JANUARY 19, 2024

What do the aftermath of a hurricane and a pandemic have in common? 

They are both challenges that Geritt Jones-Rooy has faced and overcome in his career in education. Now a private consultant, he is using his diverse experiences to help shape the future of literacy education at Millbrook Middle and High Schools.

Jones-Rooy's passion for learning about and sharing new teaching methods stems from his own journey in education, which began in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the devastating storm that disrupted the lives of countless families, he became a second-grade teacher at a public elementary school. He wasn’t prepared for what he encountered.

 "Many students were displaced, needing to come and go from places like Atlanta or Texas and missing a lot of school – and sometimes not attending at all," he recalled. “There were classrooms with both very high-achieving students and kids who didn’t know how to read. 

“I had to consider things that I hadn’t expected,” he said. “What do I do when kids lack stamina? How can I support students with such different needs and backgrounds for so many different reasons? It was new territory for me.”

As a brand new teacher Jones-Rooy faced a massive challenge: teaching in an environment where the schools' approach wasn’t working anymore. He spent time researching different methods and discovered the workshop model: a student-centered method consisting of a mini-lesson, a workshop and a debrief to keep kids engaged.

“I wanted to get kids involved at every level and thought it would make a difference if they were all able to take ownership of their work,” he said. “For example, we don’t all have to write the same story with the same prompt but maybe talk about elaborating an aspect of your own life that you can choose.”

It worked and he was hooked. After five years he took his newfound passion for working with new teaching methods to Columbia University’s Teachers College.

“It was thrilling, interesting and controversial,” he said. “I was learning the exact opposite of what I’d experienced in the schools and I wanted more.”

More is certainly what he got. After mastering various new student-centered teaching methods his work at the Teachers College even took him overseas. He trained educators in countries like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Poland how to work with their diverse and, in some cases, displaced populations. He later brought his experiences back to New Orleans and saw dramatic improvement, even during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020.

Now as a literacy consultant with his own business, he has taken his expertise to various public schools in the region – including Millbrook. He takes pride in going beyond traditional consulting to actively participate in curriculum development, co-writing material and providing individual coaching as he works with teachers of students in grades six through 12 at both the middle and high schools.

“I have had such a great time with the teachers in Millbrook,” he said. “Everyone has been open, curious and full of their own ideas. They also ask for and accept feedback and want to see specific things that they know will make a difference. I’m proud of the work we’ve been doing together.”

Middle school special education teacher Kelly Tomasulo, who has worked extensively with Jones-Rooy this year, agrees. She referred to an instance in which they collaborated on finding ways to reach English Language Learners with new methods that she hadn’t considered.

“I have seen my students' scores increase over a short period of time utilizing Gerrit's techniques,” said Tomasulo. "He brings a new enthusiasm to my classroom when he comes to visit. His ideas are fresh and easy to implement.

“I have learned a great deal from him during our time together and look forward to creating more curriculum to further my students' success.”

Millbrook’s middle and elementary school lunchrooms are serving up opportunity – and the benefits go far beyond food.

Participants in Community Based Services’ Without Walls (WOW) program are in their second year of volunteering to help in the kitchens at Millbrook Middle School as well as Alden Place and Elm Drive Elementaries. A regional non-profit organization that provides support and opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities, Community Based Services (CBS) aims to give its participants a full and meaningful day with programs like WOW that get them out in the community to engage with local organizations such as therapy animal agencies and daycare centers. With the WOW program, Millbrook is helping to further their mission. 

“When (Millbrook Assistant Superintendent for Instruction) Dr. Amy Watkins reached out to me last year about a potential opportunity in their middle school lunchroom, we were thrilled,” said Amy Mannfolk, CBS’ Day Habilitation Manager for Dutchess County. “We were both in agreement that it would be mutually beneficial for our volunteers as well as Millbrook’s students and staff.”

Mannfolk worked with Dr. Watkins as well as Food Services Manager Holly Heady to get started. Volunteers would come to the middle school each Wednesday to help with various kitchen tasks including setting up and restocking packaged items, washing produce and putting together sandwiches. Supervised by Millbrook’s kitchen staff, the volunteers not only lent a helping hand but also a cheerful atmosphere to the kitchen. 

After WOW’s success at the middle school last year, the program expanded its services to Millbrook’s elementary schools in fall of 2023. Mannfolk said that the six volunteers love their jobs and especially look forward to seeing the students as they work.

“They can’t wait for Wednesdays at the schools,” she said. “Their favorite part is interacting with the students. They get upset if they miss a day when they’re sick or on vacation – and we have two more people on standby who are thrilled to jump right in if this happens!”

Heady said that the feelings are mutual; the kitchen staff loves working with the volunteers, not only for their help but also for their excitement and enthusiasm.

“It’s always a good time when they come to work,” she said. “They are immensely helpful and always ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Mannfolk touted WOW’s mutual benefits for participants, students, and staff as well, highlighting the aspect of the group’s full integration into the Millbrook school community. 

"The teachers and students also get to know us and are able to interact with and understand people who may be different from them,” she said. “It creates more connections within the community, which is always a good thing.”

With volunteers who don’t work from a fixed location but are fully immersed in the community, the WOW program is indeed a true “without walls” experience. Participants are chosen based on their demonstrated abilities and interest in getting a meaningful job in the future and matched with volunteer sites that match their preferences and abilities. 

Mannfolk describes Millbrook’s WOW volunteers as an outgoing and enthusiastic group who bring new ideas and self-advocacy to the table. One of last year’s volunteers, James C., was so well-suited to his role in Millbrook’s lunchrooms that the district offered him a job – and he accepted wholeheartedly.

"James is such a wonderful success story, and exactly what we hope to achieve with the WOW program,” said Mannfolk. “Seeing that it’s possible is incredibly motivating to them. It gives them something to strive for. Everyone wins.”

Meet Lizzie Hetzer, literacy consultant for grades Pre-K-2, as we explore her fascinating professional background in this next installation of our Literacy Series.

Learn more about the fifth grade students who were accepted into this year's Dutchess County Music Educators Association (DCMEA) All County Band Festival.

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