In his last public statement before leaving the district, former Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas recommended that the school board close one school a year until the quality of city schools improves. Vargas often said that without significant improvements, the city school district will continue to lose students to charter, private, and suburban schools. But […]
failing schools
Posted inNews & Opinion
Pressure is on for UR to fix East
When the State Education Department released the results of the English language arts and math tests for grades 3-8 a couple of weeks ago, many of us looked for some sign that Superintendent Bolgen Vargas’s strategies – implementing universal prekindergarten, expanding learning time, and reducing summer learning loss — are working. But Rochester’s students showed […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
UR takeover of East nears
In a little over a month, the University of Rochester will be handed the keys, so to speak, to East High School. The State Education Department approved the UR-East deal last year in an attempt to turn around one of the state’s lowest performing schools. There are few delusions about East. The school — with […]
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Revised law empowers school supers
A revision to the state education law concerning failing schools could give Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas substantially more authority at a time when he’s at serious odds with the school board over management. Though it’s still unclear, the law appears to give Vargas the ability to make sweeping decisions to improve failing schools, including […]
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East High proposal to be vetted on Thursday
Representatives from School Turnaround, the organization proposing to take over operation of East, may attend.
Posted inNews & Opinion
East’s end?
When a school is failing as badly as East High, the surrounding community seems to go through many of the same emotional transitions as a person dealing with a life-threatening illness. Many of those raw emotions were evident at a meeting at East last week, where about 100 students, parents, staff, and residents reacted to […]
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Surveys frustrate teachers
Students, teachers, principals, and parents in the Rochester school district recently participated in comprehensive districtwide surveys. The questions were tailored to each group’s relationship to the district. For example, students were asked about their teachers’ instruction, responsiveness, and classroom demeanor. | The New York State Education Department required the surveys as part of the teacher […]
