September 19, 2020 To: Members of the RCSD Board of Education On behalf of the 3200 members of the Rochester Teachers Association, I urge you to vote against the recommendation to layoff 221 members of the Board of Education Non-Teaching Employees (BENTE) members as of October 16, 2020. BENTE has provided the District a detailed and flexible plan to help our students and our community. The plan called for opening elementary schools, instead of recreation centers, for remote learning. It would also engage BENTE members in home food delivery and reaching out to students and families through home visits. This is both necessary and extremely important. The RCSD administration has rejected this thoughtful and comprehensive plan - despite the fact that the New York State Department of Budget recently announced that they are reversing course on the withholding of state aid to school districts. The Governor’s budget director said Wednesday that New York State will wait until after the...