February 8, 2022


Dear Hastings Families, 


As noted in the January edition of Hastings Highlights, the monthly Curriculum and Instruction newsletter, we are looking for parent volunteers who are willing to participate in a Tri-State interview process, which will be an essential element of our March Tri-State visit. Interviews will occur in person within small, building-specific groups from 1:30-2:00 pm on Thursday, March 10th. 


Volunteer! 

If you are interested in participating in this important process, please volunteer through this Google form before the end of the week.  A random number generator will be used to select up to 12 parents per building.  Please note that stakeholders from PTSA, SEPTA, HEF, and the Board of Education have already been represented in the process. We are currently looking for parents who do not serve in leadership roles within these groups. Selected participants will have an orientation, which will provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about what to expect. 


Visit Focus & Essential Questions

The focus of our visit will be collaboration, which is critical to ensuring a professional community for students’ intellectual success and emotional wellbeing. Our visit will be guided by three essential questions related to collaboration that have been designed by Hastings faculty: 


1. To what extent, and in what areas, does the district have clear and well-understood protocols for systemic communication in service to a professional community for teachers and staff? 

2. To what extent are stakeholder roles and responsibilities understood and adhered to in service to a professional community for teachers and staff, a shared vision and environment for change, and parent and community support? 

3. How might we strengthen protocols, structures and norms to enhance intradistrict collaboration in service to a professional community for teachers and staff? 


The interview process will help our visiting critical friends to support us with recommendations for improvement. These recommendations will be shared with the community in the weeks following the visit. 


Thank you very much for your consideration. 


Best regards,


Melissa Szymanski, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum & Instruction