Once upon a time. In the heart of central NY- East Syracuse to be precise, Bill Donadoni led the way into the world approximately 3 minutes ahead of his twin sister. While the doctor was surprised that more than one baby was arriving, Bill’s mother repeated for the umpteenth time (and not the last time in her career as a mom)…”I told you so”.
Growing up in a house with a high school math teacher and a middle school ELA teacher certainly created an environment where education was important. Also, structure, commitment and dinner at 5:30 ALWAYS instilled the importance of family, routine, and accountability. While Bill definitely pushed limits and did not always adhere to the rules, he was given the opportunity to get math help from dad at night, and proofreading of papers by mom at the last minute of course- he was given the first tools to become an educational leader. In order to be an educational leader- one needs a strong foundation of core values, respect for teachers and the gift of teaching, and an awareness that family, teams, schools and organizations need routines and structure. By the way, changing the time on one’s watch to reflect a different time does not get one out of being in trouble when you are late for dinner. As savvy as Bill thought he was- turns out there are NO excuses for being late. Only consequences. Just a small example of the lessons Bill took with him before he left the nest and headed to Providence College.

What happened over the next 4 years is mostly unfit to print- but suffice it to say he found his way to an history-education degree and many memories some of which are actually remembered.

Next…The Kildonan School years…