LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

It goes without saying that the past year has been the most challenging that any of us have experienced. No matter which lens you view it through or which role you serve within the school system, nothing about the last year has been normal, easy, relaxing, or comfortable. Every day is approaching with anxiety, uncertainty, and the worry of not knowing if the day will end the way that it began. At this point, it is hard to believe that we have reached the start of the home stretch. As we approach the last week of April, we are rounding that bend and staring the month of May directly in the face. May is generally that month where the excitement of year-end activities and celebration take hold, the rebirth of the plants and trees outside provide the encouragement to keep going, and the sound of kids outside playing once again brings joy to our ears. A year ago, we were still in the throes of uncertainty. Not knowing if the school year was going to resume at all, not knowing if kids were g...

This Wednesday, April 21, marks the annual Administrative Professionals Day. The title can take on many forms; secretary, clerical, assistant, etc., however, the work remains the same and the challenges don't change with the title. Each and every day, the clerical staff of the Rome City School District rises to the occasion to support our staff, students, families, and community. While many people will go above and beyond, I can honestly say that our clerical staff have always been at the front of the line asking, "what else can I do" or "what can I learn." They are the front lines for all of our buildings, often having to carefully maneuver through difficult phone calls and helping our families and community understand various aspects of a school district. At least daily, these individuals are treated with extreme disrespect and met with phone calls that are littered with profanity, insults, and threats. The job is not as easy as one would suspect, and our enti...

It has been an extremely long and challenging 13 months, but here we are on the eve of welcoming back students to our schools for full-time in-person learning. Ironically, although we have had some students in school throughout the year and we are coming out of spring break, it still feels like the first day of school. As expected, there are emotions that encompass the entire spectrum from the most joyful possible, to the most anxious possible. Late this past Friday, the New York State Department of Health released updated guidance on the reopening of schools in our State. As expected, they largely adopted the most recent CDC recommendations, which will allow our schools to operate with minimal restrictions. As we move through the coming days, the district will be re-releasing our reopening plan to ensure that our community has access to the new, updated requirements. For a copy of the most recent NYSDOH guidance, please visit their website at:  https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/de...