ROCHESTER, Minn.- This August, Rochester Public Schools has been preparing 134 new teachers across the district for the 2025-2026 school year through a new teacher orientation program at John Marshall High School.

Heather Willman says the program allows these new teachers to meet fellow staff members, learn from more experienced teachers and get familiar with the culture at RPS.

"It's one of my favorite times of the year because you see all of the optimism and the energy in the new folks coming into the classroom," Willman said.

One of those new teachers, Kelsey Gerber, who will be teaching agriculture classes at John Marshall and the district's C-Tech program, says a lesson that has stuck out to her is the school's focus on a culture of inclusion and mental health.

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