By Steve Mayer
The Robbinsville Board of Education has a committee dedicated to engaging community members as partners to the work of our school district. The Community Relations Committee, which has been active for more than a decade, works to develop means and opportunities to interact with community members informally in order to listen and respond to questions, concerns, or comments from Robbinsville’s residents. Through the years the committee has organized coffees, celebrations, in-home meetings and large group gatherings all designed to engage families with children as well as interested residents who may not. Earlier last month, I sent an electronic newsletter to our contact list of more than 5,000 individuals detailing the committee’s latest effort to engage community members.
We are forming a new group called the School Connection Forum. Slated to meet two or three times per year, the Forum will serve as a venue for conversation about pertinent issues and will permit the Board and leadership team to hear directly from an array of community members. Discussion will include relevant topics such as how our schools are funded, district goals, achievement testing and our vision for the future. At each meeting, district leaders and Board members will provide an overview of the subject matter and then open the floor for questions, comments and discussion. Depending on the size of the forum, community members should be able to engage in productive conversation about our schools.
We have longed believed that we are at our best when we share ideas, collaborate and listen to one another. This does not mean we will always agree, but it does guarantee a process through which new voices can be engaged in productive ways. The Robbinsville Board of Education is composed of a dedicated group of community members who volunteer countless hours to help our schools move forward productively. This group of nine engages in lively discussion at Board and committee meetings, and works tirelessly to make sound decisions on behalf of our schools and our residents. I am grateful for the privilege of working with members of the School Connection Forum and am thrilled that we are collectively looking to engage more of our community’s voices.
Steve Mayer is superintendent of Robbinsville Schools.
