The mechanics of strategic planning are straightforward enough. Simply put, a strategic plan charts a course for the future by identifying strategies that will enable long-term success. Strategic planning is not new; it has long been an essential tool in the for-profit business sector and has become more so for nonprofits and governmental entities, including school districts. However, the idea of developing a districtwide strategic plan for arts education is more recent.
I’ve been facilitating strategic planning with school districts on and off since 2007 when I co-authored a Strategic Arts Education Planning guide at the California Alliance for Arts Education (now Create CA). Now in its 4th edition, the guide is used throughout California and beyond.
This is a story of how one school district, Wake County Public School System in North Carolina, created a successful strategic plan in a rapidly changing political and economic environment– to wit, before and after the 2024 presidential election.
Impact of State and Federal Policy
Public school districts are complex organisms, organized for the purpose of providing a well-rounded education to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, preparing students for success in work and life beyond high school. Districts come in all shapes and sizes. All are unique in size, demographics, geography, and educational and socioeconomic attainment, a true reflection of their communities. Yet all have some features in common. All must follow the dictates of the state and federal government, including teacher licensure, graduation requirements, and state-mandated testing.
The two most recent Elementary and Secondary Education Acts—No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001 and Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, have had outsized impact on the arts in education, giving rise to the idea of districtwide strategic planning for the arts.
- High stakes testing. Mandated high stakes testing with NCLB squeezed the arts out of the curriculum. Planning efforts were framed around creating value (and therefore time and resources) for the arts.
- Local control. ESSA attempted to right the ship with a shift toward local control. School districts have pushed local control to the school level. Building level principals can become gatekeepers, impacting equitable access and continuity among schools in the same district. Planning efforts have been focused on districtwide equity as a result.
- Recent trends.
o Communications. In recent years, most plans include an advocacy and communications (internal and external) component. Without having the primacy of reading and math in the curriculum, the arts must continue to prove their worth.
o Take backs. In some states, there is pushback to the local control mantra, with states now wanting more control over what is taught and by whom. Strategic planning requires a knowledge of local attitudes and political headwinds.
o Vanishing support. The impact of the recent “will they/won’t they” shakedown at the Department of Education is unknown at this time. Stay vigilant.
Success story: Wake County Public School System (WCPSS)
North Carolina’s Wake County Public School System is the largest in the state with over 161,000 students and 200 schools. It covers twelve municipalities, with Raleigh being the largest. Districtwide strategic planning for the arts in Wake County began in July 2024 before the general election and was completed after the election in May 2025. The finished product reflects a shifting landscape yet stays true to its vision. Adopted by the Board of Education in May 2025, the resulting plan is honest, forward thinking, and addresses real gaps in equity and program delivery.
My good friend Bob Morrison of Quadrant Research recommended me to Jeremy Tucker, Director of Arts Education at WCPSS. Jeremy and I worked together closely on the development of a consensus-based plan over a 10-month period. He provided the on-site, get it done, boots on the ground leadership. I served as a facilitator, guiding the conversation and bringing district leadership, school, and community voices to consensus.
In brief, the process included:
- Reviewing current programs and assets.
- Crafting a vision for the future.
- Identifying delivery or resource gaps between the current program and vision.
- Articulating strategic goals, measurable objectives, timelines, persons accountable, and resources required to address the gaps to achieve the desired vision.
Essential ingredients
- A broad cross-sector coalition is required for envisioning and setting strategic priorities. The arts education ecosystem is complex and includes a network of community influencers, resources and leadership. The WCPSS planning team was composed of 30 people, with representation from district administrators, principals (all grade levels), arts teachers (all arts disciplines and grade levels), students, industry and communications professionals, magnet schools, community arts nonprofits and business, the state music teacher association, and local philanthropy.
- Support from the top is key. The WCPSS superintendent and district administrators committed their time and attention to the effort. They gave the green light, spoke enthusiastically about the plan, attended the in-person meetings, were briefed at all stages of the process, and provided valuable input along the way. And none of this would have been possible without a dedicated visual and performing arts leader at the district level!
- Ongoing communications up and down the line provided continuity and multiple opportunities for feedback.
- Consensus-building facilitation techniques enabled many voices to participate and be heard.
Moments of Shift
- Data plus. North Carolina participates in the Arts Education Data Project, which provided a wealth of relevant data on teacher deployment, course offerings, and student participation. The 2022 data proved to be a useful benchmark when combined with a qualitative survey of arts teachers and principals. The survey, with over 300 respondents, provided a more nuanced understanding of the issues behind the numbers.
- Parallel planning. The planning timeline was July 2024 – May 2025. District budget requests are submitted in December. So, the planning and budgeting timelines were out of sync, making a start date for implementation tricky. Parallel planning was the answer. At the request of district administrators, the director of arts was asked to make the case for several key elements of the plan before the completion of the plan so momentum would not be lost.
- Adaptability. The uncertainty surrounding so much of our lives and livelihoods in 2025 is part of the current landscape. Budget uncertainty in education is a major concern. Adaptability was a solution in the Wake County plan. Low/no-cost elements were front loaded to keep the work moving forward in uncertain budget times and would also provide ongoing communications and advocacy opportunities.
Essence of the Plan
Wake County has a lot going on in the arts, including a new state high school graduation endorsement in the arts. Over 600 arts teachers provide instruction at all grade levels. Most happily, music and visual art instruction is offered in all elementary schools—a big advantage in building an arts program. The quality of instruction is ranked as a top strength in the survey findings.
The vision of the strategic plan is to elevate the arts, provide greater equity of opportunity, increase student participation, and enable quality teaching and learning. The data illustrates where gaps exist between the vision and current reality. Not unlike many school districts across the country, the gaps include: 1) a decrease in student participation from elementary to middle and high school; 2) a need for more focused professional learning; 3) a dearth of arts pathways from middle to high school; and 4) inequity in allocation of resources such as musical instruments.
The step that many strategic plans miss is connecting an identified need to concrete action. In Wake County, we identified assets that enable growth as well as obstacles that impede momentum. The team then articulated concrete actions to address the obstacles specifically. For example, the data shows that each school purchases instruments on a school-by-school basis, thus creating a patchwork of instruments across the district. The plan addresses this obstacle by calling for centralized budgeting and purchasing for instruments. The centralized structure will enable a more equitable allocation of instruments as well as cost savings through a bid purchasing process.
Ultimate Advocacy Tool
While a strategic plan is a true blueprint for the future, added value is derived from the process itself. The consensus-based facilitation technique fosters a collective endeavor that:
- Keeps the conversation local.
- Provides hard data on program delivery and resource gaps.
- Engages a broad spectrum of stakeholders within the district and larger community.
- Provides opportunities for ongoing advocacy.
- Shines a light on the complexity of the arts education ecosystem and the need for leadership and accountability.
- Encourages communication, collaboration and consensus among stakeholders.
A Living Document
Strategic plans aren’t meant to sit on a shelf. For a plan to be successful, regular airing is important. What is working? What has changed? What needs adjusting? Plan implementation and monitoring is up next. As the planning facilitator, my direct involvement in the process is over. The work is just beginning for the district. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to co-create a plan with Jeremy and this fine school district. I will continue to cheer from the sidelines as the arts grow and thrive in Wake County schools.
