FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- If Matt Rogers' office is any indication, his role as Fort Drum's sole school liaison officer keeps him busy. His walls are covered with charts and information sheets from the school systems that Fort Drum students attend, and on his desk is a lengthy to-do list. Rogers said that this organized chaos is all a part of the job.
"Every day I come in with a plan -- a list of things that I need to accomplish," he said. "Without fail, things come up throughout the day that change that plan. The phone might ring, and I'll need to go visit a school. A parent might come into my office and need help getting their child enrolled in school. You really have to be able to adapt to everything that comes your way."
As if to illustrate this point, Rogers' phone rings. He takes his time answering questions, taking notes and making sure that the issue is resolved before turning back to his desk with a smile on his face. A former educator who has worked within five different local school districts, he considers each new task a challenge and an opportunity to help provide for the needs of everyone with whom he comes into contact.
"See -- go with the flow," he said. "I think it's very similar to teaching in that every day is different. You have an idea of what you need to get done and you have to adjust -- you know which items are a priority for that day and you just figure out a way to get it done. It makes the days fly."
Since August 2015, Rogers has served as a conduit for sharing information.
"Learning the school systems here is not easy," he said. "There are no schools on post. Families have to work with the schools to see how their classes will transfer and what they need to do to make the transition a smooth one. My job here is to make this process as seamless as possible."
Whether it is helping Family Members who are new to the installation navigate the ins and outs of their child's new school system, meeting with school representatives to talk about their concerns, or answering questions and gathering information from members of the Fort Drum command staff, Rogers is dedicated to providing a strong support system to all parties he represents.
"I'm here to serve the Families and to represent Fort Drum and our local school systems," he said. "It's my job to make sure that I am involved in everything that goes on as far as our educational partnership is concerned, and that's a huge part of making sure that our students have every educational opportunity that they need to be successful."
Rogers said he also helps Families preparing to relocate from Fort Drum by providing information about the new school systems students will attend and helping to gather information that will make the transition to their new installation or out of the military a smooth one.
Born and raised in the North Country, Rogers attended school within the Watertown City School District. He grew up loving the community, the people, and the abundance of lakes and streams that provide ample opportunity for him to pursue his favorite hobby -- fishing.
It was his love for the community -- especially its youngest members -- that prompted Rogers to stay in the area after college.
"I started my college career studying broadcast journalism, but I realized if I was going to go that route, I would have to leave the area," he said.
Rogers spent his summers working for the City of Watertown Parks and Recreation Department as a playground supervisor and coach. He enjoyed the interaction with the children and began rethinking his career choice. When Rogers met his wife Holly -- also an educator -- she encouraged him to pursue teaching.
He decided to complete his bachelor's degree in audio / radio production, but he worked as a substitute to see if teaching was his true calling.
"It was a great experience, because it let me see -- firsthand -- what it was really like to be in the classroom. I realized that elementary education was what I really loved."
Rogers found that not only did he enjoy working with children, but they seemed to respond well to his teaching style. He completed his master's degree in teaching and continued to substitute in the local area.
Rogers found that through the use of humor, hands-on activities and stories, he was able to easily establish rapport with his students and to keep them on task and engaged.
The school districts he worked within quickly took notice, and Rogers was asked to take on many long-term substitute jobs. He recalled his last assignment -- one that he said was one of his most challenging and most fulfilling jobs.
"I was working in a classroom where it was hard to connect with the kids at first," he said.
Rogers paid attention to what motivated his students, and he soon learned that they shared a mutual passion. He and his students liked the music of a popular band, whom he had seen in concert the previous year.
"We were doing a unit on writing letters, and I'm something of an autograph collector," he recalled. "Somehow, I found the name of the lead singer's parents. I emailed a letter to his mom and found out that both his parents were also educators. I was surprised when his mom responded to my email the next day."
Not only did she respond in writing, the lead singer's mother sent a special surprise for the students.
"A week later, she sent a huge box of shirts and a photo signed by the band that said 'to Mr. Rogers' fourth grade classroom,'" he said. "Watching the kids light up over this -- that's the whole reason you get into teaching: to make a long-lasting impact."
At the end of the school year, Rogers learned about the school liaison officer vacancy within Fort Drum's Child, Youth and School Services. While he saw the position as a potential avenue to further support students in the local school systems, he knew it would be hard to leave teaching.
"It was a tough decision," he said. "Do I pursue a full-time teaching job, or do I give back to the community in a different way as a school liaison officer?"
Rogers interviewed for the position, and as he learned more about the role of the SLO, he recognized the opportunities it would provide to have a positive impact on an even larger population.
Although he was very familiar with the local school districts and had experience in helping military students as they transitioned into the classroom, Rogers said that he did not possess a great deal of knowledge of the Army.
"My biggest growth in this role has been in learning the ins and outs of the military," he said. "As I was learning my role, I was also learning about the Army and about the lifestyle of service members and their Families."
Rogers said he was most impressed by the resiliency displayed by the Family Members he encountered on a daily basis.
"I look at these students, and it's amazing," he said. "They come from different places and they have to adjust to a new location, a new school, and they have to make new friends. The resiliency of these students shines in all of our buildings. Their strength not only helps them to be successful in the classroom, it helps the school building itself to have a culture of acceptance and makes the school a better place."
As students navigate this difficult transition process, Rogers' knowledge of Fort Drum's local school districts is an asset, said Karin Sikirica, Fort Drum Child, Youth and School Services coordinator.
"Matt is from the North Country," she said. "He was a teacher in … our school districts, and because of that, he has that closeness already established that is benefiting our military Families."
"It makes it easier to communicate with officials in the schools," Rogers said. "School
representatives voice issues, and I can bring them to the attention of the command staff. I'm also tasked with making sure installation officials are up-to-date with what is happening in our schools."
"This partnership is really important to making sure our students are taken care of," he added.
Sikirica said that since Fort Drum is a unique case -- with no public or DOD schools on the installation -- it makes maintaining this partnership essential.
"We have a large military population living off the installation within the tri-county area," she said. "Because of that, we have a relationship that we need to continue to work with and build for both our military Families and our local community."
One venue that is helpful in keeping lines of communication open between post officials and school representatives is the Fort Drum Educational Liaison Committee. Four annual meetings allow these individuals to ask questions, voice concerns and begin to brainstorm ways in which these concerns can be addressed.
Rogers listens to concerns and brings in subject-matter experts to address such topics as absenteeism due to students spending time with parents before deployments, behavioral health and transition difficulties, military scholarship opportunities and more.
"I try to determine what the biggest issues are -- for the schools, Fort Drum and our students -- and work to find solutions that satisfy everyone," he said. "Serving as a facilitator to bring everyone together to make changes that will help our military kids -- that's what it's all about."
Although he still misses being in the classroom, Rogers said that he finds his role as school liaison officer not only fulfilling, but extremely rewarding.
"As a teacher, you're concerned with your class -- the 20 students you are responsible for," he said. "As a school liaison officer, I'm concerned with 6,500 students and making sure that their needs are being met so they have all the educational opportunities they need to be successful later on in life. That's what makes it all worthwhile."
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