During the spring of 2022, the De Soto High School staff engaged in several activities and discussions around three central questions. The questions: why do we exist, what must we become to accomplish our purpose, and how we must behave to achieve our vision – were powerful in establishing a consensus around our shared sense of purpose.

The following statements are the foundation of the work ahead.

Mission: The Mission of De Soto High School is to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to build successful lives.   

Vision: De Soto High School ensures all students learn at a high level and have a positive sense of belonging, developing each student to be ready for their future.  

Underlying our mission and vision are six belief statements: 

• Students learn by being positive risk-takers in an environment that is safe, clean, respectful, caring, and fair.     
• All students offer a unique contribution to the school environment.     
• All students can grow and thrive, and learning is rooted in trusting relationships. 
• Students learn in a variety of ways.  
• All students can learn from a relevant curriculum and experiences beyond the classroom.     
• Student motivation and assumption of responsibility impact student learning.    

As a result of our individual and collective commitment to the Mission and Vision of De Soto High School, each staff member pledges the following:  

• I will create a safe, respectful learning environment for all students and colleagues. 
• I will deliberately build and maintain positive relationships and provide learning support for all students.    
• I will value and/or create relevant learning experiences for students in and out of the classroom. 
• I will insist on student engagement and communicate expectations of success.  
• I will teach the identified essential standards and a rigorous curriculum for every student. 
• I will actively collaborate with colleagues and assume collective responsibility for student learning.  
• I will use evidence of student learning to meet the needs of individual students and pursue continuous improvement of my practice.