Get the latest news from RTA President Dr. Adam Urbanski.
Adam’s Update (10.20.25) Lawsuit on Payroll Issues Filed
Colleagues, Last Friday, October 17, 2025, we filed a lawsuit in the Monroe County Supreme Court against the Rochester City School District. We are seeking an immediate injunction on the long festering payroll issues that continue to result in either no pay, delayed pay, inaccurate pay, wrongful deductions, and other payroll related errors. The petition also includes details of the negative impact of these ongoing issues from members themselves who, in addition to me, have agreed to serve as plaintiffs in this lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of our affected members. We are grateful to our state-level union, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), for providing the support and legal expertise in preparing and filing this case. The litigation that we have filed is in addition to our outreach to the United States Department of Labor, the New York State Comptroller, and the Class Action Grievances that we filed against the District for violations of our contract. We are also engaged in...
Adam’s Update (1.29.21) Resolution of No Confidence, Share Your Story
Colleagues, The RTA Representative Assembly, at a special meeting yesterday, voted overwhelmingly...
Adam’s Update (1.21.21) District’s Response to RTA Survey, Paid Time To Get Vaccinated Denied By Superintendent, Unanswered Questions Remain Unanswered
Colleagues, Here’s a brief follow-up to the Update from just two days ago: - District’s Initial...
Adam’s Update (1.19.21) Survey Results, RTA Resolution To Keep Our Students Safe
Colleagues, More than 1500 RTA members, on very short notice, responded to our most recent survey...
Adam’s Update (1.10.21) Reopening Plans, Vaccinating Teachers, Snow Days, Independent Inspection of Ventilation, Negotiations, Rochester Teachers Care
Colleagues,Here’s a brief update about some current issues: - Reopening Plans. Despite the rising...
Adam’s Updates (1.4.21) Phase 1, Ventilation Inspections, Unanswered Questions, Accommodation Requests, CIT Office Hours, ROC-SOS, Rochester Teachers Care
Colleagues, Welcome back. I trust that you had a safe and rewarding holiday break. We all hope...
Adam’s Update (12.30.20) RCSD Changing Reopening Plans?
Colleagues, Like you, we too were surprised by this morning’s story in the Democrat and Chronicle...
Adam’s Update (12.18.20) Updated MOU
Colleagues, I am pleased to inform you that earlier today we concluded negotiations with the...
Adam’s Update (12.18.20) Renewed and Updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) coming shortly
Colleagues, The District just notified all teachers and staff that there’ll be a special...
Adam’s Update (12.11.20) Remote Teaching From School, Safety, Negotiations, Budget, RTA Zoom Meetings, Rumor Control
Colleagues, Here’s a brief update on some current issues: - Remote Teaching From the Classroom? It...
Adam’s Update (11.30.20) APPR, Teachers Calling for Parent Surveys, Planned Hybrid Plan, State Monitor’s Reports
Colleagues, Welcome back. Hope that you had a good Thanksgiving. Here’s an update on some current...
Happy Thanksgiving
Colleagues, On this Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for the opportunity to represent you. You are...
Adam’s Update (11.20.20) Hybrid Plan Questions, Retro Pay
Colleagues, You have just received a communication from Superintendent Myers-Small about the...
Adam’s Update (11.19.20) Bad Math, District Blaming Unions, Solidarity
Colleagues, The Rochester City School District is really bad with math. First, they announced a...
Adam’s Update (11.2.20) RTA Resolution To Keep Our Students Safe
Colleagues, The attached resolution was adopted by the RTA Representative Assembly at a Special...
Adam’s Update (10.27.20) Staff Accommodations Request Form
Colleagues, Earlier this morning, you received from the District the communication below. Since...
Adam’s Update (10.22.20) District Delays Retro Pay, Again
Colleagues, The District notified us just yesterday that the scheduled retroactive pay to teachers...
Adam’s Update (10.14.20) Member Remote/Hybrid Learning Surveys
Colleagues, Last Sunday evening you should have received RTA’s Survey on Remote Teaching and...
Adam’s Update (10.5.20) PD Half Days, Retro Pay, Survey
Colleagues, As we begin the fourth week of fully remote teaching and learning, here’s a brief...
Adam’s Update (9.22.20) Negotiations, Retroactive Pay, Building Protocols, Virtual Walkthroughs, Funding, BENTE Layoffs
Colleagues, "Rochester teachers and their union join the rest of the community in mourning the...
Vote No to BENTE Layoffs
September 19, 2020 To: Members of the RCSD Board of Education On behalf of the 3200 members of the...
Statement on the Tragic Death of Daniel Prude
Dear Colleagues, As we again experience deep sadness and hurt, this time over the tragic death of...
Adam’s Update (8.30.20) Advocate for Additional Funding
Colleagues, The Rochester City School District’s fiscal woes continue. Part of it is due to lower...