For the past few months our community has been discussing the best way to reform the Rochester City School District (RCSD), which has struggled with persistently low graduation rates. It has been a passionate discussion, yielding many great ideas and focusing everyone on the future of our children.

During that time I have been working hard with Mayor Bob Duffy, Assemblyman David Gantt and education experts in the Governor's office and the State Assembly to craft legislation that would best reflect the desires of our community for a school system that will demand accountability and improve educational outcomes.

Last week, Governor Paterson submitted the "City of Rochester School Governance Act" for introduction in both the Assembly (A.11404) and the Senate (S.8156).

This legislation is uniquely tailored to the city of Rochester and many of its components are the result of the dialogue that has ensued over the past several months. It would:

This governance reform bill will not solve all our problems, but it will make the system itself far less of a problem as we fight to bring out the potential in each and every student. It has received support from nationally-renowned educational experts because of the checks and balances it includes and the prominent role it envisions for parents.

 

Without question this is the most important legislation in terms of local government that we have considered in nearly a generation. It represents an opportunity to fundamentally reform the way we provide more than 30,000 children with the precious resource of an education, as well as the hope and opportunity that education represents.
 
I am personally committed to seeing this through. This transcends the concerns of any one individual or the agenda of any one party. This is about the kind of city and broader community we want to have. I believe we will be remembered by succeeding generations for what we do, or fail to do, in this regard.

 

 

As promised, the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Education will host a public hearing regarding reform of Rochester City School District governance at 10:00 AM on Friday, June 18, 2010, at City Council Chambers, 30 Church Street.
 
All members of the public are welcome to attend. Those wishing to provide testimony may do so by completing and returning a public hearing reply form.
 
For more information regarding participation in the hearing, call Michelle Newman, Principle Education Committee Assistant, at 518-455-4881, or contact her via email at: newmanm@assembly.state.ny.us.