Future of Red Hook education discussed at Community Conversations

Red Hook Central School District leadership and dozens of residents joined together Wednesday evening to discuss how to better serve the needs of students. 

Red Hook held its annual Community Conversations event March 5, an opportunity for district families and residents to have open discussions regarding issues facing students and how to better address those issues systemically and holistically. 

Residents sat in small groups at tables with members of district leadership for each conversation. At the outset, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Warden explained the purpose of the event was to have an exchange of ideas in which differing and broad perspectives are valued, promoting thoughtful reflection. Residents were encouraged to put the students first in all conversations and to think about all grades and all populations of students. 

“Our Community Conversations will focus on envisioning the future of our school district as we adapt to evolving New York State graduation requirements, shifting workforce skills, industry demands, job growth, and the rapid advancements in technology,” Dr. Warden read from her presentation welcoming attendees. “As the world changes, so must our approach to education.” 

Dr. Warden then detailed many of these elements, walking residents through the state’s changing graduation requirements and sharing statistics on the changing job market and the increased emphasis on skill building. 

These are themes that were also discussed by Red Hook district leadership and faculty at the outset of the school year during a summer retreat and on the staff’s first day back from summer break. 

Community Conversations participants joined three different groups of people for about 10 minutes to share their responses to the following questions: 

• What skills, programs and experiences do you believe will be essential for the future success of our children? 

• How should our facilities evolve to support the skills, programs and experiences needed for the future? 

• What should community engagement and partnerships with families and community members look like in the future? 

“The discussions were lively and informative,” Dr. Warden said. “We thank everyone for attending. The support we receive from the community is an invaluable part of the educational experience at Red Hook.”