In
SEPTEMBER 2022 EDITION
Conversation
MARIA EVA CHAFFIN, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR SEEDS OF LIFE MONTESSORI
CHUCK FRADLEY, PHD PRINCIPAL ROWLETT ACADEMY
KAREN A. HOLBROOK, PHD, REGIONAL CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, SARASOTA-MANATEE CAMPUS
TANYA RYSKIND, HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWGATE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
JOSEPH STOKES, HEAD OF SCHOOL SARASOTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
IN CONVERSATION WITH LEADERS IN EDUCATION ON TRANSFORMATION IN SCHOOLS INTERVIEW BY WES ROBERTS | EDITED BY BARBIE HEIT
A child entering kindergarten in 2022 has spent half their life under the specter of Covid-19, lockdowns, “masks required” signs, social distancing, and all the other choices our society has made to manage the pandemic. It’s hard to overstate the long ripple effect of this experience on these kids. In Sarasota and Bradenton, we are fortunate to have incredible school directors who are tackling these challenges head-on. Of course, the pandemic may have temporarily overshadowed other concerns, but there are many other challenges that still loom large in the lives of our smallest and most vulnerable. Whether it’s worrying information about the effects of social media, the seemingly unavoidable intrusion of politics in all parts of our lives, the changing dynamics in pedagogic thinking, the growing awareness that kids’ professional futures are ever harder to predict, or any of the myriad of concerns that parents have today, our guests were able to answer SRQ’s questions with honesty and empathy.
We are fortunate to know that our future, in the form of our children, is in fantastic hands going forward. And at SRQ, we are glad to bring these and other important questions to the fore with our guests. In this edition of SRQ’s In-Conversation program, we engage local heads of schools with expertise and exposure ranging from early educations, though primary and secondary, and including degree-seekers. Our guests discuss how their institutions are adapting to help kids (and adults) improve themselves with solid education achievements, while also bearing in mind the mental well-being and personal sense of purpose that are necessary foundations for a rewarding life. We hope you enjoy the conversation, and are given the same feeling of hopeful optimism that we received, knowing the quality of professional that are working to make our kids futures brighter.
ENGAGING READERS THROUGH STORYTELLING.