LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

Congratulations to the Rome Free Academy Class of 2020! You made it! Despite every challenge, hurdle, road block, etc. that was thrown your way, you have persevered and made it. As an adult, we tend to look back on life and compare our childhoods to the life of a current child. Often times, you can hear adults talking about how kids these days grow up so much faster than we did, and things are so different. The Class of 2020 is a prime example of this analogy. I know for a fact my senior class in high school could not have handled all of the changes to our schooling, combined with the uncertainties and fear associated with a pandemic with the same grace that the RFA Class of 2020 has handled these past 3 months. With every step, you have been calm, patient, objective, and focused on the goal. While students had not been required to learn virtually before COVID-19 hit, they were versed with technology, the resources needed for learning, and more importantly, the skill of communicating...

It is hard to believe that this week marks the official end of the 2019-2020 school year. Six months ago, who would have thought that this is the way the year would play out and come to a close. There are so many things that we could all say to our students and each other about the way that our worlds have changed in the past few months. In true fashion, the human spirit rose to the occasion and found new ways to provide each other with memories and events that bring joy and happiness to our faces. Despite all of the differences and changes we've had to endure, in the face of adversity, people and our students rose to the occasion. Was it perfect? No? There was a lot to learn, and there still is a lot of room to grow. However, through it all, we have been shown that there is a true need to rethink the world of education because a "one size fits all" model doesn't work. We were forced into a mode where we went from one model, to another. What we have learned is that ...

Often used as a cliche referencing the concept that we must keep on moving forward and adjusting to whatever comes our way, the phrase "as the world turns" can be used to describe living in New York during this COVID-19 situation and attempting to adjust to the Governor's executive orders and determine what they mean. Regardless of your line of work, we have all been living in a state of flexibility for several months now. Just as when this all started in March, things were evolving and changing rapidly; we are starting to experience this again as we begin to re-open our communities and plan for the future. This weekend (only weeks after announcing no in-person summer school), the Governor has announced that schools can hold in-person summer school for special education students only, but provided no detail beyond saying that all rules and safety precautions must be followed. For Rome, our administrative team will meet this week to discuss what this may look like and de...