About 8,000 Rochester City School District students in grades 9-12 will be offered free home internet access through their district-issued Chromebooks. The service is being offered to students who don’t have internet access in their home in order to help them with homework and research when they’re not in school, according to a statement from […]
Rochester teachers
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Feedback 6/5
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Student readiness has been overlooked, says RTA president Adam Urbanski
The state-imposed Distinguished Educator’s report on the Rochester School District’s problems has gotten praise from some quarters, but not from Rochester Teachers Association President Adam Urbanski. In an interview Friday morning, Urbanski said he has told school board members that they should take the report seriously. But he said: “The report omits the importance of student […]
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Report on city schools is expected today
After several months of anticipation, a report on the Rochester City School District by Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino is expected to be released today. State education Commissioner MaryElllen Elia, Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa, and Aquino will be holding a press conference at 1:30 p.m. Aquino was appointed by several months ago to observe the district’s operations, […]
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Yet another attempt to improve city schools
We should insist on excellence. We should not tolerate poor performance. But we cannot expect Rochester teachers to do the impossible.
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The loss of Trevyan Rowe
In press conferences and interviews this afternoon, Rochester school district and city officials announced stunning new details about the events leading up to the death of 14-year-old Trevyan Rowe.
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Rochester school district’s budget priority: teachers
In her first budget, Rochester schools Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams is trying to make do with more: more money and more teachers. Deane-Williams proposed a $791 million budget for the 2017-2018 school year, an increase of nearly $65 million over the current budget. She presented her proposal to school board members at a special meeting last […]
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Forcing Urbanski out won’t help city students
An attack on Rochester teachers union president Adam Urbanski is an attack on teachers, and that distracts us from the enormous challenge ahead of us.
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Does a new state education law undermine school boards?
The Rochester school board is grappling with a new state education law involving receivership for failing and persistently failing schools. According to the Regents’ EngageNY website, the intent of receivership is to address the barriers that have prevented some school leaders from turning around failing schools. The barriers include: governance, school leadership, teachers, union contracts, and […]
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School improvement committees will report recommendations on Wednesday
Tomorrow afternoon, the public will get to hear the results of more than a month’s brainstorming concerning the Rochester City School District. Shortly after school board President Van White took office, he formed four committees that were charged with coming up with ideas to improve city schools. The four committees – improving student achievement, increasing […]
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ASAR says ‘no confidence’ in Vargas
For the first time since it was established in 1980, the Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Rochester has voted “no confidence” in a city schools superintendent. At a press conference this afternoon, Deborah Rider, ASAR’s president, said that 87 percent of its members supported the no-confidence vote against Superintendent Bolgen Vargas. Rider cited a […]
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ASAR proceeding with no-confidence vote against Vargas
Members of the Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Rochester, the union that represents city school district principals and administrators, will hold a vote of no confidence against Superintendent Bolgen Vargas. Union members voted to pursue the no-confidence vote yesterday afternoon. The ballots will be mailed early next week to ASAR’s nearly 400 members and […]
