The Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) Mid-Year State of the Unit is an annual event designed to keep staff informed, connected, and aligned as the organization transitions into the second half of the school year.
Following the theme announced at the Start of the Year | State of the Unit, “Continuing Connections,” the 2025 Mid-Year State of the Unit took place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, with over 125 BCIU and Pennsylvania Key staff members in attendance.
Dr. Jill Hackman, Executive Director, opened the event by expressing her gratitude to staff members for their dedication to students, families, the community, and one another. She reflected on the BCIU’s mission as a service provider, stating, “Mid-Year is a chance to reflect on how our mission, principles, and priorities connect us with one another and those we serve. Our mission remains centered on providing high-quality resources and services to meet the needs of our children, families, and community. Our core principles guide our work: leading with ethics, delivering excellent services, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and fostering collaboration. And our priorities—innovation, employee engagement, and strategic partnerships—remain timeless and relevant. These values are at the heart of everything we do.”
The event featured organizational updates and goals, reports on accomplishments and upcoming priorities from office directors, and addressed employee questions submitted through the Mid-Year State of the Unit Q&A Forum survey.
A new feature of the Mid-Year State of the Unit, the Q&A Forum with the Leadership Team, provided an opportunity for staff to share what matters most to them and receive answers to their most pressing questions. Employees were invited to submit questions or comments for discussion during the meeting, resulting in 34 submissions. These were categorized into 15 categories, covering topics such as the future of education and programs, facility usage, professional development, recruitment and retention, safety and security, and more. The BCIU Leadership Team valued the insightful questions and employees’ willingness to share what was on their minds to help foster meaningful dialogue.
Directors expressed much gratitude to their teams, emphasizing that the organization’s success is built on the dedication, collaboration, and teamwork of all employees across programs and offices.
Dr. Hackman concluded the program by reinforcing the theme of “Continuing Connections” with a quote by Harriet Goldhor Lerner, “Only through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance the self. And only through working on the self can we begin to enhance our connectedness to others.”