Living Public School Life

Our family's dinner table discussion often has a consistent theme. Given that both Bill (Elementary Principal) and Marie (Paraprofessional) work in public schools and their daughter Abby just completed student teaching at Keene State, teaching and learning is the topic of the day for the Carozzas.

The advantage of working in schools is that we see family life being played out daily in the lives of children. This year, a mother and father of a newly diagnosed autistic child longed for a ray of hope as they worked with Bill to provide support for their son. Marie forged a close relationship with a fourth grade boy with a newly incarcerated Dad and provided critical guidance for the little guy. Abby taught this year in a school with rural poverty with children who are often parented by a screen rather than Mom or Dad. Our work is truly ministry.

Given the stories we come home with daily, we are reminded of the formidable responsibility parents have to raise their children and the significant role schools play in our children's development. During the school year, children are in the educational community nearly half of their waking hours and they spend about 16,000 hours in their local schools from grades K-12.

We have trusted our community's public schools to provide a solid academic foundation and opportunities for our children to grow intellectually, in the arts, and as leaders. Our oldest son Ben is starting a Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology while working in the mental health field. Our youngest son Jacob is college shopping with sights on a career in Journalism. Of course, Abby is looking for that elusive teaching job this fall. Any success our children have had is due largely to a shared commitment between school and home. While not the perfect choice for all, public schools were the right option for the Carozza family.

Read Bill’s Blog: “Principal Reflections” at http://billcarozza.com/

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