Chat Transcripts
Topic
Chat Session 3
Date
2025-07-21
Group ID
0Course ID
296928| User | Timestamp | Message |
|---|---|---|
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 06:53:49 pm | Good evening, everyone! A quick reminder about the Discussion Board each week: Post your initial response by Wednesday evening, reply to 3 student posts by Friday evening, reply to the Instructor's comments to your post. You must complete all 3 steps to receive full credit for the discussion board! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 06:55:35 pm | I see a few of you have joined...welcome to week 3 chat! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 06:56:25 pm | Hello! |
| Brank, Nicole | 06:56:30 pm | Hi! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 06:56:48 pm | Good evening Nancy and everyone ! |
| Yoswa, Toni | 06:57:04 pm | Happy Monday Evening! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 06:57:18 pm | Hi Rosalie and Nicole 🙂 |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 06:57:12 pm | Happy Monday! Nancy, I was going to send an email - I have to make a last minute out of trip state for some family matters. I plan to get my discussion board post done beforehand but I am gone Wed-Fri. Is there there possibility of an extension for the board replies? I just need until Saturday so I can get back to my computer 🙂 |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 06:57:50 pm | Yes, Heather, thanks for letting me know in advance! Hope all is well! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 06:58:13 pm | Thank you! |
| Notch, Kristin | 06:58:46 pm | Hello! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 06:59:06 pm | Tonight I am joining you from a state park campground using my phone as a hotspot; I hope my internet holds out! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 06:59:44 pm | That's a fun adventure! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 06:59:46 pm | Oh fun! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:00:10 pm | Fun! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:01:16 pm | I see that it is 7:00 so we should probably get started! * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:01:23 pm | fun and adventure! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:01:22 pm | * |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:01:22 pm | * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:01:31 pm | * |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:01:28 pm | * |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:01:29 pm | * |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:01:37 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:02:04 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:02:37 pm | Bryson (1995) defines strategic planning as "a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it." The video lecture laid out the foundational steps needed to be committed to your strategic plan. |
| Frazier, April | 06:56:20 pm | * Casey is fighting the internet so she will be on in a minute |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:03:15 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:03:25 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:03:34 pm | First question, Does your organization participate in routine strategic planning? Or was this week's exercise your first experience using an evaluation tool like SWOT? |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:03:34 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:03:41 pm | Thanks, April! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:03:42 pm | YEs, |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:04:02 pm | Our organization does not currently participate in routine strategic planning, which is part of why this SWOT analysis felt both eye-opening and overwhelming. I haven’t been part of a formal strategic planning process before, but working through the SWOT helped me see how important it is to pause and think about long-term goals, not just daily tasks. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:04:03 pm | This week was my first experience using the SWOT tool. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:04:05 pm | Yes, our organization participates in routine strategic planning. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:04:15 pm | I'm on! |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:04:20 pm | Not with SWOT, but similar tools. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:04:44 pm | At this time, we do not. Or at least, if the owner does - I am unaware. So this was my first experience! I would love to have a more deft hand in this if given the opportunity 🙂 |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:04:48 pm | I think once I use it more, I will get a hang of how it works. It is a great tool to help with planning. |
| Roering, Angela | 07:04:49 pm | Our organization does not complete routine strategic planning, which is something I plan to change. This exercise was very informative and will be very helpful moving forward. |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:04:58 pm | Not SWOT but I used to! Just not anymore. |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:05:25 pm | Yes, we do set goals for admins and staff and we develop strategies to achieve those goals, but we need to work more on following up and evaluating the progress. The SWOT technique was interesting |
| Evans, Casey | 07:05:49 pm | **As a management team we do, as individual centers- as directors with our teams- we do not- YET. |
