LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

This is the phrase that I imagine many people will be saying as the year 2020 comes to a close and we prepare to welcome in 2021. There is no doubt that 2020 has brought its fair share of challenges, pains, frustrations, and many more negative adjectives that we don't have time for. The reality is that 2020 is quite possibly going to be the most challenging year that any of us will have to endure in our lifetimes. While it was certainly a very long and different year, there were things that we have experienced that are possibly better than our traditional routines. In the world of education, I have spoken many times over the year about how schooling was "stuck in rut" with minimal changes in approach for the last 100 years. The pandemic has flipped that, literally. While we all continue to make improvements and work to "re-learn" what education is, the forced move to remote learning in the spring has shown everyone that things can be done differently. Many stude...

As we enter December, there is likely to be a lot of uncertainty and fluctuation in school operations throughout New York State. One thing that we do know for certain is that Governor Cuomo has repeatedly made public comment that one of his top priorities is to keep schools open. Knowing this, it is likely that we will experience changing requirements and circumstances throughout the coming weeks and months. I understand that right now, most people want consistency and predictability; so we will do our best to continue delivering learning in a way that is as consistent as possible and fits within the Governor's (or the New York State Department of Health's) rules and requirements. Another area that we have begun to hear a lot of noise about is bringing kids back into the buildings five days a week. Unfortunately, the reason why students are not in school five days a week is directly related to the COVID restrictions placed on classroom/school occupancy. We cannot have more stud...

Late November is the traditional start to the Holiday Season. This year, 2020, is going to bring an entirely new meaning to the holidays and to what and how people celebrate. My personal experience started the other week with helping my mother understand that it was okay for her to cancel our family Thanksgiving and that the family wouldn't hate her for doing so. Like many families, my family is spread throughout the country and bringing people together is not only challenging, but in the current situation, potentially not safe. In my conversation with my mother, I said to her, "Mom, if we need a holiday to get together as a family and enjoy each other's company, then we're doing something wrong." The fact is, also like many families (prior to COVID), my family takes as many opportunities to be together as possible throughout the year. The reality is, holidays can happen on any given day of the year. In reflection, why do people need a holiday to think of others a...

  As we enter our fourth week of hybrid learning, there has been no shortage of bumps, road blocks, bruises, challenges, adversity, you name it. At the same time, there has also been an equal (if not greater) amount of triumph, teamwork, perseverance, and success. There is no doubt that schools everywhere (including Rome) are doing their best to get by and make the best of tough situations in an ever changing environment. There is not a single member of our school community from student, to parent, to staff member that has not been greatly affected by this pandemic. However, each and every day people come together in an attempt to bring whatever sense of normalcy we can muster. No one knows where the next. few weeks and months are going to bring us. There is going to be a host of people who believe that the only way to do things is to shut everything down again like the spring, while there is going to be an equal number of people who believe that some are still overreacting to the ...

  As you know, our region and community has seen a significant increase in positive COVID cases over the past week. Fortunately, statewide, schools have not been the breeding ground for exposure and spread that many people feared. However, unfortunately, simple mistakes throughout all communities are raising cause for people everywhere. Despite increases in positive cases, there are still many folks that are non-believers and some that will refuse to follow simple health and safety guidelines that are in place to protect everyone. If we want schools to remain open, we all need to remember to remain calm, and follow the simple requirements. Currently, and rightfully so, there is an element of panic beginning to creep into our region. Our positive rates are higher now than at any point in the spring, so concern, stress, and anxiety are expected. However, this is the very reason why we have professionals in the medical and health profession who help guide us through to the promised la...

After welcoming back more students to the buildings last week, we are all reminded of the age old phrase,  most often used in athletics, "every day is a chance to be better." Many schools have been doing the hybrid model for several weeks and are still working out the issues and/or in some cases, completely changing course. Every new adventure,  no matter what facet of life, will always bring a level of anxiety and some bruises as people work to adjust to new ways of doing things. Every day will have it's successes, it's failures, it's meh's and it's hooray's! Every day for the past several months has been a learning experience in some way shape or form, and the learning experiences are likely to continue to for the next several months. Regardless of what happens, as long as we can all remember that every day is a chance to be better than the day before. Everyone at this point knows that there are going to be challenges and new hurdles to be faced on a...

As we bring the month of October to a close, it is only fitting that perhaps the most challenging month to be a school administrator in the history of public education, also happens to be National Principals Month. Our dedicated principals and assistant principals have worked tirelessly, feverishly, and with resolve throughout the entire month of October to prepare a welcome back of students that everyone has been anticipating for many weeks. The task of opening schools in the face of COVID is unlike anything that any of these leaders have ever faced. Each and every day brought with it a new challenge, a new stress, and a new opportunity. The need to remain positive, supportive, and caring has been at an all time high; all while internally feeling angst, stress, and anxiety like never before. Our school leaders, principals and assistant principals alike, work every day to prepare our buildings and staff so that our students can return to school and begin the process of returning to som...

This coming week marks the week where we celebrate and recognize our Board of Education during the statewide Board of Education Recognition Week. Those of us who have committed our careers to education know that being a member of the Board of Education is often times a thankless job. On top of their own busy lives, Board members put in countless hours of meetings, conversations, research, and visits to help ensure that our children are provided with the best resources, facilities, and opportunities possible. The compensation for being a Board member comes in the form of student smiles, "thank you's" from us, and a general pride in working toward a greater cause. With the constant onslaught of State and Federal mandates, the concept of remaining focused on learning and children is becoming increasingly difficult for most Boards. On top of the normal routines and challenges, Boards of Education have been forced to navigate through an era in time that has never before been e...

Despite some recent situations occurring in school districts throughout our region, the statistics still look favorable for a return of students to the classroom on Monday, October 26. Thank you to all of the families who have participated in our most recent survey, which has assisted the district in determining which method of in-person learning we are going to be able to provide. While there will always be ongoing work related to COVID and educating kids, some of the knowns for today include: Students who opted for in-person learning will attend school two (2) days a week and will learn remotely the other three (3) days of the week. Students will be cohorted into one of two groups and attend school on either a Monday/Tuesday schedule, or a Thursday/Friday schedule. Wednesday will be a complete virtual learning day for students, except for students in some supported learning programs and/or off campus placements. Students who opted for remote learning will continue to learn completely...

 As we've all grown accustomed to throughout the entire COVID experience, things coming from various agencies change rapidly and frequently. This week, the New York State Department of Health has released a new document specifically for schools and school families to assist us all in knowing when a student/staff member should come to school and when they should stay home. The document is extremely detailed and has many easy to read graphics which clearly outline when students and staff should not be attending schools. A complete copy of this document can be found here: NYSDOH - PreK to Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit     We have already connected with the Oneida County Department of Health for clarification on some of the topics contained within this document, however, it is important to note that the new guidance from the State requires students and staff who are symptomatic to remain out of school facilities for longer periods of time than what we have been requiring. The mos...

With the end of September upon us, and COVID-19 statistics and data in our region continuing to trend in a safe range, it is time that we set our sights on a return to school for more students. At this point, we are targeting a return date of Monday, October 26 for all students in grades preK-12. If possible, depending on responses to the next round of surveying, we may look to bring students in grades preK-2 back to school on Tuesday, October 13. That determination will need to be made in the next 2 weeks so students, families, and staff can prepare. In order to keep the preparations moving forward, we are in need of an additional round of surveying. While there hasn't been drastic changes in COVID-19 data or situations since August, a families mindset and/or opinions on in-person/remote learning may have changed drastically. In an effort to get the most accurate data and information from which to plan and prepare from, we are asking families to once again complete a brief survey ...