The New Roots Story, In a Nutshell

If I could capture the New Roots story in a single day, the day would be Wednesday, January 8.

Last Wednesday, one fourth of our student body got on a fleet of buses to Albany to see history in the making at the Anti-Fracking and Renewable Energy Rally held during Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address.

Video footage captured by chaperones show students in the circle surrounding Mohawk and Seneca people drumming and performing traditional dances.  Students heard impassioned speeches by citizen activists like scientist and author Dr. Sandra Steingraber.  They felt first-hand the power of song to unite thousands of people, as happened in the Civil Rights movement.  History was alive and in the making at those moments, and our students were there to witness –and experience – those moments first hand.

For me, the question of whether to permit hydraulic fracturing technology to be used to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale at the expense of air, water and soil quality epitomizes the choices and challenges our young people will face as 21^st century citizens of New York State.  We are at a crossroads:  how will we manage the transition in how we heat and light our homes and transport our food and ourselves, while navigating the ever-increasing impacts of climate change?  What short-term benefits outweigh the long-term costs, and vice versa?  In the mix of elected officials, corporations, farmers and citizens, what perspectives will prevail?  In New York State, will it be business as usual, or, in former Governor David Paterson’s words, “are we ready to make significant cultural and lifestyle alterations to avoid a catastrophic tipping point?” 

New Roots Charter School was chartered to provide students with an education that would prepare them to meet these unique 21^st century challenges head on.  Field trips like these are an essential part of this new model of education.

The opportunity for students to travel to Albany for this event came up during our two-week winter holiday break.  Upon our return, there were just two school days to offer students the opportunity and organize the trip.  Spinning on a dime, staff rolled out a plan to communicate with students and their parents and coordinate the logistics, gracefully dealing with the monkey wrench of an unexpected day off due to extreme cold on Tuesday.

I was in the parking lot of Wegman’s that morning to take attendance and see students off on the buses.  Later that day, I was a guest on the “Teen Roots” radio show on WRFI along with three of our alumni, interviewed by a current New Roots student, a member of our radio club (advised by Jim Murphy of Ithaca Community Radio).  What a powerful experience to hear our alumni talk about the impact of their New Roots education – to realize that we are truly realizing our mission and vision! Serendipitously, one alumna described an experience similar to the Albany rally as literally changing the course of her life, inspiring projects during high school that contributed to her acceptance at Cornell.

And the next day at our staff meeting, after seeing a short video shot by a chaperone, our school social worker commented, “I want to pause to appreciate seeing a student who was terrified to speak in public speaking passionately in front of a camera in a space filled with hundreds of people.  When she first came to New Roots last year, she wasn’t comfortable entering a classroom or any other public space for three months.” 

Wednesday showcased it all:  Real-world education.  Community engagement.  Experiences that transform lives and possibilities. A nimble school organization that allows us to seize opportunities on behalf of our students.  Committed staff that step up to make things happen for our youth.  And clear evidence that all of this truly matters, that experiences like these support young people in creating the lives they envision for themselves, to be who they want to be.

Wednesday was just one day in the life of New Roots Charter School.  In many ways, it was a typical day.  In this blog, I want to throw the doors of our school open wide to the community, and tell our story. 

From its genesis to the ever-unfolding present, I am grateful to be in the unique position to see both the big picture and the many beautiful facets of this vibrant community of high school students and their teachers.  And I am thrilled to be able to share the gift of this vision with you day to day, as life at New Roots unfolds.