Rochester Public Schools (RPS) today released a comprehensive statement addressing recent media inquiries and public questions regarding the district's participation in the Minnesota Principals Academy (MPA), a leadership development program for school principals across the state. RPS is sharing this information with the school community to ensure full transparency regarding the decision-making process and the value of the leadership training.
A story ran earlier this week on a television station based in the Twin Cities that suggested that the participation of principals from Rochester Public Schools in the Minnesota Principals Academy constituted a conflict of interest because the program is directed by Dr. Katie Pekel, who is married to the Superintendent of RPS, Dr. Kent Pekel. Rochester Public Schools is confident that no such conflict of interest exists and that participation of RPS leaders in the program was entirely appropriate for the following reasons:
Neither Dr. Katie Pekel nor Superintendent Pekel receives any personal benefit from Rochester's participation in the program. Dr. Katie Pekel receives no additional compensation or professional advancement as a result of Rochester's participation. Likewise, Superintendent Pekel has not and will not receive any financial or career gain.
The Minnesota Principals Academy is a strong, research-based option. MPA is the only leadership development program for Minnesota principals that the State of Minnesota endorses and financially supports. It has been highly rated in independent surveys of school principals across Minnesota. In addition, studies of the curriculum that is utilized in the academy have shown that when principals participate in the program, it contributes to improvements in student achievement, instruction, and school climate in their schools. Century High School Principal Patrick Breen participated in the program when he was principal of Stewartville High School, prior to his joining RPS in 2024. Mr. Breen describes his experience in the program as follows: "MPA is fantastic professional development that prepared me most to be the principal I am now, and RPS is led more effectively because of its volume of participation."
The Minnesota Principals Academy is an intensive and cost-effective program. MPA consists of 31 full days of training that take place over the course of two years. Participants engage in extensive reading, reflection, and an action learning project outside those sessions. Three cohorts of RPS principals have participated in the Minnesota Principals Academy at a cumulative cost of $253,750. The per-participant cost of $4,975 is similar to or lower than other nationally-recognized school leadership programs, such as the Achieving Excellence Leadership Development Program for Principals based at Harvard ($4,800 for six days of in-person learning) and the National Principal Academy Fellowship based at the Relay/GSE Graduation School of Education ($16,000 for 12 days of in-person and virtual learning plus hotel and meals during in-person training).
The proposal to support the participation of Rochester principals in the program did not originate with the superintendent. RPS Chief of Schools Jacque Peterson describes the origin of Rochester's involvement in the program as follows: “For several years I had heard about the high quality of the Minnesota Principals Academy from two highly respected veteran principals in RPS who participated in the program before Dr. Pekel began his tenure in our school district. Before Dr. Pekel joined RPS in July of 2021, it was announced that a new cohort of the program would be held near Rochester in Austin, Minnesota. During my first meeting with Dr. Pekel, I asked if we could allow Rochester principals who wanted to participate in the program to apply. He asked me to review the curriculum in detail and said we should also review other leadership development programs. He explicitly stated that the fact that his wife directs the Minnesota Principals Academy should have no role in our consideration of the program’s merits. I ultimately decided that participation in MPA was a good fit for Rochester and sixteen RPS principals participated in the cohort based in Austin. They had such a positive experience in the program that we decided to host a cohort in Rochester. A smaller group of five principals is now participating in a cohort based in Mankato.”
Participation has always been voluntary. Many principals in Rochester Public Schools have chosen to participate in the program, while others have chosen not to—and all of those decisions have been respected fully by Superintendent Pekel and the RPS leadership team.
Disclosure and oversight expectations have been followed. Before any staff from Rochester Public Schools participated during Superintendent Pekel's tenure, he informed the board chair and vice chair that his wife directs the Minnesota Principals Academy program and that neither he nor his wife receives any financial or career benefits based on the number of principals participating in the program. After reviewing the circumstances, the board chair and vice chair concluded that there is no conflict of interest and informed the full school board of that conclusion. The participation of Rochester principals in the Minnesota Principals Academy has subsequently been the subject of presentations and discussions at multiple school board meetings. A story ran in the Rochester Post Bulletin on October 15, 2024, that described Dr. Katie Pekel’s role in directing the program.
Rochester’s participation is proportionate and not unusual. Nearly 800 school leaders from across Minnesota have participated in the program since its inception, with approximately 6% of them being from Rochester Public Schools. The Anoka-Hennepin and Saint Paul school districts have both sent more principals through the program than RPS.
Leadership development is core to our strategy in Rochester Public Schools. Decades of research have shown that school leadership is second only to classroom instruction in its impact on student learning. Given that fact, RPS has made leadership development a core part of the school district’s strategy for improving student learning and outcomes.