history. The pandemic turned our traditional models of teaching and learning upside down. In order to turn them right side up again we must listen to our students, understand their needs, and use their input to transform the student experience to make it the best it can be.
At West Clermont Schools, we are determined to drive a new student experience by building upon our student-centered learning ecosystem and reimagining what our relationships inside and outside of the classroom can and should be.
Placing students at the center of a school system’s plans may seem like an obvious way to do business, but it is not how we have traditionally experienced schools. As a result, it can leave many of us with a sense of discomfort. After all, change is hard. Now is the time, however, to let our students take the wheel so they can be fully engaged in finding their purpose and creating a worthwhile learning experience so they are prepared for their respective futures. 
We are striving to fully understand what works well for our students and expand our repertoire of tactics and tools; to provide the right level of resources and support so students can map their own route. It will take the entire community to help us reach our destination. Thankfully, we have a strong culture on which we can build that includes the following:
Shared Vision: It’s one thing to recite our vision: Together as one community, we learn. Lead. Succeed. It’s something entirely different to fully understand how this plays out on a daily basis. That’s why we created the Portrait of a Graduate (learn more at westcler.k12.oh.us/Content2/poag) — to more clearly define what is most important in the educational experience according to our community.
Collaboration: Relationships are a top value at West Clermont. We are expanding our family and community engagement opportunities through teams like the Business Advisory Council, West Clermont Education Foundation, AboutFACE (Family & Community Engagement) and the Citizens Advisory Council. It’s equally important that we expand our quantity and quality of staff collaboration so there is a collective, district-wide understanding of what a student-centered learning experience entails. We are doing this through District Leadership Teams, Building Leadership Teams, and Design Teams for research and development of innovative programming and practices.
Infrastructure (Student-Centered Learning Ecosystem): Student-centered learning is another top value at West Clermont. Developing an ecosystem that consists of modern instructional practices, enhanced family and community partnerships, innovative learning environments, and improved use of data and technology represents our shift from an outdated factory model of education to a student-centered model of learning designed to give our students a competitive advantage.
Join us at 7 PM on Tuesday, February 22th for our 2022 “State of the Schools: A Story Worth Telling. A New Chapter Unfolding” presentation during the Board of Education Meeting (4350 Aicholtz Road). During this presentation, you’ll learn where we’ve been and how you can be a part of the next chapter in making West Clermont a destination district!