Elmsford Superintendent Hosts First “Coffee & Conversation” of the School Year

Sitting in the Alice E. Grady Elementary School library, Elmsford Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca opened up the first of three informal community-centered conversations that he plans to host with parents and other members of the community throughout the school year.

The superintendent’s “Coffee & Conversation” initiative is a way for him and the school district to take the pulse of the community as it relates to district-level school issues and other concerns.

It is also an excellent venue to collaborate in the district’s on-going effort to continuously improve, said Dr. Ricca.

Kicking off the hour long meeting, Dr. Ricca asked participants for their opinions on the purpose of an education. Some felt it should not only be about learning, but also about being innovative, instilling curiosity in students, character building and preparing them for society.

“We cannot understate the importance that your influence has on your child’s success. You’re their first teachers, really providing the core around which all formal education develops,” he said.

Speaking to the changing economy and by extension the way students are being prepared for the job market, Dr. Ricca suggested that today’s education needs to focus on specific skills that are applicable to the 21st century.

“In most cases, the days of being able to graduate from high school and go straight to a profession are behind us,” he said.

“The jobs of our parents are falling away, and while innovation makes things easier for us in so many ways, the paradigm of what is expected of students as they transition into the job market is also changing,” he added.

Referring to student success, Dr. Ricca wondered what that might mean for the district’s children. One parent said success meant having a happy child, one who tried no matter what, who put forth his or her best effort and who persevered.

“I think as a society we have created an expectation for perfection within our schools, and as a result many of our kids are afraid of failure. This must change” said Dr. Ricca.

“Authentic education should be about extending yourself, trying new things, taking academic risks and not being afraid to fail.”

Other topics discussed at the get-together included the possibility of extending the district’s language program to the elementary level, ongoing legislative advocacy efforts to push for funding reform, as well as the desire for change to the high-stakes nature of state standardized testing and teacher evaluations.

Dr. Ricca invited the community to visit the district website to see sample letters that could be helpful when communicating with local legislators as well as to become involved, if they wished, in advocacy efforts throughout the state.

The next “Coffee and Conversation” meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 11.