Welcome

Welcome to the online home of our new strategic plan, All Forward: Strategic Pathways for Lower Merion School District. This section provides information and resources related to the plan, opportunities to get involved, and updates on plan implementation.

Our new plan is the result of many months of information gathering, analysis, and careful thought and planning. It incorporates feedback from thousands of community members, including students, teachers, alumni, parents, and local residents. To all those who played a role in this process, your contributions are deeply appreciated.

During the plan's development, a steering committee of 70 community members developed five "bold statements of strategic intent" to provide the framework of the plan. As we transform words into action, the bold statements serve as our "strategic pathways" and offer new direction for our school community. These pathways (detailed in the links at left) represent a shift in how we define student success, develop curriculum, support professional learning, engage students and partner with the community. The intent of the plan is not to solve a problem or fix a failure. Rather, it serves as a necessary next step forward in our evolution as one of the finest public school systems in the United States.

When we began our planning process, we had asked stakeholders to think big, to be bold, and to share their greatest hopes and aspirations for our schools. The school community certainly answered the call. All Forward differs greatly from previous LMSD strategic plans, both in content and structure. Rather than a tactical guide with step-by-step instructions, the plan serves as a strategic compass for the next five years and beyond. We designed it to be actionable, inspirational, and accessible to all members of our school community.

We, as a community, will transform this strategy into action. We will build on current practices and programs in our schools that reflect the direction of the plan and will encourage the development of innovative prototypes to stimulate progress and growth. Systemic change will not happen overnight. These efforts will take time, reflection, and revision. They will also require extensive communication. Much of the first year of implementation will be dedicated to providing opportunities for community members to learn about, discuss, and, ultimately, take ownership of the plan. As the plan evolves, we will continue to provide updates and ongoing opportunities for feedback.

Collaboration, innovation and celebration are consistent themes throughout the plan and characterize the community’s work in developing this document. Our plan embraces a collective, intentional, positive approach to change. It is driven by our belief in continuous improvement and an unyielding passion for high-quality public education. It represents our commitment to the children of Lower Merion and Narberth now and forever.

Thank you for your support of our schools. We welcome your feedback and partnership as we implement our new strategic plan. All Forward!