| Frazier, April | 06:59:23 pm | This week was my first experience using something like SWOT. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:06:15 pm | I am happy to hear you found this a meaningful exercise or maybe a good refresher or new perspective on this important aspect of organizational leadership! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:06:22 pm | Welcome, Casey! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:06:46 pm | Yes (sorry about that last yes). We started our organization from creating a strategic map with community members/stake holders in 2016, which launched the idea to become a nonprofit nature preschool. Then we did a follow up strategic plan in January 2020, but then covid hit and a lot of the plans got dropped/delayed. We just did a new strategic plan, and the first one we paid an outside professional to complete. The result was to move forward with our plan to build/renovate a new location for our organization, but since that most recent plan in Nov 2024, a lot has changed in the world and it feels like a bit lift in addition to directing. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:07:52 pm | to follow up on your experiences....* |
| Ross, Amber | 07:07:53 pm | Hi, sorry I am late! |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:07:58 pm | This was my first experience using the SWOT format. However, my boss and I meet weekly to discuss action plans and different strategies to implement into our program. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:07:59 pm | * |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:08:00 pm | * |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:08:05 pm | * |
| Ross, Amber | 07:08:06 pm | * |
| Frazier, April | 07:01:37 pm | * |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:08:12 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:08:16 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:08:20 pm | * |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:08:34 pm | * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:09:00 pm | * |
| Evans, Casey | 07:08:54 pm | * |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:09:06 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:09:21 pm | Experts suggest the best SWOT analysis and strategic planning involves collecting the perspectives of others. This was discussed a bit on the discussion board by several of you and others completed the exercise independently. Who do you think might contribute helpful information for a future SWOT analysis and strategic planning? |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:09:46 pm | I think anyone who has “skin in the game” is worth consulting. For us, this would mean our staff, our families, and likely the financiers of the center itself. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:09:56 pm | Other members of management, teachers/staff, and families. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:10:04 pm | Teachers might be a help with staffing aspect of it |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:10:07 pm | Our board of directors, current parents, and even staff from other local childcare centers could provide valuable perspectives. The board could offer insights on operational improvements, parents could share what they value most about our program and what they wish we offered, and other directors might have ideas about staffing or community outreach. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:10:08 pm | How might their point of view be different from your own or your leadership teams? |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:10:15 pm | I think all staff would be able to contribute helpful info. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:10:36 pm | They are in the classroom everyday with other staff and have more direct contact sometimes then managment |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:10:44 pm | I think having diverse perspectives at the table for strategic planning is super important. We had board members who include parents of alumni, educators who have started other nature preschools, and business/finance people as well. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:10:45 pm | We even survey touring families (who havent enrolled or dont enroll). |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:10:54 pm | We share surveys with families, and employees , we also listen to what the community members are saying about our center. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:10:55 pm | They will have a different prospective and let us know the struggles they are facing on a daily basis. |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:10:56 pm | Parents might see strengths and weaknesses I overlook because I’m caught up in the day to day, while board members might look at finances or policies more critically. Staff and families might also notice “customer experience” issues (like lack of signage or communication gaps) that I don’t see because I’m focused on keeping everything running smoothly. |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:11:12 pm | Everyone can provide valuable input and can offer unique perspectives on the center's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:11:08 pm | Their priorities are likely different, or in different hierarchies. Some perspectives may be more financial/growth motivated, parents likely will place more emphasis on the quality of care or educational offerings and opportunities, cost of tuition, and accessibility. Staff, on the other hand, likely have perspectives about level of supports and changes from the grassroots that they’d like to see in the strategic planning. |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:11:13 pm | It is a lot to ask people to commit 6-8 hours to planning on a weekend, but the discussion was rich and helpful. |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:12:11 pm | I think anyone that would be affected by the action plan implemented in the SWOT. Doing some kind of poll with parents, teachers, assistants, parent advisory team, and leadership to gain multiple perspectives would be beneficial. |
| Roering, Angela | 07:12:15 pm | It would be helpful to hear the point of view from the owner, director, teachers, and families. It is great to gain perspectives from each different group as their perspectives will be different, bringing fresh ideas. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:12:59 pm | Heather mentioned those who have "skin in the game;" could that include a Parent Aware coach, state licensor, community partners? Even if these people provided you with some shared ideas of strengths/weaknesses but did not engage in the full strategic plan? |
