The Sanford School Department has completed a months-long, community-driven process to update its Mission, Vision, Core Principles & Beliefs on Learning, and Portrait of a Future-Ready Graduate, bringing together stakeholders to define what Sanford students need to succeed.
This effort involved multiple feedback loops and a diverse Steering Committee that included district leadership, School Committee members, teachers, parents, students, city officials, community members, business leaders, and a college president. Rather than starting from scratch, the committee used the Maine Department of Education's "Measure What Matters" initiative as a foundation.
“Measure What Matters’’ is a statewide project, run through Battelle for Kids, that interviewed Mainers throughout the state, from Pre-K students to college presidents, teachers to policymakers, to identify what makes schools successful. Sanford’s steering committee used that research as a starting point for this important work. (Click here to see the steering committee).
After developing an initial draft based on "Measure What Matters" and their collective expertise, the steering committee launched a deliberate feedback process. In May, they released a survey to all faculty, staff, and community members, gathering broad input on the proposed draft. The committee reviewed those results and used the feedback to revise the initial draft.
Next, the revised version went out for a second feedback loop with another survey to the same groups: faculty, staff, and families. This second round aimed to confirm the changes and further refine the framework based on additional community input. After reviewing the second survey results, the steering committee finalized the updates to present to the School Committee for review and approval. Following minor changes, the Sanford School Committee approved the proposed Mission, Vision, Core Principles & Beliefs on Learning and Portrait of a Future-ready Graduate at the beginning of this 2025-2026 school year.
The next step was to develop a branding campaign for this work. Superintendent Matt Nelson turned to the Digital Design program at Sanford Regional Technical Center. All 2nd year students in the program submitted original designs after participating in a client meeting with Superintendent Nelson. After a competitive selection process and multiple rounds of revisions, Sanford High School senior Johnathan Rideout's design was chosen as the official branding. (Click here to read about the branding process)
The updated framework centers on a mission of preparing all students with future-ready skills and knowledge to empower success in a rapidly changing world.The School Department’s vision commits staff to creating safe, inclusive learning environments, partnering with families to build resilience, and empowering students to take ownership of their learning.
The Core Principles and Beliefs on Learning establish how faculty, staff, families, and the community will work as essential partners to achieve the district's mission. These principles address five key areas: learning climate and culture, equitable access and accountability, adaptable learning systems, community collaboration, and future-ready skills development including critical thinking, digital fluency, civic responsibility, and essential life skills.
The Portrait of a Future-Ready Graduate defines competencies every Sanford graduate will develop: critical thinkers and creative problem-solvers, emotionally intelligent collaborators, adaptable and resilient individuals, lifelong learners with a growth mindset, and engaged, future-ready citizens.
This framework will be used to guide decisions, programs, and practices across the district moving forward, ensuring that every choice made keeps students' futures at the center. The comprehensive process, from steering committee collaboration to community feedback to student-designed branding, reflects Sanford's commitment to making educational decisions through genuine partnership and shared ownership.