School Board
My fellow Genevians...Running for a seat on
the Geneva City School (GSD) Board was the culmination of
my interaction with Geneva City Schools ever since
2005 when my wife and I decided to stop
home-schooling and send our two girls to public
school. We were quite concerned about the
transitional effects on our girls so we became
involved in school affairs almost instantly. My
wife Andrea got involved with the West Street School
PTA and I joined the Geneva Middle School Site
Council.
At the same time, along with some other parents in the school district with children in the Middle School we also started what became known as the Geneva Middle School Parent Initiative. The whole emphasis on the latter effort was to promote a kinder, more profound relationship between parents, teachers, and students in the Middle School so that the learning atmosphere could improve. Some of you may have noticed that our volunteers still greet students at the beginning of the school day outside in front of the school. We have learned a lot from the kids and I know we have shown them that we care about them and want them to be successful. They also know, that our interest is that they be kind and help each other during their Middle School journeys.
Since the winter of 2006, I have continued to greet students once a week, have been a Geneva Soccer Club coach for the last 4 years, and have volunteered two years in a row on the GSD Budget Advisory Committee. This exposure to the GSD at multiple levels of bureaucracy, leadership, faculty and students provided me with insights into the challenges, failures, and successes of secondary public education. Many parents in the community have developed their own perspectives on where/how the school district could improve. I know because many have shared their views with me. But, one thing I have also gleaned from parents is a certain reluctance to engage the school district in a public way on how to make it better. One thing I have learned is that taking on a bureaucracy in private through parent teacher conferences, discussions with the principal without the public approach as well is to a certain extent doomed. And that may be where I see myself being able to make a contribution to making the Geneva School District (GSD) the best school district in Ontario County. And as we develop this dialogue maybe that would be the question for all parents as well as policy makers at the GSD to ask themselves when making policy: Would the best school district in Ontario County do it that way?
At the same time, along with some other parents in the school district with children in the Middle School we also started what became known as the Geneva Middle School Parent Initiative. The whole emphasis on the latter effort was to promote a kinder, more profound relationship between parents, teachers, and students in the Middle School so that the learning atmosphere could improve. Some of you may have noticed that our volunteers still greet students at the beginning of the school day outside in front of the school. We have learned a lot from the kids and I know we have shown them that we care about them and want them to be successful. They also know, that our interest is that they be kind and help each other during their Middle School journeys.
Since the winter of 2006, I have continued to greet students once a week, have been a Geneva Soccer Club coach for the last 4 years, and have volunteered two years in a row on the GSD Budget Advisory Committee. This exposure to the GSD at multiple levels of bureaucracy, leadership, faculty and students provided me with insights into the challenges, failures, and successes of secondary public education. Many parents in the community have developed their own perspectives on where/how the school district could improve. I know because many have shared their views with me. But, one thing I have also gleaned from parents is a certain reluctance to engage the school district in a public way on how to make it better. One thing I have learned is that taking on a bureaucracy in private through parent teacher conferences, discussions with the principal without the public approach as well is to a certain extent doomed. And that may be where I see myself being able to make a contribution to making the Geneva School District (GSD) the best school district in Ontario County. And as we develop this dialogue maybe that would be the question for all parents as well as policy makers at the GSD to ask themselves when making policy: Would the best school district in Ontario County do it that way?