The 1997 Germantown Academy Strategic Plan
The Future of Our School in Nine Pages
By Greg Wong '98
What is the 1997 Germantown Academy Strategic Plan, you ask? Is it
Coach Caum's newest play for the football team? Is it an outline of GA's
plot to take over Penn Charter? Is it Mr Garvan's newest plans to
transform our school into a giant coffee house? Or is it Geoff Anders'
scheme to try to take over the world?
Well, the answer is none of the above. Concocted last September by
Mr. Connor, the Board of Trustees, and several others, the 1997 Strategic
Plan was developed as an update to the 1991 Strategic Plan. The Mission
Statement and plans for the new Middle School were among the items which
were created under the old Strategic Plan. This past May, the Board of
Trustees approved the new plan, which brought forth goals for the next five
years.
Modeled under the Mission Statement, the plan suggests ways for GA
to distinguish itself as "an exceptional college preparatory school." The
plan's main points include: creating new programs which would develop both
the academic and non-academic student, using technology as a more integral
part in the student's education, providing exemplary college guidance
programs, attracting academically strong students from around the
Philadelphia area who would both diversify the school and bring a multitude
of strengths to the community, developing an already excellent faculty, as
well as drawing teachers from around the country, strengthening GA's
relationship with their alumni, enhancing communication among GA's
constituencies, raising money to fulfill the mission of the school and
making the goals of the Strategic Plan a reality, and finally developing
and expanding GA's campus, which include improving the dining and athletic
facilities and renovations to the Lower School.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of the student body has never
heard of the Strategic Plan before. To combat this, the school has shown a
greater desire for the students to learn about the document, which will
undoubtedly affect the rest of their careers at GA. Much of the school's
future rests on how well GA can achieve the goals which were laid out.
Five years from now, this plan will be re-evaluated, as will the future of
our fair school.
Several plans can be currently seen which reflect GA's strive
towards achieving the goals of this new plan, among them is the honor code.
These new plans which will eventually hit the SFAC and the Board of
Trustees for evaluation will most likely become the norm at our school and
bring GA closer to perfection. With that out of the way, five years from
now, the 2002 Germantown Academy Strategic Plan could focus on the more
important issues which will affect our school, like the addition of moving
walkways and slot machines in our halls ....well, maybe not.