Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas is expected to release a draft of a new facilities master plan at a special board meeting tonight. Vargas called for the plan after numerous costly repairs required closing School 16. But the plan is also part of a larger concern. The district’s enrollment has steadily declined while its physical […]
Rochester School Board
Posted inNews & Opinion
Fights return downtown
The Rochester Police Department and city and school district officials thought they found a way to stop young people from gathering to fight — or to watch a fight — in the Liberty Pole area downtown. Changes were made to the busing situation last year to reduce the number of young people downtown at peak […]
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Week ahead: education meetings, crime stat review, and anti-fracking proposal discussion
Members of the 25-person New NY Education Reform Commission are in Rochester today to hear recommendations for improving student achievement from educators, advocates, and community members. The commission was created by Governor Cuomo to gather information on issues of particular concern to school districts and communities throughout the state: teacher evaluations, budget limitations, and graduation […]
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GUEST COMMENTARY: Wealth disparity and our graduation rate
Not long ago, published research demonstrated that countries that had a high disparity between wealth and poverty were also characterized by low confidence in their government and contempt for the law. There is a justifiable assumption that the government is corrupt, serving the elite while either actively suppressing the poor or failing to use the […]
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Rochester school board says there’s too much testing
Last night, the Rochester school board voted 6 to 1 in favor of asking Albany lawmakers and state education officials to develop a new system to evaluate student learning. The new policy, which was largely developed by board member Mary Adams, rejects the state’s reliance on standardized testing as the main way to measure student […]
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Focus needed on black and Latino males
The Rochester school board frequently finds itself at odds with public opinion over how much supervision superintendents need. Too much, and board members are accused of meddling and micromanaging. Too little, and the public directs its anger at the board when things go wrong. Board member Van White says he is not willing to err […]
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Week ahead: Votes on indigent burial, cops in truancy program
When the County Legislature’s Agenda/Charter Committee meets this afternoon, it’ll take up a Democratic referral regarding indigent burials. The Democratic proposal would require the county to provide a permanent marker for anyone buried through the county’s burial assistance program. The marker would contain the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death. The legislation […]
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The week ahead: meetings on teacher evals, East truancy, Sibley building; key primaries
The Rochester school board will hold a special session Tuesday night, September 11, to discuss the latest version of the district’s teacher evaluation plan. The plan was recently submitted to the State Education Department for approval. All teachers and principals must be evaluated using the new plan this school year. The evaluation plan has been […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Test anxiety
Rochester could join a number of schools around the country that forgo high-stakes standardized testing if the Rochester school board approves a policy proposed by board member Mary Adams. | The resolution will be voted on this month. | High stakes testing was a main feature of the No Child Left Behind law, and it […]
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NEWS BLOG: Do you take this chief of staff for better, for worse?
Rochester school board members who are upset that Superintendent Bolgen Vargas hired a district critic still haven’t been able to meet with her. The board’s staff tried to coordinate some meetings with Vargas’s new chief of staff, Patty Malgieri, to discuss her role and her criticism of the district when she was deputy mayor. Malgieri […]
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NEWS BLOG: Malgieri contract under fire – and so is Vargas
Since being named Rochester schools superintendent in April, Bolgen Vargas has been extremely popular with most school board members. But the honeymoon is over. In a special meeting last night, the board went into executive session to discuss Vargas’s decision to hire former deputy mayor Patricia Malgieri. And it didn’t go well. Malgieri has been […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Metro ink – 11-15-06
PLAZA PLANS? Why would the City of Rochester want to buy MidtownPlaza? For several reasons, maybe. But chief among them is fear. Fear that the wrong developer might buy it. City Council was to vote last night on approving an option to buy the massive complex. According to the terms of the deal, $250,000 gets […]
