Get the latest news from RTA President Dr. Adam Urbanski.
Adam’s Update (6.26.26) Agenda For the Summer
Colleagues, On your summer agenda, I hope, is to relax and enjoy a well-deserved break. On RTA's agenda for this summer is to negotiate a multi-year successor contract, to oversee a faithful implementation of the payroll Memorandum of Agreement, to advocate for full restoration of the positions and student services lost due to the budget cuts, and to conclude our analysis of the District’s budget for the next school year. The preliminary indication is that the District is misrepresenting its finances. As you can see in an article in yesterday’s edition of The Rochester Beacon <https://rochesterbeacon.com/2026/06/25/a-budgets-bitter-aftertaste/>, they have an unprecedented reserve of more than $312 million, about 85% of which is unencumbered, but nonetheless claim to have a multi-million dollar deficit. All this, we suspect, is intended to lower our expectations in the current bargaining for a new contract and to justify the District's hurtful and unnecessary cuts to...
Adam’s Update (1.4.22)
Colleagues, Yesterday we asked RTA Faculty Representatives to provide us information about the...
Adam’s Update (1.2.22) District’s Plan Woefully Lacking
Colleagues, I hope you had a good holiday break and wish you a healthy and happy new year. During...
Adam’s Updates (12.5.21) Negotiations, PD, Fighting School Closings & Disruption, No Response Yet to RTA Proposals
Colleagues, Here’s a brief update: - Preparing For Tough Negotiations Ahead. While our current...
Adam’s Update (11.16.21) Teachers Have No Confidence in RCSD’s and Superintendent’s Response to Lack of Safety
Colleagues, Based on the results of teachers’ responses to a recent survey, the RTA Representative...
Adam’s Update (11.9.21) Latest Proposal on Reorganization of Schools
Colleagues, Superintendent Myers-Small just proposed to the Board of Education that some schools...
Adam’s Update (11.7.21) Seeking Safe Schools
Colleagues, For the last several weeks, we have been trying to get the District to enact measures...
Adam’s Update (10.31.21) Action Needed
Colleagues, The presidents of all four unions within the RCSD sent the message below to...
Adam’s Update (10.15.21) Union Presidents Call For District Leadership Address Safety Concerns In RCSD Buildings
Colleagues, Attached is a joint letter sent to Superintendent Myers-Small and Board President Van...
Adam’s Updates (9.23.21) Vaccination/Testing Mandate, Proposed Solutions to Reopening Concerns, Negotiations, Open House
Colleagues, Here’s a brief update: - Vaccination or Testing Mandate. More than 95% of Rochester...
Adam’s Update (9.16.21) Sunday Deadline, Solution Driven Unionism, Rochester Teachers Care, Resource Handbook, Office Protocols, Thank You
Colleagues, Here’s a brief update: - Deadline Is This Sunday. More than 80% of teachers have...
Adam’s Updates (9.12.21) Bus Transportation, Simultaneous Teaching
Colleagues, Just another brief update on the issues related to the problems with bus...
Adam’s Update (9.9.21) Late Buses & Simultaneous Teaching
Colleagues, Please excuse this late hour email but we want to at least acknowledge and initially...
Adam’s Update (9.06.21) Brief Update Trying to Clear Up Confusion
Colleagues, Last night’s meeting of the RCSD Board of Education was frustrating, to say the least....
Adam’s Update (9.3.21) The Mess We’re In
Colleagues, I’m sure you’ve been following the unfolding developments with the District’s...
Adam’s Update (8.26.21) Impact Bargaining Continues
Colleagues, When the District announced a week ago their plan for reopening schools, we...
Adam’s Update (8.18.21) District Communication on Vaccinations
Colleagues, Earlier today you received a communication from the District notifying you about the...
Adam’s Update (7.22.21) Contract Extension
Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you that, earlier this evening, the RTA Representative...
Adam’s Update (6.25.21) Thank You & Enjoy Your Well Deserved Summer Recess
Colleagues, Just a brief note to wish you a safe and restful summer recess. You’ve certainly...
Adam’s Update: The Truth About the District’s Budget, Part III: Pattern of Misrepresentation
Colleagues, As we wind down this difficult school year, and await the report of the Fact Finder...
The Truth About the District’s Budget, Part II: How to Spend the Additional Money
Colleagues, At the same time that the Rochester City School District continues to misrepresent and...
Adam’s Update (6.6.21) Negotiations, Simultaneous Teaching, Layoffs & Displacements, APPR, Vaccinations, Rochester Teachers Care, the District’s Masking Policy
Colleagues, As we begin the final stretch for this school year, here’s a brief update on some...
Adam’s Update (6.1.21) The Misrepresentation of the District’s Finances
Colleagues, Differences in school finances are not unusual. We’ve had these disputes before and...