Staff Understanding of Mission

[Alton Earle]

This one is easier. This can easily be done without a formal "statement." In fact, we look closely at how each person interacts with children, staff, and families to see if they are working toward the same goals. In my experience, no amount of "mission statement" or discussion will help with an employee whose motivation isn't right. Things can be changed for a while, but over time the problems return.  We are small enough that we work hard to find the right person, and then to ensure that the person is paid enough and has the right benefits to stay. Most of our staff has been with us a very, very long time. For us, it is complicated because our goals are to ensure bilingual (English/Chinese) fluency and competence, with the natural social skills that come from interacting with others. In my experience, the assumption with "language schools" among most people is that they are intended to get kids to "assimilate." Our goal is the opposite, we want our students to be solid in their Chinese/Taiwanese cultural foundations and don't want them to face the discrimination of being asked/forced to assimilate into a culture with which there are many, many differences. As part of this, we work to get our kids to be *accepting* of cultural differences, but do not try to get them to assimilate :-).

This may be why I am so anti-mission statement. A significant number of people have a hard time with that viewpoint .

[Ruth]

By having it posted on the bulletin board where it can be easily accessible for both staff and parents. For all staff members to continually practice what the mission statement states, do activities that shows that you are supporting the mission statement, have attitudes that reflex the mission statement and most of all work together to make the mission statement come to life in the program as well as involving the parents too.