STILL PLANNING THE ‘ZONE’ It’s been almost a year since Rochester’s school superintendent, Manuel Rivera, unveiled his ambitious surround-care plan for the northeast quadrant of the city. Rivera’s concept, which he modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, targets the environmental conditions that produce generations of children who enter school unprepared to learn. The northeast area […]
Rochester school district
Posted inNews & Opinion
Metro ink – 3.29.06
ROOKIE SHARKS SURFACE AT THE TOP On Sunday afternoon, Rochester RazorSharks forward James “Mook” Reaves circled the court brandishing the American Basketball Association championship trophy. Dozens of jubilant fans mobbed the court and celebrated alongside the players and coaches. Later, ‘Sharks CEO OrestHrywnak ran amuck, spraying champagne in the champions’ locker room. And pretty much […]
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For some city schools: major upgrades sought
Most of Rochester’s schools — like MonroeHigh School, above — are more than 50 years old. (The school district has not released the list of school improvements it wants.) The number of children attending Rochester schools is dropping, a trend that appears likely to continue through the decade. Given that fact, the district will need […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Looking for allies
Even with the doors shut, the sound of excitement from the meeting room roared out into the hallway. More than 100 people — students and their families — were gathered inside, applause and laughter rising above the clatter of a screeching microphone as students walked to the front of the room, accepted awards, and posed […]
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One step up
A former school district employee called a few days ago, chiding me about my column in last week’s paper. He’s one of a number of district staff, past and present, who insist that despite the district’s extreme poverty rate, most Rochester students can do well in school. As if to reinforce his phone call, out […]
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Metro Ink 9.21.05
It’s the inside that counts “Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter.” Man, they just don’t name tomatoes like that any more. They don’t grow them very often either, and there’s a good reason for that, I suppose. Tomatoes like Radiator Charlie’s, known as heirlooms, have short shelf-lives, thin skins which bruise and split easily, and they tend […]
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Our very own storm
I don’t want to overreach with this, but there are lessons for Rochester in Hurricane Katrina — and I don’t mean the dangers of natural disasters. As it was tearing off the roofs of houses and destroying neighborhoods, Katrina was also exposing the enormous divide between New Orleans’ poor and not-poor. And if you don’t […]
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The US wants your kid
As recruitment falls short of its goals, the US military has stepped up its efforts to enlist young people. And recruiters have more access to high-school students than some parents may realize. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires school districts to give recruiters personal information about students — including their address, telephone number, […]
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Rivera’s big vision
Rochester’s northeast quadrant is known for many things. Children living here see more homicides and violence than children in any other Rochester neighborhood. The area is home to about 4,300 students, and more than 97 percent of them are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches. Most of them will move to a new home at […]
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Fighting poverty’s effects — with music
You’ve heard them a thousand times, the little taglines that have followed conversations about Rochester for years. Rochester “has a lot of old money.” Rochester “is a white-collar town.” Rochester “is an arts and culture city.” Here are a couple of more recent ones: Rochester’s children are the 11th poorest in the country and the […]
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Reader feedback 4.6.05
Pesticide notification, the school district’s failure, gender-neutral options|gender-neutral bathrooms|federal budget
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So tell me again: why are we doing this?
It’s been a winter of tension and pain for many Rochester students and their families. First, there was the deliberation over closing public schools, and the announcement that one, School 37, will close in June. Then, last week, the state announced that it will close two of Rochester’s four charter schools. The idea has […]
