A six-month visioning process for Dare County Schools started Tuesday, Jan. 27 at Cape Hatteras Secondary School in Buxton at the initial public forum.

On Wednesday, Superintendent John Farrelly took the forum to First Flight High. On Monday, Feb. 5, a forum is set for Cape Hatteras Elementary at 6:30 p.m.

Forums are in place for each Dare County School in the evening and in the morning, 20 forums in all.

The task is to build a shared vision for the school system.

At the forum, three different ways of collecting information were used: electronic messaging, a pen and paper exercise and talking.

For electronic messaging, phones were dug out of pockets and pocketbooks and then hooked up to Mentimeter, an interactive presentation website. Plugging in the access code, attendees posted statements electronically about hopes and dreams for a child’s future.

The pen and paper exercise was perhaps more daunting. Some took the sheet home to ponder how to answer these questions:

-what should we be teaching in our schools to prepare students for their future?

-what makes a great school?

-how do you define success for our students?

-what qualities define a successful school principal?

-what qualities define an effective classroom teacher?

-what is the best thing about Dare County Schools?

-what is one thing we could improve upon to make Dare County Schools better in the future?

At the beginning of the forum, Farrelly briefed the 18 folks about some changes underway, such as a revamped alternative education program, two social workers hired, and new website to go live in April.

Look for a visioning page with frequently asked questions at the forums in the near future.