Subscribe to our email list
Share this:

How to make your Mission (and Vision and Values) more meaningful

Every few years, it seems school districts get the itch to change their Mission and/or Vision and/or Values Statements. 

Maybe it’s the arrival of new district leadership, or a new group of Board members, or some new buzzwords flying around public education that are putting everyone in a dither over whether or not these district pronouncements of purpose are up to date enough. One thing is for certain, when a plan is hatched to update one or more of these statements, you can be certain a committee will be involved.

That committee will then dissect the current statements, parsing each word as if it were Chinese (a language where words can have four different meanings, depending on the speaker’s inflection). They will scribble, erase, use sticky notes and fill up flip chart pages. In the end, they will likely come up with something that reads a lot like what’s been on the wall at the Central Office for years already, or something you will likely find at some other school district, somewhere in this great land.

Why? Because school districts look at Mission, Vision and Values Statements and see them as something of a public job description – including practically every responsibility except the “other duties as assigned” line. Stakeholders (except the zealots that hang on every word) who make an effort to read them, run the risk of narcolepsy when the jargon finally becomes overwhelming.

But statements such as these can be less obligatory and more inspiring if school districts would remember that stakeholders have a much more limited field of vision regarding a school district’s role in the lives of students, their families and the community. 

In our research over the last 22 years, these are the marching orders that typical patrons – meaning about 80 percent of your community – have for their school districts. Bear these in mind when you start fiddling with your Mission, Vision and Values:

  • Teach and practice responsibility

    School districts should not see themselves as de facto parents (even if some parents see it that way). But, because accepting and welcoming responsibility is a key to success in life, stressing the role it plays in the life of the district and those it is teaching will send a simple, yet powerful message.
  • Put students in a position to be successful

    The growing acceptance that not all students will – or should – go to college, has tied some school districts up in knots as they try to figure out how to work the idea of CTE and other such programs into their Mission, Vision and Values language. This doesn’t have to be complicated: Make it clear that your goal is student success, and let the community interpret what that means to it.

  • Stay current with what’s important

    Most stakeholders don’t want to have to keep up to date on the latest trends in education; that’s what they expect their school district to do. Avoid language that risks having an expiration date, by keeping the commitment simple and universal.

Note the pattern: Simple, declarative statements are what will catch the eye of most stakeholders much more than dramatic promises loaded with bombast and school-eze. After all, what’s wrong with simply saying, “Preparing students of today for success in life tomorrow?”

SURVEY SAYS

Of the following items, which most defines a successful school district?

POINT OF VIEW: If ever there was evidence that patrons focus on the macro and not the micro, this is it. School districts know that there is so much more to excellence than graduation rate and test scores. But these easily "digestible" pieces of data are ideal for those who simply want a quick and easy spot-check on a district's performance. It's a good lesson when you are considering the depth of details you plan on sharing about any piece of news. Ken DeSieghardt, CEO/partner

Patron Insight study of 1,501 Americans, conducted August 15-22, 2014.

Patron Insight welcomes new clients; new affiliation

We’re honored to announce three new client relationships – The School District of New Berlin (Wisconsin), Basehor-Linwood USD 458 (Kansas), and Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 (Idaho Falls, Idaho). Patron Insight is working with these districts on community, staff and parent research, testing ideas that are being considered as part of each district’s long-range facility plan, along with general satisfaction levels.

Patron Insight is also excited to announce our affiliation with Cooperative Educational Services Agency (or CESA) 6 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. CESA 6 provides innovative, cost-efficient educational services, and has 42 school districts in its territory, located west of Milwaukee. Patron Insight provided a portion of a Board communications workshop with CESA 6 in Sheboygan Falls, and a CESA 6 embedded communications professional is on duty in New Berlin.

Thank you to these new clients and to CESA 6 for the opportunity to work with you.

What's the climate like in your school buildings?

It doesn’t take a researcher to figure out that some school buildings simply function more successfully than others. But research can help school district leaders find out why – and set a plan to help underperforming schools.

Patron Insight offers customized climate surveys that let students, staff and parents weigh in on what is – and isn’t – working in your school buildings and in the district as a whole. From classroom environment, to the effectiveness of teacher and principal communications, to seeing how problems are handled, climate studies provide a confidential way for districts to get meaningful data.

To discuss your district’s situation, or to simply find out more about our approach to climate studies, please contact Rick Nobles (rick@patroninsight.com or 913-814-7626).

Best Practices Consortium

Dr. Bill Nicely, superintendent of Kearney (Missouri) School District, shares his experience with the Best Practices Consortium from Patron Insight.

Best Practices Consortium

Peers sharing ideas to 
enhance learning for all.
How cool is that?
Learn more.

School Communication that Works: On what patrons want to hear about your principals

“Principals tend to get the most credit for the environment they encourage  or mandate  in the school building." 
(Page 54)

Order your copy of the book here, and support the National School Public Relations Association in the process.


Ken DeSieghardt
Ken DeSieghardt
816-225-0668

Rick Nobles
Rick Nobles
913-484-0920

Craig Larson
Dr. Craig Larson
314-267-6992

Dennis Fisher
Dr. Dennis Fisher
816-392-7387

Marsha Chappelow
Dr. Marsha Chappelow
314-910-7401

Melody Smith
Dr. Melody Smith 
816-261-0926

Dr. Chris Belcher
Dr. Chris Belcher
573-239-7356

Steve Mulvenon
Dr. Steve Mulvenon
775-690-1145

Susan Nenonen
Susan Nenonen
913-481-7080


Patron Insight, Inc. 
19733 Birch Street
Stilwell, KS 66085
Office: 913-814-7626 
Fax: 913-814-3864 
info@patroninsight.com


Patron Insight, Inc.
19733 Birch Street • Stilwell, KS 66085
Kiwi Powered Email
This email was sent to
Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe
View e-mail online.