In a school in Iowa, the staff all worked together to develop the school's mission statement, with some student input. Once it was crafted it became a living document that the teachers in various classes used according to their subject area. In English, they discussed choice of words and meaning, in social studies the statement's purpose and how it related to school governance, etc. In this way, everyone knew that it was not just empty rhetoric. It was reciprocal between students and staff (teachers especially). Each had a responsibility to contribute to an environment which facilitates learning as well as achieving.