Fort Polk Progress to Hold Strategic Planning Session for Education Initiative

LEESVILLE, La.-Fort Polk Progress is set to conduct a Strategic Planning Session at 1 p.m. today, Jan. 8, at Northwestern State University’s Leesville/Fort Polk campus.
 
The planning session will include educational stakeholders from local, regional, state and national level, said Michael Reese, chairman of Fort Polk Progress. The goal of the planning session is to create a strategic plan that will ensure that our military partners are aware of our current achievements as well as our plans for continued success.
 
The meeting is spurred by recent comments by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno who, in an Oct. 31 Army Times article, called for performance evaluations of public schools near its installations.  
 
“Our district does an exceptional job educating our students, both military and civilian,” said Reese. “However, not everyone is as aware of those successes. Fort Polk Progress wants to present our educational successes to our military partners and create an environment that will encourage planning for continued excellence and pursuit of implementation funds.”
 
“Surviving Army 2020 was only one short-term battle in the war to keep Fort Polk vibrant and thriving,” Reese said, referencing the Army’s plan to significantly reduce its force structure over the next few years. “Another front in the battle to keep soldiers and their families at Fort Polk exists in education.”