About 40 Rochester school district and city officials, including Mayor Tom Richards, fanned out in city neighborhoods this morning, searching for absentee students. In groups of two and three, they knocked on doors in search of about 120 students who have missed 10 to 20 days this school year, said Patricia Malgieri, the district’s chief […]
Rochester school district
Posted inNews & Opinion
A divided country waits
The debates are over, all but a handful of voters seem to have made up their mind, and President Obama and Mitt Romney are virtually tied. Regardless of who is elected, this troubling campaign could have a troubling ending, with the outcome not immediately known – and, perhaps, with one candidate winning the popular vote, […]
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Education commission hears local problems and solutions
Governor Cuomo’s New NY Education Reform Commission ended its statewide listening tour of school district officials, politicians, and community leaders in Rochester yesterday. The commission is charged with gathering information about what is and isn’t working to boost student achievement, and then making recommendations for improvement to Cuomo. The commission panel, which included state Education […]
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Vargas emphasizes early childhood education
The Rochester school district has become a “remedial district,” Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said today at an early morning meeting with parents and students. The term is used by educators to describe a teaching atmosphere that emphasizes helping students catch up to as close to grade level as possible. The way to change the district, he […]
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Brizard out
After about a year-and-a-half on the job, Jean-Claude Brizard is out as CEO of the Chicago Public School System. | Brizard reportedly said he was becoming a distraction from the mission to help Chicago’s children, reports the Chicago Tribune. Brizard made a similar statement before leaving the Rochester school system, where he was superintendent from […]
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Vargas makes no promises
After nearly a year-and-a-half leading Rochester’s schools, Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has yet to set the usual benchmarks. He’s instead downplayed expectations and has not promised to raise graduation rates. This is a different superintendent from his predecessors. For instance, Vargas hardly reacts to whatever the latest report says about Rochester’s low student achievement. But he […]
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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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EDUCATION: Grim grad news for minority males
The Rochester city school district has earned another disturbing distinction. Only 9 percent of the district’s black males who were eligible graduated in the 2009 to 2010 school year, according to a recent report. Rochester graduated the lowest percentage of black and Latino male students of any district in the country, behind Detroit, Philadelphia, and […]
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Chasing school reform
I’m getting really tired of “school reform.” Rochester, like the big Midwestern city that’s getting the headlines right now, has embarked on lots of reforms. Over decades. The result of our effort and money: test scores and graduation rates have kept dropping. And middle-income families have moved out or sent their children to private schools. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