| Evans, Casey | 07:13:07 pm | Directors, owners, other childcare providers, and mentors from different aspects of the childcare world! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:13:16 pm | People see things differently. Parents might care more about things like cost, location & hours, and how well they get along with the caregiver and of course safety and health/clealiness. Staff members focus on their daily work, routines, and their relationships with the children. People in the community may judge the center based on what they hear from others or its general reputation. As admin or director we usually focus on the big-picture, things like the mission, quality of care, and special programs and events. |
| Frazier, April | 07:06:50 pm | There is a variety of people that are good to involve in this; staff that are in the classroom, management and owners |
| Ross, Amber | 07:13:32 pm | Nancy that is a good point! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:13:40 pm | Oooh, I didn't consider the Parent Aware coaches... sometimes I forget those resources are available to us in more unique or creative capacities. |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:13:44 pm | I think they could also give us some good feedback! |
| Roering, Angela | 07:14:21 pm | Yes, Nancy it would be great to hear feedback, especially since they have great industry knowledge! |
| Frazier, April | 07:07:53 pm | That is a few that I did not think of, good idea! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:14:27 pm | It sounds like everyone is willing to gain some insight from the perspective of others - good for you! It reminds me of the collaboration competency we talked about earlier and the willingness to engage with others. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:14:31 pm | I didn't think about the licensor, they would give us positive feedback. |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:14:32 pm | I wish we could predict the future and include people who would be attending our preschool a few years in the future. Parents/guardians who are expecting and have currently enrolled children are the closest we could get |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:14:37 pm | Nancy- Yes, your Parent Aware Coach and State Licensor can be beneficial to use as a resource or ask questions, too! |
| Evans, Casey | 07:15:12 pm | Parent Aware coach is a great idea! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:15:33 pm | we used to do surveys even for school agers 🙂 |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:15:41 pm | Surveys are a great idea Ratiba! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:16:05 pm | Great idea, Alyson! That could be an intake question you ask when someone reaches out to see if you have openings! "thank you for considering our program for your child care needs; what is something about our program that you feel good about ?" |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:16:25 pm | I agree Kristin all good for feedback |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:17:02 pm | Let's move on to further reflection about completing the SWOT last week * |
| Ross, Amber | 07:17:06 pm | * |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:17:06 pm | * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:17:15 pm | * |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:17:12 pm | * |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:17:14 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:17:14 pm | * |
| Frazier, April | 07:10:49 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:17:33 pm | I like the intake question idea! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:17:31 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:17:34 pm | * |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:17:35 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:18:02 pm | You have already shared a bit about what the experience was like for you on the discussion board. Which of the four parts of the SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats - was most challenging to identify or describe? |
| Ross, Amber | 07:18:52 pm | Opportunities, often times these are things we aren't already doing. Therefore they can be harder to identify |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:18:52 pm | The most challenging for me was to identify the threats. |
| Frazier, April | 07:12:59 pm | I feel like opportunities was the hardest for me. |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:19:45 pm | Opportunities because I've been focused on fixing our weaknesses |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:19:48 pm | Opportunities, I would also say was a struggle. |
| Roering, Angela | 07:19:49 pm | Opportunities where challenging to identify. It can be hard to identify what we don't know or how to do things differently. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:19:59 pm | Honestly, I think threats! Part of that may be, because I am overly optimistic! Haha. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:20:07 pm | Opportunities... it felt redundant. Always "opportunity to grow", and pinpointing those areas. Trying to really be intentional with the concept or conceptualize it in a new way is hard. |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:20:08 pm | Threats - but now I am changing my mind as a co-worker drew a few threats to my attend ; / |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:20:24 pm | attention |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:20:27 pm | Weaknesses, because it feels very vulnerable. |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:20:30 pm | Weaknesses section. It felt uncomfortable to critically analyze areas where improvement is needed, and it was sometimes hard to distinguish between a true weakness and something that might just be an external challenge or threat. I also found it difficult to be completely objective, because it’s natural to want to focus on strengths and opportunities instead. However, going through this exercise helped me better understand how acknowledging weaknesses is an important step toward growth and improvement. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:20:57 pm | Mirla, your response is spot on! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:21:14 pm | Maybe with experience it get easier, but I think threats could be more challenging because it's out of your control! |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:21:15 pm | That is why I reached out and phoned friends for this excercise! |
