Question 1 – My legacy, and the legacy of every educator and staff who serve our students in Rochester Public Schools, is in the strong, positive futures we are helping our students to create for themselves. I hope to engage with the community during this campaign to share the exciting opportunities we have been building for all students at RPS in our strategies for academics, well-being, and post-secondary planning. We are creating an RPS education that allows each student to discover their passions, build their skills and knowledge, and speak up for themselves and others; and to link those all together as they design a pathway for their success in school and life. For girls especially, we want the opportunities we offer in RPS to open doors to future college, trade, military or career experiences that they may not have considered for themselves before, or that they believed were not open to them.
Question 2 For almost 20 years, I learned from women and mothers in Rochester who were speaking up for the needs of kids in Rochester Public Schools. While doing that I learned about the school system, developed my communication and listening skills, and brought the community together to help shape better RPS opportunities for my kids and their classmates. So it is important to me to set a good example for today’s women and mothers who want to speak up for their kids in how I lead and make decisions as a school board member. I want it to be clear that you don’t have to be a school board member to have your voice and perspectives heard. In the many conversations I have with women and mothers about issues they have with their students or our RPS schools, I strive to understand their perspectives and help them find the right person or pathway to communicate or address their issue. I want them to learn that they can be successful in advocating for their children – to get their child’s needs met by RPS people or resources. I believe that that every woman has what it takes to make a difference for their child and for all the children in our community, and by developing events like School Board Academy and speaking to community groups about the work of RPS, I also hope to encourage more women to broaden their advocacy to include every child in our community.
Moreover, I want girls and young women to know that you don’t have to wait to grow up to make a difference. I learned that lesson when I was eight years old, and saw a new office building near my house that was leaving the lights on all night, every night, on all 10 floors. I wrote a letter to that company asking if they could save energy by turning off the lights, because I was concerned about unnecessary energy use and how it affected the environment. They sent me a letter back, and agreed to turn off most of their lights at night. Every time we drove by that building, I was reminded that I could use my voice and my skills to make a positive difference. For our girls in RPS, we want to provide opportunities and encourage them to speak up for themselves and others. One of the building blocks of our current and future strategic plans is to empower youth voice in our schools. I want all students to take every opportunity to share with RPS decision-makers what is and is not working for them in their schools, and then join with us to improve those experiences and outcomes in RPS.
Website: www.cathynathan.com
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