I will continue to lead the Vernon Township School District in my second year of superintendency with a qualified and professional staff. We will not only endure state aid cuts by doing more with less state money, but we hope to endure the personal attacks and negative press spread through social media. I am a proud resident of Vernon. I ask the public and community to stand up for community members and stand together through unwarranted attacks to spread positivity while supporting each other.
Members of the community, VTSD employees, board of education members, and myself have been the recipients of disparaging social media posts questioning our character, abilities, and professionalism. I have been measured in my response, as I believe we will all have to work together to overcome the fiscal challenges our public schools face in the upcoming years. In years past, I remember an initiative called the Pledge to pause. I pledged with other administrators, the board of education, and community members. The pledge to pause states:
“I Pledge to Pause before posting negative words, images or comments involving other individuals. I understand my words have the power to affect the daily life, mental health and well-being of others. I will think about the impact my words will have on others before I post. I pledge to Pause before posting negative words or comments regarding a community establishment like a restaurant, school, business or township organization, etc. I understand my words have power to persuade others from frequenting the establishments and adversely affect those local businesses and organizations. Rather than post negatively, impacting our community in that way, I agree to contact the business privately with my concerns so they can improve for other customers, enhancing our community. “
I ask that we work as a community to help solve problems and stand up for community members and employees under attack. The Vernon Township community, our students, and our employees deserve to be treated respectfully and feel safe in their community. Many chose to buy a home and raise a family in Vernon because of our school system and community. We will all need to work together to move our district forward.
Working together in Vernon,
Russ Rogers
Superintendent of the Vernon Township School District