| Ross, Amber | 07:21:32 pm | Ratiba I hope so! |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:21:38 pm | Same Toni! Lol |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:22:59 pm | I hear you Angela, sometimes we miss the opportunities available for us |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:23:01 pm | It seems there is some agreement to what Mirla offered, the difficulty of being objective - which brings us back to including a variety of perspectives! What we might identify as a weakness, others may see strength in that area. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:23:18 pm | Ratiba- that is what my thought was. I go back and forth with- don't overly worry or stress what is out of your control. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:23:20 pm | * |
| Ross, Amber | 07:23:24 pm | * |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:23:28 pm | * |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:23:35 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:23:35 pm | * |
| Evans, Casey | 07:23:37 pm | * |
| Frazier, April | 07:17:10 pm | * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:23:47 pm | * |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:23:45 pm | * |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:23:54 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:24:26 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:25:17 pm | Let's revisit for a moment what those external components do for us in our evaluation and strategic planning. Opportunities can be developed from identifying some weaknesses, for example, if staff turnover is a weakness, how can we focus our attention on improving our marketing to potential employees and build a strong organizational culture so they will want to stay - opportunity! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:26:28 pm | Threats can be real or imagined, which again leads to clear data and research as to how those perceived threats truly impact us. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:26:55 pm | We want to market, where childcare and/or children is a driving matter in the community. We are opening another center (crazy I know haha!) in Spicer. We were approached, just like the parish that approached us, about the center in Marty; opened in February of this year. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:27:26 pm | Casey that is awesome! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:27:34 pm | I think doing a clear business plan when starting a program is prudent, but I am now thinking of doing another one since the neighboring schools have changed, and other threats, such as lower birth rates, were not on my radar. |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:27:46 pm | Congrats Casey 🙂 |
| Frazier, April | 07:21:11 pm | I acually just reached out to our locat tech collage to see how we can post job opening and find new staff for employment. It is hard because with Indeed, I have only been getting applications with no experience and education. Finding lead teachers has been hard for sure. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:28:02 pm | April, I am in the same boat! |
| Evans, Casey | 07:28:09 pm | Being approached is great, but this is a prime time to look at SWOT to see what is needed and what is wanted to start that success and/or keep that success. |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:28:14 pm | I agree April, my boss and I were talking today about this... Trying to think outside the box on hiring. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:28:16 pm | On the discussion board, many of you shared a similar "threat" to your programs as the onset and expansion of public school PreK and early childhood programs. Let's brainstorm for a moment about how we might get a clear picture of this "threat." Any thoughts since the DB conversations? |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:28:16 pm | Casey, I am interested to hear how your journey of a new site goes! It feels daunting, but exciting! |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:28:33 pm | I would love to know where everyone finds the best marketing opportunities! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:29:28 pm | kinda an aside, but I went to a restaurant that has no signage at all with its name showing publicly, yet always has a waitlist. I feel like their word of mouth marketing must be through the roof! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:29:28 pm | Nancy I was thinking the we need to market on how great our program is play/reggio vs school district. I thought also to get some great parent reviews. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:29:30 pm | Free vs Paid... how can we market to make the cosy seem worth it families? |
| Ross, Amber | 07:29:42 pm | Threat because it is a competition to us! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:29:44 pm | I was just about to say that Heather |
