Comment

Comment by Mark Sweetland on June 4, 2019 at 7:02pm

City Newspaper:  "Let State Try To Fix RCSD"

Mary Anna Towler's Take - - -  https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/its-time-to-let-th...

Comment by John Boutet on June 2, 2019 at 6:01pm

I strongly disagree with the State taking over our city schools and appointing a school board.  Albany is the cause of far too many problems in our schools for me to trust them to run the show.  For years the District, our SWCC Education Committee and the 19WCA Schools Committee have been advocating for elimination of the 1.5 mile or greater buss ride distance requirement for state reimbursement of school busing in Rochester.  That law takes the neighborhood out of neighborhood schools and has weakened our school by keeping parents out of their child's school.  For years, if Albany took it up changing the law, either the Senate would pass it or the Assembly would but never both.  Now that both the Senate and Assembly are in Democratic hands, every scavenger who wants part of that 1Billion dollar budget that is the District wants to pass laws in a rush to put the elected school board out of the picture.  For all the shortcomings attributed to our elected school Board, and there are some, they a passionate advocates for our kids and keep scavengers from tearing our public schools apart for the benefit of those trying to privatize our schools.

Comment by Mark Sweetland on June 1, 2019 at 9:09am

Editorial, D&C 5/31/19 - "Mayor Warren is Right. State Should Take Over City Schools."

Elected state legislators:  "Only they hold the legislative authority and moral obligation to begin the reform that is long overdue. Only they can start to change a broken structure that cannot change itself. If they do not act now, they are failing Rochester’s children. They are also failing our entire community, perhaps for generations to come.

See the entire editorial at:  https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/...

Comment by John Boutet on May 15, 2019 at 11:15pm

Here is another Terry Dade article in City Newspaper:  https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/terry-dade-will-be...

Comment by John Boutet on May 15, 2019 at 12:32am

The selection of Terry Dade for our next superintendent has been formally announce: https://www.whec.com/news/rochester-city-school-district-selects-ne... 

Comment by Mark Sweetland on May 14, 2019 at 9:44am

Mayor says state takeover a possibility in newscast 5/13/19:
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) -- Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren intensified her call for state lawmakers to help fix chronic challenges in the city's school system.  Warren said  "We need legislative action on behalf of our children." 

See the newscast at: https://www.whec.com/news/brainstorming-state-action-on-rochester-s...

Comment by John Boutet on May 14, 2019 at 3:53am

Thanks for posting these links Mark.  A lot of the important issues are discussed quite well in the D&C articles.  I attended both superintendent finalist sessions at Freddie Thomas on 5/4 and 5/5.  All the candidates finalists sounded like good choices to me.  I had been part of one of the many input sessions the search firm held with various school related groups before they started their search.  We all had input into what the search firm would be looking for.  I'm sure the board members did also.  Howard and two associates who are running for School Board disrupted the beginning the two finalist presentations on 5/4 questioning the validity of the process.  Cynthia did rise to shoo him out in both instances.  It was necessary to allow the presentations to resume.   Howard did not come back 5/5.

Dan Lowengard the interim superintendent was at both meetings on the 4th and 5th. So was Joe Baldino, principal at School 29.  I saw most of the board members come in and out.  There were concurrent sessions in progress both days.  One was for parents and students, and the one I sat in on was for staff and community members as I recall.  I think the board members wandered back and forth between sessions probably to gauge the interaction between the candidates and the public.  Public attendance was poor each day.

I talked to Liz Hallmark, Cynthia Elliott, Natalie Sheppard and Beatriz LeBron and saw Judith Davis, Willa Powell and Van White at various times on one or both days.  I'm hoping a couple of Board members show up for our Education Committee meeting next week but there are so many meetings going on that it is hard for them to attend them all.

Comment by Mark Sweetland on May 12, 2019 at 5:07pm

Going even further, the D&C 5/12/19 Editorial says "NYS Lawmakers Must Rein In Rochester City School Board."

"...Something. Must. Change ...The board must be reined in, and only a change in state law can do that. This legislation alone will not resolve our education crisis, but it is a critical starting point..."

Read more at:  https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/...

Comment by Mark Sweetland on April 29, 2019 at 11:49am

Here's a great response to the Mayor's address from the D&C 4/28/19 Editorial.  It urges all to stand behind the Mayor:   https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/...

Well worth reading!