The TIDES’ Team invites key school community shareholders (superintendent, heads of the teachers’ union and board of education) from mid-sized school districts to begin the work of redesigning and transforming their educational system to better meet the needs of 21st century learners. Shareholder teams will participate in an annual three-day institute for three consecutive years. In addition, teams commit to six meetings with their regional network partners, and a three-year relationship with TIDES. These meetings become a forum for each team to develop as a Futures Think Tank for the district and community.
Each key shareholder brings a trusted colleague to the institutes and regional meetings who serves as a “learning partner” to push each shareholders thinking further for the good of the whole.
The district team with support of the TIDES team initiates its Futures work through a series of activities and actions that include but are not limited to:

• Taking stock of district assets and strengths that are currently present to transform the district toward a future-oriented, flexible and adaptive school system that uses multiple pathways to ensure all learners are prepared for the knowledge age and able to be successful in a global society.

• Exploring the fundamentals of Effective Schools and District research, which provide direction and benchmarks for systemic change

• Investigating what leading edge systems (educational, business, organizational and cultural) from around the world are doing, and then adapting this work to meet and ensure every student’s success

• Using network analysis tools to explore underlying relationships, communication and interaction within the district, board and union leadership, which can be tapped to strengthen teamwork throughout the system

• Learning and using protocols to promote community dialogue engagement about values and beliefs, commitments and counter-commitments and a vision of the future for their children

• Developing a shared vision of the future that not only closes the achievement gap but takes ALL LEARNERS to excellence as creative thinkers, critical analysts, problem-solvers and reflective decision-makers

• Identifying starters and finishers who will be able to successfully move the system in new directions

• Exploring ways to engage all members of the school community in a futures planning process

• Forming, implementing and testing pilots and entrepreneurial initiatives that will propel the district and its schools and community into the future.