What do we mean by coherence?

So is the word of the year, coherence? 

I have heard this question, or a form of this question, a few times this year. It is natural as we continue to focus on our system, and our work, to hear a new word and think we are making a shift. As mentioned in an earlier blog post the executive cabinet and director team is being very focused on robust communication. For robust communication to occur, communication needs to be clear, consistent, concise and comprehensive.

Coherence, or bring coherence to and across our district, means bringing the pieces of our system together. Looking at what create silos in our work for our students, parents, and each other so that we can find ways to integrate; building on the strengths each brings to the table. The graphic below represents aspects of coherence that become visible when a school or district systems are aligned. 

The SAIL work that we do speaks to each of these pieces of coherence. Although the word "coherence" may be new to some, the work we do in schools and district still is focused on building an integrated system, a system of coherence, to meet the needs of our students.