NEW ROCHELLE, NY (January 31, 2023) — New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond has indefinitely postponed his Superintendent’s Town Hall to discuss the New Roads mentoring program partnership with the New Rochelle Police Department
“Our community and our nation are still in shock and are gravely saddened by Tyre Nichols’ death and the release of videos from Memphis over the weekend,” said Raymond. “We do not want the behaviors of officers from out of our jurisdiction to overshadow the work we know is important for the children of our community.”
Never one to miss an opportunity to sensationalize goings-on in the City School District of New Rochelle by making tenuous links to national news, Raymond did not explain how video from a police brutality case more than a thousand miles away, made public last week, had any bearing on a meeting at the Linda E. Kelly Theater at New Rochelle High School later this week.
New Roads mentoring program was created in 2019. There are no currently announced plans for this event so it is effectively cancelled.
Raymond has his own issues with the New Rochelle Police Department after their investigation earlier this month determined that the Superintendent’s claims regarding a student overdosing on a drug at New Rochelle High School, which Raymond and County officials linked to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, was unfounded.
“The purpose of New Roads is to establish stronger relationships with our NRPD officers through mentorship and enrichment opportunities,” said Raymond. “We believe that this partnership with NRPD is important, and the school district and the police department recognize that this is not the right time to introduce this initiative to the community. We will revisit the conversation and program at some point in the future. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The town hall was announced in a school district email newsletter on January 20, 2023
A town hall discussion regarding the New Roads mentoring program for middle school students will be held on February 2 at 7-9 p.m. in the Linda E. Kelly Theater at New Rochelle High School. Offered in partnership with the City of New Rochelle Police Department and Youth Bureau, New Roads was established in 2019 and is targeted to support middle school students in making positive life choices and developing self-leadership skills.
It provides an opportunity for pre-teens to engage with police in a mentoring relationship and develop trusting relationships with adults who want to help them thrive as emerging adults. Through the program, youth pave their own road to success with the guidance of mentors, through high school and on to vocational training, college, military careers, and responsible citizenship.
New Rochelle New Roads brings youth from Isaac E. Young Middle School and Albert Leonard Middle School together with NRPD Youth Engagement Detectives Rob Johnson and Nicole DeCarlo who continue to support the students through high school. The program provides opportunities for young people to have experiences outside of their immediate community and provides enrichment, peer building with other program participants, and the opportunity for self-exploration. The program promotes academic achievement, regular school attendance and positive behavior, favorable interactions with law enforcement and other community mentors, and positive life outcomes.
New Roads will initially serve approximately 40 youth in grades 6 through 8 who will be recommended to the program by guidance counselors, school administrators, and teachers and who agree to participate. Students will meet with their mentors during the academic year (lunch, recess, after school, and Saturdays) and work with them to set behavior and performance goals. Students are rewarded with recreational programming for meeting their goals.
New Roads is designed to close the achievement and opportunity gap that some students face through the power of positive mentor relationships. The program will provide support for academic and personal achievement using role models and trusted adults to help our youth make positive choices that lead them to a lifetime of personal and professional success.
“Under the guidance of the NRPD and leadership of Detectives Rob Johnson and Nicole DeCarlo, we are excited about the continued support that can be provided to our Middle School students by these life-long members of our community,” said New Roads advisor Nate Adams. “For years these officers have answered the call for youth development and continue to be on the forefront for police and youth engagement within our city. My Brother’s Keeper is happy to collaborate with the City of New Rochelle, the New Rochelle Police Department, and these Detectives as we work to Embrace, Engage and Empower our students here in the School District.”
The Town Hall was promoted on Facebook about two days ago.
