Strategic Framework 2022–2027

Five-year strategic plan | Three priorities | Twelve initiatives

The three strategic priorities and twelve initiatives were adopted by the Nueva Board of Trustees on May 25, 2022 and are aligned with and grounded in Nueva's foundational commitments to its vision, mission, and core values.

What the Strategic Framework Does

Nueva was founded to enable gifted learners to make choices that benefit the world. With this strategic framework, we reaffirm that essential commitment. Through three priorities—renew, belong, innovate—the framework guides our decisions as we emerge from a period of change. It keeps us grounded in who we are and helps us hold ourselves accountable. In this regard, it is a living document that informs our decisions and keeps us mission-aligned on a daily basis.

At Nueva, we have a history of making our visions come to life. In 2012, we set the ambitious goal of building and opening a high school. In 2017, we set out to better equip our students for the future by creating an environmental citizenship program. When the Nueva community comes together and identifies a goal that will advance our mission, the question is simply how we will achieve it—not if.

On this webpage, I invite you to learn about the framework’s priorities and initiatives, which will be supported by continued focus on long-term fiscal and operational sustainability, including stewardship of endowment, development, and community engagement. It has been a true group effort, expertly led by Taryn Grogan, director of enrollment and strategic engagement, and Janet Cheston, longtime Nueva trustee and parent. I extend my deepest thanks to them, to the steering committee, and to the entire Nueva community, for the countless ways you have shaped this plan for Nueva’s bright future.

— Lee Fertig, head of school

How the Strategic Framework Was Developed

75 pages of task force research	10 parent focus groups and individual meetings
48 preK–12 student engagements	500+ pages of community student input
357 survey responses	7 faculty/staff/leadership meetings

The Strategic Framework

MISSION
Our school community inspires passion for lifelong learning, fosters social and emotional acuity, and develops the imaginative mind.

VISION
The Nueva School uses a dynamic educational model to enable gifted learners to make choices that benefit the world.

VALUES
• A dynamic learning community
• An environment of trust
• Social-emotional acuity
• Curiosity and creativity
• Passion and excellence
• Student agency

What do you value most about Nueva?

Deliberate kindness, child-centered teaching, joyful learning.

— Nueva parent

I value Nueva’s willingness to embrace new ideas and cultures, to give everyone a voice, and to allow the students freedom to explore.

— Nueva student

I love that we are always iterating and changing and researching ways to be better in our mission of serving gifted students.

— Nueva faculty member

The dedicated program towards gifted students, the SEL program, and the fact that my daughter loves to go to school.

— Nueva parent

“How curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning (for learning’s sake) suffuse this community. How, in our best moments, we fuse ambitious thinking with kindness, consideration, and open-mindedness.”

— Nueva faculty member

Lee Fertig

Head of School

“The Strategic Framework is a powerful blueprint that will ensure that each Nueva student is equipped to make choices that benefit the world, long into the future.”