| Ross, Amber | 07:29:49 pm | Heather, good point! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:30:33 pm | We're part day, which doesn't fit a lot of working family needs. Full day programs fill faster. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:30:44 pm | Congratulations on the expansion site, Casey. I am just down the road in Willmar if you ever want to connect! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:31:13 pm | When the school next to our center stared a preschool program for free, it was like a threat for us, but later seems like families are choosing what fits their needs, they want to drop off at 6:30 and pick up after work when school are already closed. So no worry, we didn't feel like a threat anymore, and stared partnership with the same school:) |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:31:17 pm | I feel like in this ecomony, even the appeal of being play based, nature based, montessori, etc. is not always enough to drive the appeal. Parents cant afford care, so they may choose the free route regardless of what they're looking to get out of it for their child. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:31:32 pm | Seeing it as an opportunity as most public prek are part time or 1/2 day programs which means what about the other part of the day and or other days they are not available. If your program offers the same curriculum components with evidence of prek readiness, more appealing than the public school in many aspects. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:31:37 pm | I'd like to explore ways around that issue, for sure! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:31:38 pm | Very true Heather! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:32:10 pm | Marketing your program's strengths and unique qualities is important. Let me rephrase my question about the perceived threat of school-based preK. What steps have you taken or might you take to make a connection with your school district and have a conversation about their programming, curriculum, opportunities for collaboration, enrollment demographics, etc |
| Ross, Amber | 07:32:12 pm | Heather, it's the unfortunate truth. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:32:57 pm | You were tracking my thoughts, Toni! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:33:21 pm | Thanks for sharing your experience, Ratiba! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:34:01 pm | Connecting with the school district to recommend us as an option for before/after care for their program is definitely on the radar. We do run into a bussing issue, however. I do also realize that those classrooms have their own capacities, and it's very likely that not every child in the community would get a spot... which drives up competition amongst us, private preK options. Having a good rapport with the district to be the facility they recommend when they are full could be crucial. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:34:21 pm | Alyson, part-day or half-day preschool programs are rare these days. As you think about the demographics of your enrollment, what do you think brings families to your program? |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:34:28 pm | We are in contact with our local public preschool. They come in and do our screenings. We know them quite well! They have great opportunities for kiddos with special needs, but their class sizes are big and are only half-days. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:34:31 pm | We partner with Saint Michael/Albertville early intervention team with the school district regularly as we service many students prior to them being assessed for kindergarten or entering public pre-k programs. This has helped us retain our families and not lose them to the public schools program even though it is a fraction of the cost. Families knowing that we are "partnering" with the schools to ensure we are meeting the students where they are at, has been very beneficial. |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:34:40 pm | We just open another center today, and it's next to a child care center(Big Competition)! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:34:45 pm | We have a great relationship with the birth-3 years old at the school district, they recommend our center to everyone. I need to connect with the 3-5 year olds staff. |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:35:26 pm | Heather, I agree. We are a seasonal preschool vs center based and I feel like parents are choosing daycare over preschool or center based because they can't afford both. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:35:27 pm | **We get work experience students from the local high schools. It is great for them, and us. We have teacher staff that can work 5-8s. Our high school students are learning valuable lessons and gaining many skills that seem to be "lacking" as we continue to go through the younger aes. |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:35:32 pm | At this point, I find myself in more of a defensive position rather than a collaborative one, because the public school district has expanded their free preschool options — including bilingual programs — which directly compete with what I offer. This has made it very challenging to market my program’s unique qualities, as many families understandably choose the free option. I haven’t yet established a strong connection with the district because it feels like we are competing for the same families, and I’m not sure what opportunities for collaboration even exist in this context. Right now, I’m focusing on identifying what sets my program apart — such as smaller ratios, more individualized attention, and a more intimate environment — and trying to communicate those to families. However, it’s been difficult to overcome the perception that the school-based program is “better” simply because it’s free and part of the public system. |
| Frazier, April | 07:29:16 pm | We have had a few of our kids go to half day programs and then return to us in the afternoon or vice versa. I feel like we have not collaborated much with the school program but may be a good idea to do so. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:36:00 pm | One final question for tonight and then I will open the discussion to any questions you would like to pose to each other for the last 5-7 minutes. Ready? * |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:36:00 pm | I also think we can collaborate with the school districts because we offer distinct programming. We have worked with Minneapolis Public Schools to offer nature walks and even have written outreach grants to bring more elementary students into the school forest. Since we work together, I also know that when we are full, I can recommend the local school, and when they are full or have a family seeking a different schedule, they can send them our way. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:36:03 pm | Before moving jobs, I had a great connection with the birth to 3 in the school district. I also had parent perspective because my child was involved in services. I need to connect with my current school districts |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:36:10 pm | I feel that, Mirla! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:36:10 pm | * |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:36:11 pm | * |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:36:11 pm | * |
