Jake Roe: From log cabin to administration

In last week’s edition of “Groton on the Inside,” readers were introduced to Groton Jr/Sr High School’s interim principal, Scott Poreda, with the promise of an equally in-depth look into the life of GHS’s associate principal, Jake Roe, who has been a constant in that seat since 2018.

Along with GCS Superintendent Margo Martin, Roe was instrumental in ending the 2019-20 school year by planning a high school graduation amid the pandemic, which was so unique and special for the 2020 graduating class that people are still talking about how wonderful it was now — three months later.

Poreda said that graduation is one of the things he has heard the most about since his arrival and would like to work toward “outdoing that experience” for this year’s senior class. He is looking forward to working with Roe on that and much more this academic year.

Poreda referred to the way he and Roe complement each other as “the energy of youth with the patience of experience.” Roe affirmed that wholeheartedly.

“I love working with Scott,” Roe said. “He has such great organizational skills, and I am learning so much from him already. We really complement each other because my strength is relating to people.”

Roe has lived in New York state most of his life and is a 1994 graduate of Whitney Point High School, the school district he began attending in fourth grade. He was born in Little Meadows, Pennsylvania, and spent those early years in the school system there.

Roe’s earliest memories of his childhood are strikingly similar to the stories one might hear told by someone who grew up in the early 1900s. His home on Cemetery Hill was a log cabin with no electricity or running water.

“It was literally a tree fort,” Roe said. “It sat up about 3 or 4 feet in the air and had five corners that were actual trees that were the posts that held it together.”

Roe and his older siblings, Josh and Victoria, walked a mile every day to and from the bus stop to get to school. Life certainly changed for them when they moved to Whitney Point.

During his high school years, Roe made his mark in the realm of wrestling, which garnered him a wrestling scholarship at the University of Nebraska (UN), where he studied history and criminal justice.

Roe had aspired to join the FBI and had even landed an internship with the Binghamton FBI, but that dream was dashed when he found out he needed to pass an eye exam with 20/40 uncorrected vision, which he did not have.

After two years at UN, Roe transferred to Oklahoma State University (OSU). While there, he spent a summer traveling the country running wrestling camps. He loved doing it, felt it was a natural fit for him to work with students and said, “That’s what got me into education.”

Sadly Roe was only at OSU for one year because he returned from the wrestling camps to find that his home had burned to the ground and he lost everything he owned.

Roe returned to New York and finished his degree in education with a minor in earth science at SUNY Cortland in 2002.

At that point, Roe had a relative who was teaching in an international school who told him what a great experience it was. Thus, Roe spent the next three years teaching at the International School of Yangon in Yangon, Myanmar.

While there, Roe’s oldest daughter, Ada, was born in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2005, Roe moved his family back to New York, began teaching at Tioga Central School and soon thereafter, welcomed his daughter, Alanna, to the family.

Roe spent his first year at Tioga teaching fourth grade, followed by three years of eighth grade science and another three years teaching high school earth science. He also coached wrestling. In fact, he remembers meeting Poreda at that time, who was a referee, but did not really know him.

By that time, the year was 2012, things in education had begun to take a different turn, Roe became disenchanted with teaching that way and spent the next five-plus years pursuing some new adventures.

The first thing Roe did was become a certified conductor for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, which he enjoyed immensely. Unfortunately, after his first 18 months there, the railroad company was bought out, and he was laid off.
From there, Roe spent the next four years as the product manager for National Pipe and Plastics but then began to realize he missed education and working with students.

In 2015, Roe became a tech integration specialist for the TST BOCES, where part of his time was spent at the TST Smith School and part at GCS, which was a major turning point in his career.

The rest, as they say, is history. In 2018, Groton High School had an opening for an associate principal/director of technology position, and Roe was a perfect fit.

When asked how he feels things are going so far this school year, Roe said, “The plan we organized for this year is different than any of the other schools around us, and I am very proud that our approach focuses on the best interests of students and their families.”

Roe further explained that Poreda and he have two questions at the forefront of every decision they make.

“Number one, is it in the best interest of students and families, and number two, is it best practice?” Roe said. “If both questions can be answered affirmatively, we know we’re doing it right.”

Roe said he wants GCS students in front of teachers as much as possible.

“While we have them in school less time each day, the small class sizes will allow us to move students forward more than I think we would have under normal circumstances,” he said.

Whatever this academic year may bring at GHS, Poreda and Roe are ready to deal with it.

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922.

In brief:

Pumpkins for profit

The Groton FFA (Future Farmers of America) students worked very hard this past year to start, plant and grow pumpkins for a fundraiser this fall. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the students are not able to hold their sale at the school as they had planned.

In response, two local farms are selling the pumpkins on behalf of the FFA. Howard Farms on Route 222 and at Sovocool Hill and Sincerbeaux roads has them at both farm stands.

Millbrook Farms at Smith and Stevens Road also has the pumpkins available and will match 100% of pumpkins sold at its farm stand.

Housing Authority vacancy

The Groton Housing Authority, a quasi-agency of the village of Groton that has oversight of the Center Village Court, 200 W. South St., has a vacancy on its board of directors.

Members of the GHA oversee management of the facility, working with the management company, and act as a liaison with residents of the housing complex. Non-residents of the complex are preferred.

Minimum qualifications are United States citizenship, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the village of Groton for at least 30 days.

Submit letter of interest and/or a resume to Board of Trustees, Village of Groton, PO Box 100, Groton, NY 13073.

Clothing Closet

The Clothing Closet, 160 Main St., is regularly open from 10 a.m. to noon every second and fourth Saturday of the month and during those same hours on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Clothing for the entire family is available free of charge.

They are gratefully receiving donations of gently used, stain and odor-free clothing, particularly for school-aged girls, during regular hours.