After months of discussion, assessment, and refining, West Chester Area School District believes it is ready to answer the question, “Where do you see yourself in three years?”

This week, WCASD Deputy Superintendent Kalia Reynolds gave (some) members of the School Board’s Teaching, Learning, and Equity Committee their first look at a new three-year comprehensive plan. (Some members represented the Board in the planning process.) The plan will not only set the District up for the next few years but it will directly inform the “Portrait of a Graduate” initiative championed by Superintendent Dr. David Christopher upon his arrival to the district.

“Portrait of a Graduate” provides a collective vision of the skills and disposition every student in a district needs to succeed. It is an exercise that has been gaining popularity in education circles over the last several years. But first, they need that Comp Plan. To get there they began in November with a three-phase approach.

“Ready” included outlining the vision and mission of the project;

“Set” had a core group of teachers, administrators, and support staff complete a needs assessment and set the overarching priorities; and

“Go” brought in a large group of stakeholders including parents, students, and community members to map strategic actions to the four priority areas outlined in phase two.

“What does that look like each and every day to move us from where we are right now to where we want to be three years from now?”

Dr. Kalia Reynolds

The four priority or key goal areas identified through the needs assessment:

Goal 1: Student Learning and Readiness. Ensure all students have the resources and support to succeed academically and be well-prepared for their future. Asks the question, how do we encourage and measure critical thinking in students? Includes curriculum development and student assessment.

Goal 2: Engaged, Well-Rounded Students. Promote the overall development of students by creating a variety of opportunities for them to engage in academics, social activities, and emotional growth. Asks the question, how do we create pathways between student passions and classroom activities? Includes clubs and extracurricular activities.

Goal 3: Community and Family Connections. Strengthen relationships with families and the broader community to foster a supportive environment for students’ academic and personal success. Asks the question, how do we better engage parents and utilize community resources? Includes: communication and career exploration.

Goal 4: Effective Adults and Systems. Ensure that students have caring committed adults to support them. Maintain efficient and sustainable operations to ensure the district’s long-term success. Asks the question, what do we need to do now to prepare staff and facilities for the future? Includes: professional development and building management.

Throughout the entire process, Dr. Reynolds asked participants to follow the guiding question: What patterns are we looking to create and disrupt to design future-ready opportunities for all students to help them succeed in school and life?

“There are some things we are doing that we can stop doing. We need to be clear about what they are. There are also opportunities to practice some new patterns,” she said.

The comprehensive plan will be available for a 30-day public review on the District website starting today. (You can view the presentation given to the board here.) The District newsletter for March will also include a link to the plan. It will go to the School Board for final review and approval at their March meeting. Once approved, Portrait of a Graduate work will begin.

Real-time Pulse Check

This week, Niche.com, an education data aggregate, released its 2025 ranking of the Best Public High Schools in Pennsylvania. The rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and student and parent reviews posted to Niche.com. I have been following the data for the last several years, and while it’s only one measure, this particular one is moving in the right direction.

According to the 2025 list, Rustin ranks as the 24th-best high school in the state, Henderson as the 32nd, and East as the 47th. While not back to 2023 numbers (19, 34, 45, respectively), this is a marked improvement for all schools over 2024 data which had Rustin at 36, Henderson at 40, and East out of the top 50 altogether.

(For those who feel I don’t include enough on the private schools, Niche.com ranked Westtown 14th among private schools in the state. That said, all 25 of the top 25 private schools have an A+ rating.)

Snow Days and an End to Spring Conferences for All

This week, the 2025–2026 West Chester Area School District calendar got a second reading—and a couple of significant changes since it was first introduced. Among the changes were a reduction in the number of planned snow days from three to one and the end of March conferences for most elementary school students. Both changes have drawn quick parent feedback. “I am not ok with this and I’m curious what other moms think,” one parent shared on the West Chester PA Moms Facebook group.

Let’s look at each one individually:

1) Change elementary March conferences to need-based only. Similar to middle and high school, under this new directive parents of most elementary students would no longer have a spring conference. Instead, parents will be invited to attend on an as-needed basis. So if your child is struggling academically, emotionally, or socially, you would still have a conference. If your child is not selected by the school for a conference and you would like a meeting, you can request one.

“The families that are not invited to the March conferences are certainly able to reach out to their classroom teacher at any time and request a meeting,” Director of Elementary Education Dr. Sara Missett shared with the Teaching, Learning and Equity Committee on Tuesday night.

The schedule change will allow teachers to devote more conference time to students who need it while reducing the overall time devoted to conferences from three days to two. According to the District, this change was requested by the Teacher’s Union and supported by the administration.

The decision was defended online by a local teacher who shared that conference days often leave teachers drained. “Conferences for all 25 students in three days is BRUTAL on a human,” she wrote. “So many of us end up sick afterward.”

Parents have already expressed concerns, especially regarding how the district intends to handle “transition” years like kindergarten, as young students get adjusted, and fifth grade, when teachers typically make their course level (accelerated honors, honors, or grade level) recommendations for middle school.

“To take away the option for parents to conference about this decision is absolutely ludicrous,” one parent wrote.

2) Snow days were reduced from three to one. “The District will implement FIDs after we use the one traditional snow day,” Dr. Missett said in an email to parents. Parents online lamented the absence of a true snow day and the pressure it puts on working parents. I would like to add a question of the educational value they provide. If half-days are academically dropping the ball, FIDs never even lift off the floor. I provide Exhibit A, my second-grade daughter’s proposed FID day schedule.

• 9:00 – 9:30: Live Teams meeting (attendance, morning meeting, and ELA)
• 9:30 – 10:30: ELA work independently
• 10:30 – 11:00: Live Teams meeting (check-in and math)
• 11:00-11:30: Break (Lunch? Free time?)
• 11:30 – 1:00: Independent work time

One hour of “class” time plus two and a half hours for “independent work.” Have you seen second graders work “independently” on online assignments? Yes? Well, then, I rest my case.

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Originally published on Feb. 21, 2025

This story was part of a longer West Chester newsletter featuring all the news and events of the week. Curious what else is going on? Subscribe now to get the full story. New issues come out on Fridays!