| Evans, Casey | 07:36:19 pm | * |
| Frazier, April | 07:29:54 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:36:31 pm | We work with the local school districts for Early Childhood Screenings as well if we have a child receiving services. |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:36:33 pm | ECFE offers such good classes to partner with preschool., too. |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:36:34 pm | ( |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:36:37 pm | * |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:36:38 pm | * |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:36:48 pm | * |
| Roering, Angela | 07:36:43 pm | * |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:37:01 pm | * |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:37:02 pm | What did you learn about yourself or your organization as you engaged in the process of evaluation using the SWOT tool? |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:38:06 pm | I get so excited about opportunities that sometimes we have a few too many different outreach options at once. |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:38:08 pm | I learned that we are resilient and deeply committed, but we’re stretched too thin. I also realized that many of our weaknesses could be addressed with better planning, board involvement, and community outreach. Personally, I learned that I need to shift some of my focus from “surviving day-to-day” to proactive planning to ensure our center can grow and thrive. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:38:11 pm | There is always more to think about then what you think about each day. I enjoyed the SWOT making me think deeper. I am excited to really dig into the staffing portion |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:38:20 pm | I learned that we do need to reach out to the staff and ask for help and get their ideas. I also realize that my boss and I can't do this alone. |
| Peralta, Mirla | 07:38:32 pm | The SWOT process helped me see my program more clearly. I learned that while I’m very aware of external challenges, I need to focus more on building confidence in my strengths and finding creative ways to stand out despite the competition. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:38:35 pm | nicole, yes! |
| Roering, Angela | 07:38:57 pm | I learned that we need to be more intentional with our decision-making, both big and small. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:39:05 pm | Great personal insight, Rosalie! |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:39:23 pm | I learned after racking my own brain and as I stated in the discussion board "arrogant" about my program. I reached out to my team to see if I was overlooking things or if my thoughts were on track. I had to evaluate myself and my investment into the business and ensure I was taking a step back to look inside instead of being so inside and trying to look out, to ensure I was providing a true prospective. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:39:35 pm | That we need to start utilizing our untapped resources... I was able to list way too many weaknesses vs. strengths, which means its time to start taking action. Identifying those "opportunities" and hit the ground running. I saw my program more concretely and was able to dream up tangible plans (such as enlisting our most engaged families who might be willing to support or advocate for changes that could lighten the load - like organizing fundraising) |
| Frazier, April | 07:33:19 pm | I feel like I learned or realized that we have more than just weaknesses and strengths. I feel like I need to focus on the opportunities more and how we can better our program or in my postion, how I can make the hiring and onboarding process better as I go. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:39:51 pm | Being intentional can be hard but is so critical to upholding the program's mission, Angela! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:40:22 pm | Honest and insightful, Toni |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:40:45 pm | Toni, I plan on sending my board my SWOT so we can figure things out together! |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:41:12 pm | It was really helpful, I hope you get great results! |
| Evans, Casey | 07:41:12 pm | **I learned that it is good to put them side by side. It is easy to focus on one of those "squares" in our world- depending on what is going on in our daily flow, staffing at that time, the time of year, etc. It also keeps a person grounded in a way because I do feel like it is humbling in a perspective way- but sometimes you have to change your own perspective when focusing or writing a specific bullet points. When it is all side by side- it "forces" you to question what you already know or feel you know in a way. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:41:23 pm | Many voices bring many perspectives! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:41:43 pm | Yes Nancy! |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:41:53 pm | It was eye-opening to how our actions, mindset, and leadership directly shape the success and growth of the child care center. “Director’s SWOT Affects the Child Care Center’s SWOT” |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:42:03 pm | It helped me find new opportunities to start including in our program and helped me to use my licensor as a resource to ask questions on what I may need to do to our current license to make a plan of action and next steps to move forward in the future.. |
