LeveragED Foundation’s Post

After trading in the #Bronx for a picturesque few days in #LakePlacid a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been thinking a lot about how stepping out of my typical environment has led to challenging my own take on equity. As a proud New Yorker who has spent most of my professional life working with our city’s children, leading with equity in mind has always been essential but I have always only thought about it in my urban setting. Having done her entire K-12 school experience in Harlem and the Bronx, my youngest will now be heading to a rural community college and we’ve spent the summer exploring and getting used to a totally new environment. At LeveragED Foundation, we aim to champion equity in all its forms. With nearly 10 million students attending school in rural districts, we can’t speak about ALL children and equity if we aren’t also speaking about them. As I briefly mentioned last week, I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Summer Conference of #Rural Schools Association of New York State. After spending an amazing couple of days learning from and alongside leaders who are championing education in rural communities at #RSANY, equity has taken on a whole new meaning. I think two of the biggest things I learned were: 1. Community is not just a buzzword, it’s a way of life here. 2. Rural districts redefine creative problem solving. When you are working with limited resources - you learn to get creative… and fast. Special thanks to Allen Pratt and the National Rural Education Association who are always so welcoming, and my friend and one of LeveragED Foundation’s Collective Members, Jeff Carlson who always pushes me (whether it’s my thinking… or my lazy self up a mountain). One of the biggest perks about a rural conference? The opportunity to skip the bars and coffee shops for mountaintop meetings to connect with leaders who are championing education in rural New York at #RSANY!* #RuralEducation See everyone in #Savannah :) Dr. Meghan Mackay Dr. Richard Seigler-Carter Katherine Genao Katie Smith James Deenihan Maria Guzman-Colon, MPA Laurel Wong Amaechila Iwuagwu Melissa Harris Allen Pratt Allison Nys William White, Ed.D. Elise Swanson Jennifer Ash Kellie Solowski