It's JUST Education...
A few years ago, we were fortunate enough to welcome a guest speaker to Rome who spoke about diversity and working to understand how it is important to recognize the background of your students when trying to educate them. This speaker was nationally renowned principal, Baruti Kafele. He regularly goes by "Principal Kafele" and is best known for his work as a principal in the inner city schools of New Jersey and his professional development programs centered on educating black students and social justice. Recently, I had an opportunity to listen to Principal Kafele speak again at as part of the district's joint-equity efforts with the Rome Teacher's Association and he spoke about the definition of social justice education, from his perspective. He defines social justice education as: "the ongoing student-centered exploration, examination, and assessment of the world upon which your students exist through their own lens. It's an interdisciplinary critical analysis of the world around them with respect to their relationship with it and how they fit in it via their own self-expression relative to social-justice, social-injustice, and overall systemic institutional and individual racism (unconscious or explicit)." What I found to be most eye-opening in this statement is that this is what education SHOULD be, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, etc. This is education. ALL children need to be afforded the opportunity for self-centered learning experiences that are derived from their perspectives. Just as every teacher in any school brings with them a specific set of skills, knowledge, and personal background; our children are the same. They need us to take the information that they are bringing to the table every day and apply those thoughts to the concepts, skills, and needs of the curriculum that we are trying to teach. All teachers know the importance of relationships in education and how beneficial positive relationships can be. However, providing a just education is more than a relationship. It's taking the time to understand where our students come from and what they need in order to be successful. As adults and teachers, we have been trained through college programs (like robots at times) to think that kids need knowledge, facts, etiquette, discipline to be successful; when in reality they may simply need a pair of shoes, or a backpack, or a meal, or a friend. Education is more than books and it's more than grades. Social justice education is nothing more than educating kids from the perspective through which they see the world. It really is quite simple and common sense. The reality is that no one else sees the world as anyone individual sees it. Education should not be about trying to get kids to see the world as we see it, but helping them navigate the world as they see it. In essence, we have always been working toward an educational environment based on social justice because social justice education is nothing more than providing the JUST education that our children deserve.
SED Parent Newsletter
The newly appointed State Education Department (SED) Commissioner of Education, Dr. Betty Rosa, is now creating a Parent Newsletter on a monthly basis to help families stay updated on things that are transpiring in Albany, in SED. The NYSED has created many parent resources over the last year to continue providing information to families so they are updated on any changes coming to our schools. To view this months Parent Newsletter from Commissioner Rosa, please visit: Commissioner Rosa Parent Newsletter
Kindergarten Registration
MV Equity Pledge
As you know, the Rome City School District is participating in the Mohawk Valley Equity Pledge program through the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties. The Community Foundation has been a tremendous supporter of public education and the Rome City School District. Currently, the Rome City School District continues to be the only local school district involved with this program to help provide a learning environment to our students and community that is recognizing of all students and their situations. If you have not yet taken the pledge to help make the Rome community more equitable and supportive of all student needs, please take a moment to do so at: https://www.mvequitypledge.org/
YMCA It's Time to PANIC!
The local Rome YMCA is offering classes for the next two months that combine Physical Fitness, Active, Nutrition, and Impactful Classes (PANIC) elements. Part of each class will consist of lectures, question and answer sessions, and cooking demonstrations. The other part of the class will be a physical workout with a trainer who is educated on specific workout routines and fitness equipment. For more information, please see their flier on our Peachjar: https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/2017986/districts/32521