| Maameri, Ratiba | 07:42:23 pm | I like that 'Many voices bring many perspectives!' |
| Ross, Amber | 07:42:28 pm | Love that Nancy! |
| Evans, Casey | 07:42:41 pm | I think doing a SWOT in an employee meeting- and just teaching it, then empowering the employees to identify those bullet points is an incredible way to work as a team. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:42:43 pm | Often times we get "stuck" in our own heads and forget there are many resources |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:42:46 pm | Yes, Casey! The SWOT is intended to be brief statements at any given point in time, so you can build on that information to complete the Strategic Plan, Action Plans, and goal completion. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:42:56 pm | Casey, I love that idea! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:43:09 pm | Great idea Casey! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:43:33 pm | OK< I promised to open the floor. Does anyone have a burning question you would like to pose to the group - related or unrelated - to tonight's topic. We have two minutes! |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:44:24 pm | Amber, so true! We often feel like we need to fix the problems on our own vs. finding resources that could help us! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:44:42 pm | I have a "What Would You Do" question! Last week, we learned marijuana dispensary is petitioning our city to go in just 300 feet from our building, where they intend to have a half-an-acre of outdoor growth and a license for events and festivals. Where our center is located, there is VERY tight road infrastructure and traffic is already very “sketchy”, especially around drop off and pick up times. The smell from cultivation, paired with increased road and foot traffic in our limited setting, threatens to push our program to stay indoors. We have already had families politely tell us they will seek other care if this new business gets approved. 🙁 |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:45:31 pm | Oh no Heather, can you guys go to a city council meeting and voice your concerns and invite the parents to come along. |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:45:46 pm | Yikes, I would have your staff and families attend city meetings to ensure the community is being heard! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:45:50 pm | OOH, that's a tough one, Heather! I say go to your city planning commission with evidence of any potential health risks to children. Soon! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:45:49 pm | Is there something that the city can do, Heather? I would think that maybe you could fight it somehow... |
| Yoswa, Toni | 07:46:08 pm | Petition right back! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:46:20 pm | That's what we did last week! There was a "step one" vote, and we got together commentary and dissent from the families and brought it to the board. They still voted 4-3 in favor of the dispensary. |
| Evans, Casey | 07:46:30 pm | **Heather -- in our Rockville location, we have a bar across the street, and one next door. It has its ups and downs, but that is a relationship that can be created to appreciate and respect one another, even if in disagreeing of the choice or business itself. If that makes sense. |
| Ross, Amber | 07:46:33 pm | Oh no! |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:46:39 pm | That's nuts! I'm sorry! |
| Quinn, Alyson | 07:46:52 pm | Sorry Heather. I hope this brings up some other childcare with a success story of maintaining child care programming over a 'recreational' community interest. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:47:12 pm | Thank you for sharing that perspective, Casey |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:47:23 pm | We don't disagree with the dispensary as a store front, its the outdoor growth that will be literally just 220 feet from us, plus the outdoor events, that we worry about. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:47:39 pm | Our time is up! Thank you for a great conversation tonight! Not too many readings for week four! |
| Ross, Amber | 07:47:43 pm | Understandable! |
| Brank, Nicole | 07:48:11 pm | Good night, everyone! |
| Roering, Angela | 07:48:14 pm | Have a good night! |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:48:18 pm | Hope to keep you guys posted as this moves along for us. Uffda! Goodnight everyone! |
| Evans, Casey | 07:48:18 pm | **One of them is a biker bar as well. We worked together to respect each other. The one owner, brings popsicles over one or twice a summer. I have had kiddos dress up as the biker bar owner for Halloween (jean jacket and all). |
| Frazier, April | 07:41:53 pm | good night |
| Ascheman, Rosalie | 07:48:26 pm | The outdoor growth could maybe be something else that's discussed at a city meeting. I'm sorry, Heather! Good night everyone! |
| Notch, Kristin | 07:48:30 pm | Heather, that is hard! It sounds like you are taking the steps you can to make an impact or have your voice heard. It is soo hard when it feels like it is going to make an impact on your business and you feel like the situation is out of your control. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:48:41 pm | That's funny, Casey! I hope we can have a good relationship with this business owner. |
| Kirchoff, Heather | 07:48:58 pm | See you guys next week! |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:49:10 pm | Thanks for sharing your question, Heather! Goodnight all |
| Evans, Casey | 07:49:51 pm | **One "obstacle" that presents itself is our need to check our surroundings and playgrounds each morning for tom-foolery put on at night potentially. Also they have come in real handy with their outdoor cameras before for us (we had some snowmobilers tip our dumpster once) and they helped me track them down ASAP. |
| {Hafner, Nancy} | 07:51:20 pm | That is not necessarily a bad practice, Casey - a newly identified strength! |
