It has long since been Lower Merion School District’s goal to provide not only an exceptional education, but a lifestyle and community to be sought after. As our current strategic plan begins to find itself outdated, the District has begun to finalize a new one, “All Forward: Strategic Pathways for Lower Merion School District,” comprised of “5 Bold Statements” that provide the framework for the plan.

As times change, the way we learn is sure to change along with it, and this new strategic plan is getting a head start on innovation. I sat down with Superintendent Dr. Marseille to get his insight and a sneak peek on the coming changes to the District.

The new strategic plan, scheduled to be finalized around November 30, addresses 5 main ideas pertaining to the coming years. The 5 Bold Statements, dubbed Redefining Success, Transformative Curriculum, Commitment to Professional Learning, Student-Driven Schools, and Spirit of Community, provide new approaches to education in Lower Merion.

​If you wish to read and understand in greater detail, the new strategic plan is located on the LMSD website and in all ten school buildings.  The plan can also be found in local libraries.  Community members are encouraged to read it and offer feedback and recommendations, through forms offered along with the plan itself.

Until November 15th, any Lower Merion resident has the opportunity to share his or her opinion on the plan, and ideas will be taken into account and perhaps woven into the final draft of the plan. Dr. Marseille hopes that this process will help facilitate the interactive community he strives to create.

Dr. Marseille emphasizes his excitement for increased interaction with students in the District, explaining, “I want the Superintendent’s office to be more accessible to students than it’s ever been before. I’m looking forward to meeting a lot more students, looking forward to having conversations with student government, student council, scheduling monthly meetings with students to hear what is on their mind, because the reality is that every decision that comes out of this office is in the best interest of students, but unfortunately, students are often the last group of people who get opportunities to speak to the superintendent.”

Dr. Marseille’s interest in the thoughts of students is quite evident. As students, it is crucial that we do our part to connect as well.

Perhaps the most tangible aspect of the District’s new strategic plan is the way success may be measured in the future. It’s no secret that students hate grades. Being defined by a single letter can be excruciating and rather restricting. Dr. Marseille explains that the national rankings the District receives, though welcome and respected, don’t define us as a whole.

“We want to continue those rankings and strengthen those areas but we also understand that there are a lot of things that should be measured that are not. Perhaps, a school district keeps standard A, B, C, Ds and adds another category that either incorporates all activities or talks about community service. Maybe there’s a narrative that speaks to their interests so that we are reporting more than just a static grade, reporting things that make students exceptional.”

In the coming years, you can expect to potentially receive more than just a letter on your report card, as success will be recognized and defined beyond the traditional measures.

Another exciting change making it’s way to our schools is a new approach to senior year. As many know, high school seniors have the opportunity to pursue an independent study in May. They are no longer confined by a class schedule or the walls of Harriton, and are free to explore the community around them in order to complete the project. Dr. Marseille understands that a senior’s schedule, before May, can be rather bleak.

“At the end of the day, there are a lot of seniors who say, ‘I’m only taking this course because I need four years of this.’ We want to challenge the notion of seat time. What if we gave students an opportunity to engage in full year internships? What if we decided to accept some courses as online credit?” He goes on to explain, “We have many students who engage in a lot of social justice, a lot of ‘Enter to Learn Go Forth to Serve’ work, a lot of civic-minded work. Instead of starting that senior experience in May, why not decide to start that earlier in the year if you wanted to?”

The Superintendent describes an environment where students can pursue interests outside the confines of the school building. He references taking online courses from universities or diving into educational pursuits that might not fit in the school day schedule. Students should be enriched with knowledge, not necessarily confined by a bell schedule and classroom walls.

“I want to give students more say in terms of how they are creating and managing their schedule, their time, and their instructional practice. We wanted to create an opportunity for students who want to have additional experiences that are academic based, that are housed in this building or in their building, an opportunity to do that. A lot of students want to do things for which their schedules don’t allow. These are things that will take a long time but are also things we can implement. There are small steps that we can take that would allow students flexible scheduling.”

As students gain more flexibility, Dr. Marseille hopes that he can return some of the flexibility and autonomy to teachers that standardized tests have taken away. Of course, the tests will remain, but the Superintendent believes it is important that teachers have the ability to expand on topics that their students find interesting and exciting.

“Teachers are naturally interested in digging deeper. Unfortunately until the state removes those exams, we have a responsibility to make sure our kids do well on them but not to the extent that it stifles creativity.”

Dr. Marseille has clearly set the interests and goals of students and teachers at a high priority, and we are sure to benefit from his ambitious view.

Sitting down with Dr. Marseille, our superintendent, I really got a sense of his positive, enthusiastic outlook on our District’s future. He emphasized his excitement for increased interaction with the students.

It is his wish that all members of the district give feedback, opinions, and recommendations about our district’s new strategic plan, so that the final result may be a product of a collective, represented community.