Care for each other
This was the most common theme we heard: the importance of kindness, respect, and understanding each other’s differences. People emphasized the need for students to learn this, and the idea came up in every group. Staff wanted administrators to remember what it's like to be in their roles and to feel supported. Parents asked for empathy too—they want to know their children are safe, cared for, and getting what they need to succeed. Everyone agreed that students need a strong support system that meets their physical, social, emotional, and academic needs—starting with ensuring they feel safe.

Staff 

• Know each student in your care and what they need for long-term success. 
  Listen to others who might have information or insight that helps you meet each student’s needs.  
• Use words of encouragement and support while holding students accountable.  
• Lead by example.  
• Ensure students are safe by knowing and adhering to safety protocols.
• Report bullying or other mean behavior to building administration.

Parents 

• Ensure your child has their basic needs met and ask for help if needed.
• Access outside resources if your child needs additional support for physical and/or emotional needs.  
• Help your child establish and maintain a social support system.
• Approach school staff with kindness and respect.  
• Be an active listener and open to others’ perspectives. 
• Ensure staff are well-informed about your child’s specific needs. 
• Help us create a positive learning environment by being mindful that conversations at home can influence your child's attitude and behavior at school. 

Students 

• Treat classmates with kindness and respect.  
• Understand that a positive atmosphere is one of the best things you can do to ensure your classmates are safe, emotionally and physically.  
• Follow the rules so that the adults can run an effective school and meet everyone’s needs.  
• Remember that the reason staff may ask you to do difficult things is that they know what will help you to be successful in the long run.  
• Be kind and respectful to the adults in your life. 
• Be honest.

Administration 

• Get to know staff, students, and parents. 
• Support staff in a way that helps them be their best at work. 
• Take time to listen and respect outside input.  
• Be visible throughout the school and be accessible to those in your care.  
• Monitor the school environment and establish effective safety protocols that are essential to keeping students safe.  
• Always remember that we got into this work because we care about kids and their success and the staff and parents are the ones that ensure you can make that happen on a daily basis.  
• Be transparent about what you are basing your decisions on; that transparency demonstrates respect to those that your decisions impact.

Communicate frequently and professionally
We saw that each group genuinely cares about and respects the others, but that isn’t always felt—often because of small communication breakdowns. We don’t have enough time face to face, and even the best communication can fall short. What stood out most was that strong, professional, and respectful communication is essential to working together as a team. Whether it’s sharing student progress with parents, clarifying expectations for students, or helping staff understand decisions and student needs, clear and honest communication keeps everyone informed and focused on our shared goal: student success.

Staff 

• Inform parents on how their child is doing and in what areas they need to work on.  
• Prioritize building positive relationships with parents.
• Keep the communication, especially with students, professional.  
• Protect students from adult issues, especially the personal issues of adults. 
• Explain and provide clear expectations for what you are asking students to do. 

Parents 

• Keep us informed when special circumstances arise that could impact your child in school.  
• Provide insights on what works best for your child. 
• Understand that school is helping prepare your child to navigate environments they may not have complete control over.  
• Know that staff always have your child’s best interest in mind, even when perspectives on the best approach may differ. 
• Build connections with those caring for your child.
• Utilize personalized conversations when necessary.  
• Welcome new families in the district and share the great things that are happening in the district.

Students 

• Let your parents and teachers know how you are doing.  
• Advocate for yourself; asking for help is a critical skill.  
• Know that your parents and teachers want the best for you, even when you don’t agree with decisions.  

Administration 

• Be crystal clear in your expectations; for students, staff, and families.  
• Understand that honesty is kindness, even if it isn’t what the person wants to hear at the time.  
• Ensure everyone has a voice and that you respect each voice.  
• Judge ideas and suggestions based on their merit, not on who they came from.  
• Make sure the why behind decisions and school processes are clearly communicated.  
• Facilitate communication within and among different constituent groups.  
• Search out areas where communication has broken down and find systems to fix the communication.  

Be accountable 
Accountability is what holds us together as a team. We all have a role in providing students with a great education, and while no one is perfect, it's important to own and learn from our mistakes. Like communication, accountability is something we must keep working on. Sometimes we avoid it because we want to be seen in a good light, but real accountability shows in how we treat others and our environment. To support learning, we create safe, structured spaces with clear expectations and consequences. I’ve heard strong conversations about holding students accountable—and just as many about the need for staff, parents, and administrators to do the same. Without accountability, there’s no team. And without a team, we lose progress. When we all do our part, we move forward together.

Staff 

• Create a consistent system in which all students and adults are held accountable for their actions, including praising positive actions and having consequences for negative ones.   
• Understand that accountability means that while roles and expectations may differ, the rules are applied consistently to everyone.  
• Help parents know how students will be held accountable at school so that they can reinforce that at home. 

