Celebrating Women’s History Month with 6 faces leading the charge in Oakland County: Debi Fragomeni – The Oakland Press

March is Womens History Month. To celebrate, The Oakland Press is looking to give voice to women across the county.

This week, well be presenting six responses from women in different industries and from different walks of life to explore what it means to them to be a woman in this day and age- professionally and personally.

March 8 is International Womens Day and March is Womens History Month.

March is Womens History Month. To celebrate, The Oakland Press is looking to give voice to women across the county.

Heres the third:

What is your industry and job title? How long have you been in the industry?

I am the deputy superintendent for teaching and learning for Rochester Community Schools. I have served in education for 31 years, as a teacher, principal and administrator.

I am proud to be second in charge of one of the largest school districts in Michigan. With 13 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, one alternative high school, and one childcare center, our leadership team helps ensure that our 15,000+ RCS students receive a world-class education.

How has the professional world changed for women over the past 5 years in your eyes?

In education, the growing focus on social-emotional wellness has improved overall well-being for women and men, students and educators, and the entire community. The whole child philosophy reinforces relationships and the connections between our academic, social and emotional strength. I am a champion of this work and am proud to serve with talented colleagues and the PTA Council to bring mindfulness and trauma resilience training to our schools.

These powerful tools have changed the way we learn, cope and handle stress; thats critical. As a professional leader in education, I think its important to recognize that teachers and administrators are more than employees, and students are more than report cards and test scores. We are individuals with hobbies, joys, struggles, families and personal obligations. By celebrating this, we can bring greater fullness to our work.

This focus on wellness is a great step in the right direction for women, especially since there are a lot of women educators; but it truly benefits every single person connected to our organization. We are clear about our values, and we put our beliefs in action. When we say, you matter, we mean it and we show it.

What does the current womens movement mean to you, professionally and personally, respectively?

Professionally and personally, I advocate not just for equity, inclusion and belonging, but also for social justice. Whether we are talking about gender, race, or ethnicity, my goal is to move beyond the status quo. Its not enough to simply add accommodations to create equity. My hope is to cultivate a sense of belonging for all, where systemic, intrinsic barriers are ultimately removed. That includes women in the workplace, stigma around mental health, and prejudice against any group.

The womens movement brings to light the implicit biases that we all have, but we each need to wrestle personally with those biases to move toward an approach that values justice for all. One of our mottos at RCS is all means all. As an educator, I am committed to lifelong learning, and I am optimistic that we are all on a journey to become our best selves.

What defines a strong woman?

Simply put, a strong woman empowers others. When it comes to teaching and learning, there are a lot of front-line educators out there. I connect with them, rely on them, and partner with them to bring great things to students.

When our preschool team identified a need for more flexible early childhood education options and full-time, year-round childcare, we honored their input, did the research and empowered them to bring their ideas to fruition with the establishment of the RCS Caring Steps Childrens Center.

When our teachers identified a gap for some children between preschool and kindergarten, we empowered the team to establish a transitional kindergarten, or young fives program, to meet the varying needs of blossoming learners.

Furthermore, as an educator, theres nothing more satisfying than inspiring a young student, or a young woman, to believe in herself and her abilities. Empowerment makes us all stronger.

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Celebrating Women's History Month with 6 faces leading the charge in Oakland County: Debi Fragomeni - The Oakland Press