Draft Adult Portrait

Widespread and successful attainment of the Graduate Portrait will not happen without a supportive and intentional community of adults working together. What attributes will the adults need in order to help students be successful?

From broad community input, and the design work of the Guiding Coalition, the following eight elements are those deemed most critical in supporting students. This Adult Portrait applies to all adults working in the school district, because every adult’s work supports student success, and so the language here is broad. Because the district holds high expectations for all adults, these elements include deep expertise in, and continuous learning about, any adult’s area of expertise. Teachers are expected to have deep content knowledge, and strong instructional skills; administrators are expected to be good managers as well as leaders; support and operations staff are expected to provide excellent service in their areas of responsibility — and all adults are expected to engage in ongoing learning. The elements also include areas that prepare students for their futures, that support students’ readiness to learn, and that also support a strong collaborative culture for the adults.

Many adults at SCUSD will already embody some of these attributes, but the purpose of this part of the vision is to create an aligned culture, and to support all adults in developing all the attributes over time. This is a long-term vision — developing and prioritizing the Adult Portrait will be part of the school district’s journey and its strategy for professional learning and staff development. The ability of adults to model and continuously develop these attributes will be critical in helping students. They will also help adults to support one another, and to create respectful and beneficial relationships with the community that will further support students’ learning and skill-building.

World-Leading Professional

Adults at SCUSD have deep expertise and strive for excellence in their area of responsibility, whether that is instruction, administration, support, or operations.

They aim to create a world-class educational system, and work to continually improve their practice. Educators have deep content knowledge and are skilled instructors; administrators and managers develop as strong leaders, seeking out leadership opportunities; and all adults take proactive responsibility for their work. They hold high expectations for themselves, for students, and for co-workers, in order to support students' success. Adults are knowledgeable about, and dedicated to, meeting the needs of students, colleagues, families, and community. They are skilled communicators who understand the different audiences for their work, and have a variety of strategies for reaching them. As responsible communicators they have the courage to have hard conversations when necessary. Adults adopt strategies, practices, and decision-making processes that are based in evidence, research, and data, making processes clear and transparent. They build trust by being consistent and reliable.

Student-Centered Lifelong Learner

Adults at SCUSD commit to the moral imperative of education, by providing high quality and accessible learning, without bias, for all.

They are passionate about their work, and their role in creating the foundations for every SCUSD student to thrive in life and career as described in the Graduate Portrait. Adults demonstrate curiosity, and a commitment to lifelong learning, making them well-informed and knowledgeable about their areas of influence. To support their commitment to their own growth and learning, adults seek out a variety of learning opportunities. They proactively use data, and also request, accept, apply, and provide relevant constructive feedback. Adults work to create a fun and engaging environment for all. They focus on “working smarter,” seeking solutions, and working strategically to improve the conditions that support student and adult success.

Creative and Critical Thinker

Adults at SCUSD continually develop their abilities to become skilled creative and critical thinkers, moving easily between a variety of thinking strategies according to need.

As creative thinkers they use innovation and imagination to think differently, and to see problems from a variety of angles. They work constructively to generate ideas with students and coworkers, and iteratively design and develop creative solutions. They exercise their critical thinking by analyzing data and evidence to identify and clarify problems, and by using analysis to develop and implement solutions.

Adults deepen their thinking, opening up to different perspectives and interpretations, by continuously reflecting on personal and systematic biases. They understand how systems operate, and are able to assess where and how to create change. They demonstrate a growth mindset by challenging and inspiring students, and one another, to take risks and to learn from failure. They listen to students, and develop the ability to apply meaningful feedback, supporting students to become self-directed learners. Adults are supported with training and skills development, and active sharing of successful practices, so that they know how to meet each student where they are and inspire them to succeed.

Adaptive Forward Thinker

Adults at SCUSD prepare students to live in a changing world by modeling adaptability and resilience themselves, and by having a vision for the future that guides their everyday actions.

Adults demonstrate situational awareness and the ability to adapt to the changing needs of students, other adults, the community, and the wider world. They keep their work relevant and future ready by staying informed about local and global current affairs, actively engaging with industry partners, adjusting their skills to meet changing needs, and by curating physical and virtual learning journeys. They help students to connect to the world around them by sharing their learning, and by creating opportunities for local and global civic and community engagement. Adults are flexible and open to change based on new information, ideas, feedback, technologies, or changing circumstances, and are able to evaluate the ethical impact and consequences of current and future trends. They are responsive to feedback, willing to implement changes, and agile enough to make them in a timely manner.

Inclusivity Champion

Adults at SCUSD believe in developing the assets of each student, and are committed to supporting each student toward achieving and demonstrating the Graduate Portrait elements.

They are knowledgeable about the diversity of neurotypes, and other learning differences, and have the skills to integrate a range of responsive strategies, options, and accommodations to adapt to students’ individual needs. Adults demonstrate investment in student well-being through continual learning and adoption of evidence and research-based strategies. They also foster inclusion and empathy at every site, and every department. Adults are provided with support and training as needed, to underscore the asset base of each person in the system, and the strengths of neurodiversity.

Equity Leader

Adults at SCUSD are courageous advocates for equity and access, and proactively work to establish a culture of social and cultural empathy.

Adults are culturally competent leaders who advance diversity and embrace cultural differences in the workplace, and in the community. They work to become aware of their own biases. They understand the historical roots of racial bias, for example, and are active and intentional about changing injustice. They collaborate to dismantle inequitable power structures, and to design equitable structures, practices, and processes that improve outcomes for marginalized students, and demonstrate support and respect for coworkers. At school sites educators use culturally sustaining practices, by incorporating culturally and linguistically relevant content, and responsive pedagogy. Adults demonstrate a racial equity and cultural inclusion mindset, respectfully and readily engage with diverse perspectives, and show a willingness to influence and model change.

Proactive Empathizer

Adults at SCUSD demonstrate their belief and care for students by being proactive and responsive to students’ emotional needs, and holding high expectations for their success.

They listen to students and show genuine interest in students’ lives at school and at home. Adults create an encouraging environment where students, and families, feel welcomed and safe, to ensure that students feel supported while learning. Adults are emotionally self-aware, present, available, and reliable. They build healthy relationships and communicate and model healthy boundaries with students, families and coworkers. Adults recognize that self-care is critical to their ability to do their jobs well, and are supported in maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit. Every student at SCUSD can name an adult who demonstrates care for them in these ways.

Empowering Collaborator

Adults at SCUSD are active collaborators with students, coworkers, families and community members because they believe in the value of multiple perspectives and collective action to improve student outcomes.

Adults facilitate collaboration between students, and with external partners, and aim to empower students to be confident self-advocates who take ownership of their learning and outcomes. Adults also model self-advocacy concerning their work, and its outcomes. They support students in understanding how to learn, how to embody a growth mindset, and how to feel confident in the exercise of their critical and creative capacities. Adults know how to listen deeply, how to share their expertise constructively, and how to play flexible roles and share power, depending upon the needs of the project they are working on, and the team they are working with. They proactively work to foster collaboration across sites and departments, and collaborate in high-performing teams, as needed, to support success.