LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

  In recent weeks, the Rome City School District has learned that two of our elementary schools have worked their way off of the NYS schools in need of improvement list. Congratulations to John Joy Elementary and Denti Elementary schools who have effectively worked together to improve student achievement and outcomes. In many cases, working your way off of one of these lists is a task that many say cannot be done. If you're ever bored and enjoy doing some research, take a look at the schools on the State's list every year and you will notice that very little changes from year to year. In many cases, once on the list, you can make continuous progress every year and never come off the list. The main reason for this is that no matter what, the State identifies 5% of all schools to be in need of improvement each year. So even if you double your academic performance in any given year, you could still be on the list if you fall into the bottom 5%. When you think about that, it makes

  This past week, I had the opportunity to meet with the Oneida County Opioid Task Force and Superintendents around the region. While the purpose of our meeting was to discuss the addition of Narcan/naloxone to area schools, the majority of our time wound up being spent on discussing real stories and experiences from the field related to addiction, of many kinds. We all know the old adage that everyone knows someone that has struggled with addiction of some kind, but the relevance for folks seems to be increasing. The stories that were shared and the topics discussed left me thinking as a parent and an educator, "what do we really know about what our kids are doing and are into?" It felt like something from a movie. Seeing an emoji chart that shows how kids communicate about drug acquisition and/or use purely through emojis ( https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf) . Or learning that there are websites that exist to help individuals learn more abo

  This week marks National School Social Worker week throughout our country. The first full week of  March has been dedicated to school social workers through the efforts of  the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). The week is  an opportunity for schools, communities, and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work that our social workers do to support students, families, and their communities. This week-long celebration should emphasize school social work contributions such as focusing on the “whole child”, linking families to community resources, being a valuable voice as part of the school’s multi-disciplinary team, and advocating for the profession of school social work. The theme for National School Social Work Week 2023 is “We Rise.” During the school year, school social workers are confronted with challenges, heightened anxieties, and anticipated difficulties. However, these individuals face these challenges with strength and resilience. Our team of s

This week marks the start of the month of March, one of the most dreaded months of the school year by many simply because it is long and cold. However, there are many exciting things that happen every year during the month of March, including recognition of students involved in the arts. Believe it or not, March is both Youth Art Month and Music in Our Schools month. Throughout the entire month, students will have opportunities to display their talents and hone their skills in both of these unique areas. To kick off the month, the Rome City School District All-City Concert will be held at RFA on Wednesday, March 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m., which will be followed by the opening of the Youth Art Exhibit at the Cinema Capitol Gallery in Rome this Friday, March 3rd. The public gallery of student work will remain on display throughout the month of March. Beyond these two cornerstone events, students will have many additional opportunities throughout the month to display their talents and abil

Reflecting on what an educator (formally known as a teacher) has to provide to a child in the 21st century almost makes the concept of schooling, or education, unrecognizable to the general public. In less than one generation, the requirements thrust upon our adults working with students in schools have changed so dramatically, that it is possible that in another generation there will be a true concern about how to keep schools open. A few years ago (pre-COVID), I wrote about potential teacher shortages in another generation, however, that concern has been fast-forwarded due to COVID. Currently, in New York State, there is already a shortage of teaching assistants, teacher aides, clerical staff, bus drivers, monitors, custodians, food service workers, special education teachers, speech teachers, psychologists, social workers, foreign language teachers, science teachers, technology teachers, library media specialists, administrators, superintendents and more. It's hard to determine

  This week represents National School Counseling Week 2023.  The week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the unique contribution of school counselors within the United States school system and the tremendous impact they can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. While there is no doubt that all adults (whether in an educational setting or not) act as a counselor to youth in some capacity, the specific work of a school counselor is at a different level. Believe it or not, many school-related people (including some here in Rome) still refer to school counselors as "guidance counselors". Unfortunately, this term used to address the work of school counselors was removed from school systems during the 1970s, but sadly many communities have yet to realize the work of a school counselor as being more than guidance/career planning, even 50 years later. Many of us as adults can think of at least one moment when o