City school officials are grappling with a long-simmering problem: satisfying many parents’ desire for neighborhood schools, while not locking students into schools that are performing poorly. The Rochester school district currently operates under a school choice model in which schools are divided into three zones: northeast, northwest, and south. Parents select from the schools in […]
RCSD
The neighborhood school dilemma
The trouble with neighborhood schools is that there many definitions and ideas of what a neighborhood school should be. That was evident last night at a public hearing on the second phase of schools modernization in the Rochester school district. Much of the evening was dominated by residents, parents, students, and teachers who either had […]
Did Chicago’s strike teach us anything?
The closely-watched battle between Chicago’s teachers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel helped to illuminate some of the problems confronting urban education. But even though the strike is over, the war between education reformers and urban teachers goes on, says NY Times columnist Joe Nocera. Teacher evaluations linked to standardized tests and charter schools remain contentious issues, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
School 16 spurs neighborhood action
The situation at School 16 has many residents in the city’s southwest neighborhoods re-thinking their relationship with the Rochester school district, neighborhood leaders say. Residents are holding a meeting tonight — Wednesday, August 29 — to discuss the situation. The Rochester school board approved closing School 16 for this school year for much-needed repairs — […]
WEEK AHEAD: SW Neighborhood meeting on School 16
Residents of the 19th Ward and nearby southwest neighborhoods are meeting on Wednesday, August 29, to discuss ways to become more engaged in School 16’s future and to better support area parents and students. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the SW Community Center, 275 Dr. Samuel McCree Way. It is open to the […]






