Rochester Public Schools begins mission, vision and values rewrite with outside branding firm

Rochester Public Schools on Tuesday launched a districtwide effort to create a new mission, vision and values statement and develop a brand identity, during a study session in Room 137 of the Edison Building led by the Portland-based firm Field Trip.

Superintendent Kent Pickell said the work begins ‘‘a really important process of developing a new mission, vision, and value statement, and then ultimately, a new brand identity for Rochester Public Schools.’’ The session brought together school board members, cabinet leaders and district staff for a facilitated discussion and small‑group exercises with Field Trip.

The kickoff is intended to precede the district's next strategic plan and provide a clearer public voice for the district, Field Trip representatives said. Jane Pfeiffer, founder and president of Field Trip, told the board the firm's role at this stage is ‘‘learning and discovering and then helping to set really what are going to be the outcomes, the things that this work has to not just be done but uplift and create and to make sure that our work is enabling that positive change and shift and empowering everybody and lifting up the entire district and its students and staff.’’

Board members and cabinet leaders offered their perspectives on what the new statements should emphasize. Board member Stephanie Whitehorn urged the district to address racial disparities in discipline and readiness, saying, ‘‘we're not slowing down, black and Hispanic boys being locked up,’’ and argued the district should show measurable change rather than repeat past conversations. Board member Justin Cook described RPS as ‘‘the community's growth engine,’’ linking the district's success to Rochester's economic prospects. Chief of Schools Jackie Peterson said she wants a statement that students and the community will remember and repeat; she suggested a concise, tag‑line style phrasing that expresses pride and belonging.

Field Trip introduced two tools it plans to use with the district: an exercise the firm calls the "benefit of the benefit," which traces tangible services to deeper emotional and aspirational outcomes, and an "ERT" framework that prioritizes starting external messaging in an emotional register before presenting rational proofs and tactical calls to action. The group also noted that Field Trip had already met earlier in the day with the student school board, teaching staff and administrators as part of the discovery work.

The study session moved from a large‑group conversation into three small breakout groups to apply the worksheets and test messaging prompts; participants agreed on a roughly 20–25 minute working period. Field Trip said it will use the board and staff input to develop messaging layers and a larger set of materials for future review.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken during the study session. The meeting concluded with Chair Kathy Nathan thanking participants; the board's next regular meeting dates were announced in the final minutes.

The discussion highlighted recurring priorities that Field Trip and district leaders said should guide drafting: clearer public communication of what the district does, a focus on whole‑child outcomes (including mental health and social skills), equity and inclusion, and translating internal priorities into messaging that persuades families who are undecided about district schools. Several speakers referenced the district's relationship to Mayo Clinic as a local economic driver and a reason to position the schools as an attraction for staff and families.

Field Trip will return with draft messaging and a recommended structure after synthesizing the breakout sessions and earlier stakeholder meetings. The board did not set a formal adoption date for a new mission or brand during the session.