Colleagues, Welcome back. I hope you had a restful and fun summer recess. Here’s a brief update on a few salient topics and timely announcements: - Negotiations. Bargaining for a successor contract continued during the summer but we have not managed to reach an agreement yet. I am hopeful that we can conclude negotiations within the next several weeks. Meanwhile, teachers will receive a partial salary increase (increments) and most of the provisions of the expired contract will continue to be in effect until a new contract is ratified by teachers and by the Board of Education. We will keep you informed about any developments. - Referendum on State Takeover. An effort to place a non-binding referendum on the ballot this November 5 faltered when the courts struck it down due to litigation filed by the Rochester City School District. The Mayor of Rochester, and the City Council, promoted such a referendum to determine whether the Rochester citizenry support a takeover of the...