The State Education Department has approved a plan submitted by the Rochester school board and the University of Rochester to improve East High School. The intervention plan puts the UR in charge of the school and the university will report to the school board. A more detailed plan describing implementation has to be submitted to […]
Tim Louis Macaluso
I was born and raised in the Rochester area, but I lived in California and Florida before returning home about 12 years ago. I'm a vegetarian and live with my husband and our three pugs. I cover education, health care, and local politics for City.
Posted inNews & Opinion
The Buffalo blues
For years, there’s been a polite rivalry between Rochester and the Queen City. With its brand-name companies, Rochester was viewed by many as the white-collar town, while Buffalo was the steel town. And when Buffalo’s financial management soured so badly that the city was put under state oversight, there were more than a few snickers […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Disappointment in medical marijuana law
Holly Anderson says that while she’s glad that a medical marijuana bill has been approved by the State Legislature, she’s disappointed in the version of the bill that passed. Anderson, who is executive director of the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, says that Governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t voice his objections to an earlier version of […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
State tells students: Don’t write about Brown v. Board of Ed
If you were taking the United States History and Government high school Regents exam on Tuesday, June 17, you would have found that Part I of the exam consisted of 50 multiple choice questions. The questions covered everything from the events that led up to the Civil War to the exploration routes of Lewis and […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
No turning back now on East deal
Many people have been following the negotiations between the Rochester City School District, its unions, and the University of Rochester concerning the plan to turn around East High School. And you can be sure that some were betting that the negotiations would break down. But that didn’t happen. After several weeks of rushed and […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Downtown’s patron saint
Much of what you see when you catch a glimpse of the city’s skyline is part of Larry Glazer’s real estate empire. Glazer’s company, Buckingham Properties, either owns, co-owns, or manages nearly 13 million square feet of real estate space, including some of downtown Rochester’s most iconic buildings: Midtown Tower, Xerox Square, and the Bausch […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Urban Action 7/02
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Free meals available for children More than a dozen organizations including the City of Rochester, the Rochester school district, Foodlink, and the Rochester Area Community Foundation began their summer meals program for Rochester […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The hidden price of replacing schools
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has been clear that he doesn’t like phasing out low-performing schools in favor of new schools as a way to improve academic achievement. He doesn’t like the approach, he says, because it doesn’t work. And recent graduation data reinforces his opinion, he says. Nine schools that began phasing out under […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
UR-East deal still on
After several weeks of rushed and sometimes tense negotiations, the University of Rochester and the Rochester school board have agreed on a plan that turns management of East High School over to the university. An executive summary of the plan is on the UR’s website, http://www.rochester.edu/pdfs/RCSD-EPO-executive-summary.pdf. If the plan is approved by the State Education […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Replacing schools comes with a hidden price
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has been pretty clear that he doesn’t like phasing out low-performing schools in favor of new schools as a way to improve academic achievement. The model is one of the options the State Education Department allows school districts with failing or so-called priority schools to use to turn around low […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Outing conversion therapy’s ills
When Mathew Shurka told his father he was gay, he says his dad was initially supportive and understanding. “My father gave me the best answer any son could ask for, ‘No matter what happens, I love you,’” Shurka says. But then his father began to worry that Shurka, who lives in New York City, faced […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The under-reported power of parental engagement
I get a kick out of seeing young people receive recognition for their achievements, graduate, and step out on their own. These young people inspire hope for a better world. At the last monthly Rochester school board meeting, several dozen students received awards for outstanding athletic achievement. The presenters made a point of telling the […]
