Planning for What’s Ahead: Strategic Planning Amid Budget Pressure & Enrollment Shifts
A virtual link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
* Registration open until 6/16/26 at 12:00 PM (CDT)
Event Details
How do district leaders plan confidently when the numbers keep changing? From enrollment fluctuations to budget pressure and competing priorities, Iowa school districts are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. Strong strategic planning can help leaders move from reacting to responding with clarity, alignment, and purpose.
Join K12 Coalition’s strategic planning team for a practical, one-hour webinar designed specifically for Iowa superintendents and senior district leaders. Drawing on more than two decades of experience supporting districts in Iowa and across the country, this session will explore how strategic planning, zero-based budgeting, and enrollment planning can work together to support long-term stability and student success.
Participants will leave with actionable strategies for setting clear priorities, making confident budgeting decisions, and building strategic plans that keep districts focused, adaptable, and positioned for long-term success, even as conditions continue to change.
Get to Know the Presenters
Jason Stricker is Chief Policy Officer at K12 Coalition and a co-founder of Insight Education Group, now part of K12 Coalition’s Lavinia Group division. He partners with education leaders nationwide to develop bold strategies and sustainable systems for improvement. With experience as a teacher, instructional and executive coach, chief academic officer, and consultant, Jason brings deep expertise in educational leadership, organizational transformation, and strategic planning.
Jason has led strategic planning efforts for school systems across the country, including Waukee (Iowa), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Ferguson-Florissant (Missouri), Roanoke City (Virginia), and Syracuse (New York), helping districts align vision, priorities, talent, and operational execution. He has also designed instructional frameworks and leadership systems for major districts including DC Public Schools, Baltimore City Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and Syracuse City School District.
Jason is the the co-author of Strategic Design for Student Achievement and Coaching for Change. He holds degrees from the University of California, Davis and Belmont University.
Jessica Dirks is Partnership Director for K12 Coalition and an Ankeny native based in the Des Moines metro. With nearly two decades of experience in education spanning teaching, law, district administration, and national nonprofit work, she partners with educators and community leaders to support strategic initiatives and organizational improvement.
Before joining K12 Coalition, Jessica served for several years in executive leadership roles with Ankeny Community School District, where she oversaw work spanning strategic planning, legal affairs, community engagement, before-and-after-school programming, and data services. Her experience in one of Iowa’s fastest-growing districts gave her a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing school systems across the state. Earlier in her career, Jessica partnered with school systems and national education nonprofits across the country on talent strategy, academics, after-school programming, and community partnerships. She began her career as both a classroom teacher and attorney, bringing instructional, operational, and legal perspectives to her work with districts and educational organizations.
Jessica holds a B.A. from Rice University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law.
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