Attendance: Connie Flahive, Diane Watkins, John Strazzabosco, Chojy Schroeder, Don Bartalo, John Boutet, Tom Hernandez, Caterina Leone-Mannino, Howie Maffucci, Dan Drmacich

{4:00 – 5:30pm, Invitation went to 81 guests.}

Discussion & Decisions:
1. Dan shared that our proposal to collaborate with other area educational organizations to host a forum on how to advance the RASE Commission Education Recommendations was positively responded to by Roc the Future, the Childrens' Agenda & the Childrens' Institute. Dan has proposed that representatives from each group meet to plan the design and expand participants.

2. We discussed our RCSD recommendations for use of funding and added the following suggestions to the attached skeletal outline:
A. Strongly enhance the K-2 reading program by using an evidence-based literacy program that emphasizes cultural relevance, using a maximum of 24 students, 2 teachers (one of which is a literacy specialist, and a teacher's aide in each classroom.
B. Providing professional development for changing the English language acquisition teaching approach to accommodate both English language learning and literacy development.
C. Providing business emphasis classes in all schools to meet the interest-based needs of students. This could also be emphasized in our proposal for a vocational diploma.
D. Staffing all schools as "community schools," with more ancillary and wrap-around services for all students.
E. Staffing and integrating more creative arts, stress reducing activities (such as mindfulness) and interest-based internships for all students.
F. Requiring all schools to use and expand the use of the NYSED "Cultural Responsive Survey" to organizationally diagnose and provide for their school's organizational health.
Dan will integrate these additions & forward to all Coalition members for feedback, before sending to the BoE & Supt.

3. Bart facilitated a very relevant racial justice & equity activity on "white supremacy," for which we saw several relevancies to the Coalition and ourselves. Vicki will facilitate the next "racial justice & equity" activity. Chojy recommended the book "The Sum of Us," and Dan suggested that all view the recent "This Is Us" TV series, in which Randall confronts his brother about racial "micro aggressions." Dan also praised the "racial justice & equity" training that Caterina has implemented at School #17, and encouraged Coalition members to ask Catrerina for permission to observe one of their future sessions.

4. Dan announced that Regent Wade Norwood has invited him to participate in a planned meeting with the Supt. to discuss reimagining schools.

5. Dan and NYS Consortium Schools leader, Ann Cook, are conducting an effort to have all NYS Regents members read the book, "Schools Reimagined," by Martin & Jacquline Brooks & participate in a follow-up workshop.

6. We received no responses to our request for written survey responses from RCSD BoE candidates, and therefore, could not publish them on our website.

7. Wade Norwood will assist us in arranging a meeting with new Regent Ruth Turner.

8. Following the Rochester Democratic primary election (June 10th) for mayoral candidates, we will arrange for meetings with Lovely Warren and Malik Evans to discuss their positions on RCSD educational issues.

9. We agreed to meet again on THURSDAY, May 27th, @ 4:30 pm. (Please note the day of the week & usual time change.)