New Year, New You… School Edition

The new school year is right around the corner, if it has not already begun for you. Although it may still be August, this is the perfect time to treat the start of the school year the same way you treat January 1. Just as people set New Year resolutions in January, you can set “New School Year” goals now to ensure you start strong and focused.

Perhaps you already made resolutions earlier this year. How are they going? Are they still driving your actions, or have they quietly faded into the background? And do you have specific plans for this school year? These questions are worth asking yourself and your team as you gear up for the 2025–2026 academic year.

The truth is, goals and resolutions are not exclusive to January. In fact, this new academic season offers a natural reset; a moment to put your best foot forward with renewed clarity and purpose.

Choosing Your Focus for the Year

Before you dive into the details, it can be helpful to choose a single word or theme that captures your main objective. This word becomes your compass, guiding every decision and initiative throughout the year.

For example, your focus could be Growth. While the word may seem simple, its application can be powerful. Once you have your theme, you can break it down into specific, actionable areas.

Applying Your Word Across Key Areas

If your word is Growth, what does that mean for different aspects of your school or organization?

Academic Growth: Perhaps you want to improve student achievement by refining teaching strategies, introducing new instructional tools, or offering more targeted professional development for teachers.

Enrollment Growth: Even if you have a full waitlist, growth should remain a priority. Maintaining a healthy enrollment funnel ensures long-term stability and success. This may involve engaging a marketing partner, updating your outreach strategies, or identifying barriers that keep prospective families from enrolling.

Student Growth Beyond Academics: Growth is not only about grades. It might mean addressing social and emotional needs, removing barriers to learning, and expanding support services that help students thrive as whole individuals.

Teacher Well-being and Professional Growth: Healthy, supported teachers create thriving classrooms. This year could be the year you prioritize realistic workload expectations, provide mental health resources, and create a school culture that celebrates and supports educators.

Safety Growth: Even if your school already has strong safety procedures, ask yourself if there are ways to improve. Could you strengthen visitor protocols, run more effective drills, or implement new safety technology? In an ever-changing world, safety is never “finished.”

Communication Growth: Strong communication is the backbone of a thriving school community. Consider improving feedback systems, creating more transparent updates for parents and staff, or introducing new ways to listen to your school community.

Involving Your Team in Goal-Setting

Goal setting works best when it is a team effort. If your goals are created in isolation, they are harder to achieve. Consider hosting a collaborative session with staff to identify priorities, share ideas, and commit to action steps together.

Remember: success rarely happens by accident. When you define what you are aiming for and communicate it clearly, you create alignment. Everyone moves forward together instead of working in separate directions.

Letting Go of the Past to Move Forward

Perhaps the most important step in starting fresh is releasing what is behind you. Forget the goals you set in January that you never achieved. Let go of frustration about academic struggles, staffing challenges, or other disappointments from last year.

Right now is what matters. Right now is your opportunity to start over with a clean slate. The 2025–2026 school year is a blank page, and you have the pen. Decide what you want it to look like, put your plan in place, and go after it with focus and determination.

This is your moment to define success for the year ahead, and to take intentional steps every single day to make it happen.