Parents 

• Help reinforce school expectations with discussions at home.  
• Keep in mind that a consistent code of conduct helps create a fair and supportive environment for all students.
• Support the school behavior code and school consequences, to create a strong team effort.  
• Encourage your child to do their homework and follow school rules. 
• Understand that school officials must create a manageable environment with hundreds of students and we need parental help in holding students accountable for their actions. 

Students 

• Follow the rules and structures in your school.  
• Own your mistakes and then work to not make them again.  
• Try hard things, learn from success and failure, and take accountability for the results.  

Administration

• Hold your standards high and remain consistent in your enforcement.  
• Model accountability.  
• Be crystal clear about the standard, our vision for the future, and what enforcement of those standards looks like.  
• Explain the “why” behind your expectations.
• Take responsibility for retaining the staff that is in your care.

Be involved and available
People are social and we crave connection, some more than others. Being involved with others not only creates connection, but it is essential for an effective team.  Our kids need us and they need each other.  Everything mentioned above is predicated on involvement of all stakeholder groups in our kids’ lives.  I heard from so many groups that they want to work with the other groups.  It is the one piece of feedback, repeated many times, that changed my mind about creating multiple lists and helped me realize that we all want the same things.  Our students are one of the most important things in our lives and creating priorities in which we take care of the most important things first, will ensure that our students get the connection they need and that we are working together as a team.  I can’t define exactly what that looks like as everyone has different obligations, but I truly believe that if we could put aside distractions and spend more time with students, school staff, teammates, and other individuals, the outcomes and benefits would be immeasurable. 

Staff 

• Utilize personalized communication with parents, when necessary.  
• Be an active participant in creating a positive environment. 
• Be available to students and encourage them to seek out extra help on schoolwork. 
• When possible, attend school activities. 

Parents 

• Ensure your child arrives at school on time and ready to learn.
• Find meaningful ways to spend time with your children and attend their activities.  
• Help us reinforce positive behavior, and correct negative behavior.  
• Look for ways to be involved at your child’s school.
• Advocate for your child and follow the chain of command to ensure concerns are addressed effectively.

Students

• Step out of your comfort zone and get involved.  
• Encourage other students to be involved. 
• Ask for help. 

Administration 

• Be available by being in the classroom and workplace with your staff and students.  
• Have genuine, meaningful conversations with people.  
• See our students in different environments.  
• Make time to have face-to-face conversations with parents, whether that is during school activities or making an extra phone call or meeting.  

Do your best and enjoy doing it
You can’t succeed if you don’t try. Success takes effort, preparation, and practice, but it also helps to enjoy the process. We heard about hard work and dedication from each group, but we also heard about joy. Hard work matters, and so does loving what you do.

Staff 

• Be positive and make school a place students want to come to and give their best.
• Take responsibility for getting the most out of professional development opportunities. 

Parents 

• Enjoy your time at school events. 
• Encourage your child to always strive to do their best. 
• Support your child in developing a strong work ethic, helping them experience the satisfaction that comes from hard work and achievement.
• Model what it looks like to enjoy working hard. 

Students 

• Stay focused, push through challenges, and take pride in knowing you’re doing what’s right for your growth and future. 
• Understand that hard work is not just worthwhile, but genuinely rewarding and fun. 
• Have fun in school and engage meaningfully in class. 

Administration 

• Remember that becoming an administrator is a choice that requires self-discipline.  
• Take care of the important things, even when they aren’t your favorite. 
• Create the systems that help everyone else stay on track.  
• Work hard at supporting and retaining the staff that is in your care.
• Create a workplace that is both effective and enjoyable. 
• Create an environment where people want to come to and give their best.

Assume positive intent
The feedback sessions revealed a shared commitment among parents, educators, and students to do what's best for kids. While that common goal is rarely questioned, stress can cloud our ability to recognize it in the moment. Much of the conflict seems to stem from differing focuses—some look at long-term outcomes, others at immediate impacts. While communication alone can’t solve every issue, approaching conversations with empathy and a positive mindset helps. Emotions are natural when people care deeply, but they shouldn’t hinder communication. Interestingly, each group felt others didn’t fully understand their efforts, despite working toward the same goals. Clarifying the "why" behind decisions and trusting each other’s intent will strengthen our collaboration and lead to greater student success.

Staff 

• Understand that every interaction you have with your students and colleagues is an opportunity to model the positivity you want to see reflected in our school community. 
• Focus on solutions, celebrating small wins, and reinforcing the strengths of our students and schools.
• Know that our staff and community support you. 

Students 

• Respectfully ask for clarification when you feel you’re being negatively impacted.  

Parents 

• Understand our staff is committed to your child's well-being. 
• Approach situations with a mindset of trust and support to help shape your child's attitude toward learning.
• Inspire enthusiasm, confidence, and a love for learning in your child. 
• Take a positive approach to feedback.
• Trust that we will do our best to keep you informed. 

Administrators

• Take time to acknowledge the positive happenings in your building. 
• Listen to understand. 
• Appreciate feedback.