The Vacuum Oil industrial site in southwest Rochester typified the city’s manufacturing muscle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when busy factories dotted the area. But the now-rundown 25-acre collection of public and private properties on the west bank of the Genesee River at Flint Street could see a revival. A bill sponsored […]
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
Romney’s bow to the far right isn’t working
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s long and illustrious political star plummeted when the Brits rightly opposed being dragged into President George W. Bush’s Iraq War. The British tabloids began referring to Blair as W’s poodle. It wasn’t the same kind of puppetry we saw with former Russian President Medvedev and Putin, but it was […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Arab spring may be Romney’s fall
The bloody events in Libya on Monday night are another reminder, as if one is ever needed, of how volatile that part of the world remains. It’s also a stark reminder of how quickly the political fortunes of Western leaders can change in that neck of the woods when things go wrong. President Obama now […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Neighbors fed up with East High students
Some East High students are giving residents and business owners in the North Winton Village neighborhood a major headache.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Truancy tests RCSD’s resolve
The Rochester school district kicked off the new school year with what officials say is a serious crackdown on attendance and truancy. The new effort, which is loosely based on a program used successfully in other New York school districts, will involve the broader community. Officials say that poor attendance and high truancy rates are […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Rochester teacher evaluations approved
The Rochester school district’s teacher evaluation plan has been approved by the State Education Department. The SED requires all teachers and principals to receive an annual evaluation, which will result in a score of highly effective, effective, developing, or ineffective. The new plans mark the first year that evaluations are directly linked to student performance […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
All eyes are on Chicago
It’s hard not to be fascinated by what’s going on in the Chicago School District. The teacher strike in the nation’s third largest school district, now in its second day, has all of the elements of great drama. For starters, there’s Rochester’s connection to the Chicago schools’ chief, Jean-Claude Brizard. After a tumultuous three and […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Clinton Country
There are a lot of things you could say about Bill Clinton. You get the bad and the good with the former president. His legislative achievements, the North American Free Trade Agreement, Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell, and the Defense of Marriage Act were flawed policies when he signed them into law. Even Clinton agrees that DADT […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
State to intervene in RCSD
The Rochester school district is one of 70 public school districts in New York flagged as a “Focus School District” by the State Education Department, an unfavorable designation given to low-performing districts. Twenty-two Rochester schools have been classified as “Focus Schools” and 30 are “Priority Schools,” designations under the FSD umbrella. The new classifications are […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Teacher evals revamped
The Rochester school district’s first attempt at a teacher evaluation plan for the 2012 to 2013 school year was rejected by the State Education Department. Revisions have been resubmitted, and Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski says he’s confident that this version will be approved. | The SED wanted to see greater clarification of the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
State targets RCSD for intervention
The Rochester school district has been flagged as one of 70 “Focus School Districts” by the New York State Education Department. Twenty-two of Rochester’s schools have been identified as “Focus Schools” by the SED, and 30 described as “Priority Schools.” The full SED report was released today. The designation means that a team of education […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Facts aren’t Ryan’s forte
For weeks, political pundits and journalists — a lot not known for niceties — have treated Paul Ryan’s comments like they were delicate little finger sandwiches. Dan Amira wrote an excellent article for New York Magazine saying that Ryan’s campaign strategy is to ignore the facts and just attack. He’s relying on the public’s ignorance, […]
