LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

Well, we have all made it through another school year. Summer is a few short days away and the frantic pace of the end of a school year is in full swing within the building. This will be my last blog both as the Rome Free Academy principal and for the summer (I take some time off too!!). While I could always find something to ramble on about, today I am choosing to simply say thank to the RFA community; students, staff, and families alike. A few short months ago I was granted the privilege of being your leader and I could not have underestimated just how much of a privilege it is to be the RFA principal more. All of you have truly been amazing and in all of my years in education, I have not met a more welcoming community than Rome. I only hope as we enter this new chapter of life together, that I can provide back to the community what you have all given to me. So, as I congratulate our senior class for their efforts and accomplishments, I would like to leave them with some words of w...

So, if you don't know, golfing is by far my favorite hobby. I think it's because no matter where you play (the same course every day or somewhere totally different every round), the game is never the same. Each round you play there are decisions to make (risk vs. reward), patience to be exhibited, mistakes to learn from, fun to be had, and with every swing the opportunity to hit the greatest shot of your life!! All of the fun aside, it is also probably known as the most frustrating hobby of all-time. Even when us golfers are "having fun" or "enjoying" our day, we can come across extremely miserable to anyone who doesn't understand the game. Ironically, as I watch our students interact and weave their way through the halls these last few weeks and more recently, the last few days; I have noticed that being a teenager in high school is not that much different than grinding through a round of golf. Every day our children are faced with challenges and de...

Over the past several weeks, I have been experiencing multiple events where we recognize kids for the great things that they have accomplished. Our PBIS team continues to go out of their way to recognize and encourage positive behavior in school, and of course seniors throughout the country are recognized for their achievements in school. When I was a kid, I don't recall half of this stuff to be honest. Maybe it's just because I wasn't worthy of recognition so I didn't participate, or maybe time have changed drastically in 20 years. Regardless, I continue to see things around schools change however schools on the inside continue to resist. Most all school settings, procedures, expectations, environments are very static and similar to when us adults attended high school. Are we truly meeting the needs of kids in today's society with this mentality? Is this why so many kids drop out of college because they are not ready for the freedom and responsibility that comes ...