The Strategic Plan represents the contribution of many participants within the TJ community (including parents, faculty, students and alumni) who thoughtfully consider how TJ can build on its strong foundation and continue to improve the world-class education it provides to students.
Read the planThe five main strategic plan objectives are:
Through a dedication to academic excellence, Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School stands accountable for educating students to make the most of their abilities. The School educated students to:
Goal:
Honor and Advance our legacy of successful education of our students
by reaffirming the School’s unwavering commitment to its Mission, Honor Code, classical liberal arts program, and the traditions and values foundational to providing an extraordinary education that develops graduates who are critical thinkers, effective communicators, and leaders of character ready to succeed in college and life.
Rationale:
In fulfillment of its Mission for over 30 years, TJ has stood accountable for educating students to make the most of their abilities, guiding them to acquire and refine essential academic knowledge and skills through a time-tested classical liberal arts program. TJ’s values, as embodied in the Mission and Honor Code, instill in our students a desire to assume responsibility for their behavior, seek out challenge, welcome criticism, test new capacities, practice self-discipline, and find joy in learning. Extra and co-curricular student activities provide meaningful student experiences that support intellectual and character development, cultivate an appreciation of the arts, and develop life-long fitness skills. The Mission, values, and traditions that define TJ are even more relevant in the rapidly changing 21st century in preparing students to be responsible and engaged citizens.
Goal:
Cultivate and sustain a team of passionate world-class educators and staff by attracting, retaining, and developing those who embrace and embody the School’s Mission and are united in achieving the Mission.
Rationale:
The School’s team of dedicated, passionate, highly qualified faculty, staff, and administrators is the conduit through which it achieves its Mission. Each individual of the team internalizes and actively promotes the value of TJ’s Mission, Honor Code, and the independent school model. The School brings students together with teachers who exemplify intellectual curiosity, a dedication to truth, and the advantages of living an examined life. Our faculty and staff serve as role models to our students by embodying the Mission and Honor Code and nurturing within students the joy of learning. The faculty serve as ambassadors for the School to our community and constituents. As such, they must embody the School’s values as defined in the Honor Code. The success of TJ and its students depend on the pivotal contribution of the faculty and administrators, necessitating robust processes to attract, professionally develop, and retain the best educators and education leaders in the region.
Goal:
Engage meaningfully and productively with all of TJ’s internal and external constituencies to strengthen TJ’s ability to further its Mission.
Rationale:
TJ is a community of individuals who share a common vision for educating children and who are united in executing the School’s Mission to achieve that vision. The strength of this community is essential to each student’s success and to TJ as a whole. The School nurtures a cohesive, safe, and vibrant learning environment with students, parents, and faculty and staff working together in a spirit of trust, mutual respect, and inclusion to educate every student to make the most of their abilities. The School maintains special connections to the community of alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, and friends of TJ to enhance and support its Mission. The School seeks to strengthen and grow the TJ community through deliberate and intentional outreach to new families and new students and welcomes them with enthusiasm.
Goal:
Enrich TJ’s extra- and co-curricular programs and culture of intellectual and character development, building on TJ’s rich 30-year tradition of excellence in these areas.
Rationale:
Central to TJ’s Mission are the objectives of educating students to cultivate an appreciation of the arts, develop life-long fitness skills, assume responsibility for their behavior, seek out challenge, welcome criticism, test new capacities, practice self-discipline, and find joy in learning. These objectives are supported by exceptional extracurricular and co-curricular programs such as sports, performing arts, student clubs, and summer programs, and by the Honor Code which is incorporated into all aspects of student life at TJ.
Goal:
Advance TJ’s Mission through deliberate and sustainable growth in enrollment and philanthropy.
Rationale:
An optimal level of qualified families and students fosters a diverse and dynamic social and learning environment that promotes interaction, collaboration, and a rich exchange of ideas all of which are essential to fulfilling TJ’s Mission. Full enrollment provides predictable and stable tuition revenue enabling the school to allocate resources effectively, invest in quality faculty and staff, and finance program expansion. Additionally, the development of a culture of philanthropy and the growth of a broad and deep base of donors engaged from all internal and external constituencies is critical to financial sustainability and the continuation of the School’s Mission.
TJ is an important part of the community, not only because of the educational program it provides, but because of the impact the school has on families and businesses in the entire Four-States region.