LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

Believe it or not, the end of November is but a mere week away. With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, it is time to reflect and say thank you for everything that we are afforded in life. While it can be argued that the traditional American holiday can stand for the remembrance of oppression or discrimination, what can't be argued is the underlying intent of Thanksgiving: to be thankful. With so much negativity in our world today, and the negativity more readily available to all of us, this time of year is the perfect time of year to focus on the positive. We all have our own stories that involve heartache, sadness, successes, and joy. Personally, the last 8 weeks of the calendar year always foster sad memories as any member of my immediate family who has passed away, has done so during the holiday season. This time of year always brings with it the concern and memory of loss. However, negatives can only consume us if we let them. There is much positive to focus on as well. Fami

Recently, I have been involved in discussions with several business leaders from around the region discussing the needs of industry and the evolution of society around us. One of the common themes that seems to pop up in these conversations is how similar public education is to the model that existed decades ago. This is not a topic that is unfamiliar to educators, but it is one that most people are tired of hearing and/or don't want to hear. Public education has not had a drastic overhaul in decades, with the exception of the implementation of a new annual teacher performance requirement. This new requirement had the exact opposite effect on schooling that legislative entities thought it would. It took creativity out of classrooms, caused teachers to go on the defensive, and filled our world where everyone became more worried about scores and numbers, than they were about feelings and kids. If you were to ask any elementary school teacher about any of their students, I would be

This Monday, our nation recognizes Veteran's Day for all of our women and men who have served our country in one way, shape, or form. Having the fortitude, mental stamina, and courage to serve in our nation's military is one of life's paths that not everyone can follow. The women and men of our military forces are constantly in harms way to provide security for the rest of us. They perform their duties courageously knowing that the ultimate sacrifice is always a possibility. One of the most inspiring features that I have grown to admire of the veterans that I know is the humbleness with which they live their lives. Walking down the street every day are thousands of veterans who bring the qualities of dedication, perseverance, grit, pride, and service to the rest of us. All of our veterans deserve much more than one day of recognition as the lessons that they bring to the table are significant, if we are willing to listen. It would be hard to believe that in today's n

This week, the Rome City School District had several distinguished guests visit our schools. Thanks to the hard work of our educators and staff, Rome is being recognized both nationally and state-wide for the growth that is occurring. In conjunction with the Rome Alliance for Education and Connected Community Schools initiative, the Rome Community Schools model has quickly become a model program for communities throughout the region/country to follow. Due to the efforts of many individuals in several of our schools (and throughout our community), we were fortunate enough to welcome the President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, to Rome this week. While in Rome, she was able to visit with community leaders, programs, and schools to see first hand the impact that can be made for students and families when we all work together. Due to these efforts, the Community Schools Initiative was awarded $350,000 for continued work to strengthen to the model that is alrea