CMDS Strategic Plan 2022: The Next Five Years

Christ Methodist Day School’s mission has been the foundation of all that we do for the past 64 years.

As we reflect on our mission and the school’s immediate future, we have worked with our Board of Trustees and strategic planning committee for the past 18 months to develop a strategic plan that will guide CMDS for the next five years. This plan will direct us to accomplish the goals that resonate with our community. The strategic planning committee was created with a broad range of CMDS board members, parents, faculty, and administration. This group worked closely with the Gowan Group, which CMDS contracted with to help guide the strategic planning process.

The Gowan Group began by hosting focus groups among CMDS community stakeholders in the spring of 2021. In the summer of 2021, a survey was sent to all CMDS parents, faculty and staff to solicit their input. In the fall of 2021, the strategic planning committee was formed to review the findings of the focus groups and surveys, and then design goals that would help guide CMDS organizationally for the next five years. The committee worked through the fall and spring to finalize this strategic plan that we are excited to share with the greater CMDS community.

1. Prepare lifelong learners 

• Develop and communicate a curriculum scope and sequence that weaves together core subjects and encore classes from 2K through 6th grade. 

• Create curricular departments for each core subject, including Encore, and appoint a chair to lead each department. 

• Formalize the approach with middle schools and CMDS graduates to track their academic readiness and continued development.

2. Build a strong foundation of faith 

• Develop each student’s personal faith and relationship with Christ through the study of the Bible and the application of Biblical principles to his or her life.  

• Promote a sense of belonging among the School's students rooted in our Biblical framework for diversity in which we are all one in the body of Christ, created in God’s own image.

3. Practice social responsibility 

• Expand student leadership and service opportunities across grade levels.

• Utilize a broad scope of extracurricular activities – athletics, performing arts, robotics, House leadership and more – so each student is able to share their God-given talents.

1. Retain and develop high performing teachers

• Review and assess teacher compensation and benefits relative to the market and establish benchmark goals to set salary levels based on degree and experience.                                  

• Design a standardized framework for purposeful professional development.

• Promote a sense of belonging among the School's faculty and staff rooted in our Biblical framework for diversity in which we are all one in the body of Christ, created in God’s own image.

2. Value our teachers 

• Focus on providing community-building activities.

• Acknowledge faculty successes through awards and recognition.

• Encourage and elicit faculty input and feedback regularly/consistently.

• Provide leadership opportunities for faculty and staff.

3. Attract mission-minded, highly talented teachers

• Develop approaches to recruit quality applicants in line with the school’s mission.

• Create a dedicated mentoring program for new teachers. 

• Intentionally recruit diverse candidates and create an environment that invites belonging.

Enhance the CMDS and Christ Church campus 

• Create a campus master plan that best utilizes the campus. 

• Identify ways to address aging buildings on campus to better meet the needs of the school and church.

Enrich partnership opportunities that support the strengths of the school and church to benefit our communities

• Build upon the relationship with Christ Church Athletics to best utilize space and explore opportunities for coaching staff to broaden relationships with CMDS students.

• Explore ways to partner with the church ministerial staff to provide spiritual development of CMDS students and share Christ Church ministry opportunities. 

Expand our development efforts to support the growth of CMDS

• Cultivate donor relationships to continue CMDS's legacy of excellence.

• Engage with CMDS alumni, beginning at graduation, and develop relationships that will last through middle, high school and beyond. 

• Identify fundraising projects to partner with Christ Church that will benefit both communities.

CMDS Strategic Planning Committee

Dr. Bryan Williams - Head of School
Teena Maginn - Associate Head of School
Alison Hinson - Director of Admissions, Alumni, Parent
Matthew Crosby - CMDS Board Chair, Alumni, and Alumni Parent
Byron Fisher - CMDS Board Member, Alumni, Parent, and Alumni Parent
Susan Golden - CMDS Board Vice-Chair, Parent, and Alumni Parent
Katie Futrell - CMDS Board Member, Parent, and Alumni Parent
Cheryl Bryant - Spiritual Life Coordinator, Retired 2022
Elizabeth Cameron - SK Teacher and Parent, Alumni Parent
Mary Cheairs - 5th Grade Math Teacher, Alumni Parent
Mims Pigg - Discovery Lab Teacher and Parent
Lizzie Ruple - 3rd Grade Teacher
Nell Womack - Bible Teacher, Alumni, and Parent
Denise Weir - 2K Teacher
Luke Lazzo - CMDS Parent
William Martin - CMDS Parent
Shelley Wachob - CMDS Parent

Strategic Plan Implementation Committee

Lauren Blythe
Mary Cheairs
Kassitee Debardeleben
Jenn Futrell
Rachel Groshart
Teena Maginn
Shannon Nanney
Courtney Skouteris
Reg Udouj