We hope you all had a wonderful time off for Spring Break. We wanted to welcome you back with some information on what we heard for the Network Pulse survey that was sent out in March. 

With just three weeks until Senior Signing Day and two months until the end of the school year, we know this home stretch is filled with important assessments and milestones for our students, and we are so grateful for the ways in which you all have shown and will continue to show up for our community in the days and weeks to come.

We heard a lot of helpful feedback through the NPS survey, which revealed much about the state of our teams and the needs of the organization.

First, here are some successes to celebrate:  

• Staff continue to feel very supported by their manager. The highest scoring questions were “My manager seems to care about me as a person” (4.5 out of 5) and “My manager is checking in with me regularly.” (4.3) 
• Staff members also had many positive comments and shout outs for their peers, leadership teams and HO staff. 
• “While there is room to grow, this is the best network and school I’ve ever worked with/for. Please continue honoring the mantra that the human experience is valued, recognized and given patience.” - CG MS team member
• “I was moved by the change you made in the health benefits coverage area and assumed the increase. I was NOT affected by this choice but it allowed me to see a company that extends beyond the minimum. You care, and it shows.” - MTV HS team member
• “The way that our leadership team works at Cole is amazing. I always feel looped into big choices and am heard when there is feedback given. I have received feedback and that always feels genuine and constructive.” - Cole HS team member

We heard two primary themes related to opportunities for improvement and greater clarity:

• School Culture:
  • Staff comments reinforce why school culture was chosen as one of five Network Strategic Priorities. School culture is the foundation for all of the work we do and the enabling force behind learning. The right environment, where individuals feel known, valued and seen, ensures that both teachers and students are able to do their best work in service of our mission. 
    • As we grow, it is critical that we leverage both what makes each school community unique while also taking advantage of our collective research, experience and best thinking. We are excited that our School Culture priority work has launched, and we have leaders across the network coming together regularly to share best practices and align around a common direction for the network. 
    • The culture of your schools continues to be top of mind as we begin the final trimester of this school year. Many of you elevated daily culture challenges, specifically around school-wide student accountability systems.

• The Strategic Plan:
  • Questions and comments about the Strategic Plan were wide-ranging and included topics like what it looks like to be a STEM network, or what it means for the network to drive towards greater alignment across all DSST schools. Regardless of the specific question, leaders and teachers are eager to learn more and engage in dialogue about the Strategic Plan and how it will come alive. We are also excited about these conversations and look forward to sharing many more details in the weeks and months ahead. 
    • We were happy to see many comments and questions about DSST’s new Strategic Plan and what it means for our staff and students. While the roll-out of and communications about the Strategic Plan are well underway, these responses help us understand the questions and concerns that are top of mind for staff. 

If you have any questions about the above or would like to connect with one of our Home Office leaders about the concerns shared on the survey, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ashley Wiegner at ashley.wiegner@scienceandtech.org.