Colleagues,
At a time that calls for collaboration and partnership to improve the deteriorating predicament of the Rochester City School District, the current District administration continues its pattern of reckless mismanagement and ignoring the collective wisdom of teachers on how to address the declining conditions for teaching and learning. Here are some of the key concerns – many of which were validated by last June’s RTA Negotiations and Climate Survey of our members (see below). We remain determined to address these and many other issues in the current stalled negotiations for a successor contract.
– Inadequate services for students. Only 8% of Rochester teachers responding to our survey indicated that there are adequate supports for students while 81% believe that there are not. This is especially true for our most vulnerable students including, but not limited to, Special Education, English Language Learners, Home/Hospital Tutoring, et al. Dr. Rosser’s strategy appears to just do damage control rather than prevention and early intervention.
– Lack of school safety and student discipline. Safety in schools and near schools remains a serious concern. So is the District’s blatant tolerance of disruptive and violent student behavior, lack of logical consequences, lack of alternative placement programs, and lack of social and emotional support for students. In last June’s survey, the majority of teachers responded that the RCSD does not provide a safe environment for students and staff. Dr. Rosser’s strategy appears to be to wait until a tragedy occurs before taking safety seriously.
– Inability to attract and retain teachers. In the last several years, more teachers resigned from our District during the school year than retired at the end of the school year. Since our contract expired on July 1 this year, more than 70 teachers have resigned – and it’s only October. These resignations can be attributed to lack of safety, lack of respect, lack of support, and lack of competitive compensation. Dr. Rosser’s strategy appears to be to remain in denial about the persistent hemorrhaging of teachers.
– Inattention to conditions for teaching and learning. In last June’s RTA survey, the majority of respondents indicated that they are not supported by the District in the work that they do. Nearly 80% indicated that the Superintendent and Central Office do not make decisions based on what is best for our students. And 90% said that they do not think that Central Office even understands what is happening in the classrooms. Only 3% said that they do understand the realities that exist in classrooms. Dr. Rosser’s strategy appears to be to continue to distrust teachers and to value only the opinions of those who are disconnected from the classroom.
Since our survey last June, the conditions at schools have worsened, not improved. That is largely attributable to the disappointing performance of Superintendent Rosser who is taking a hands-off attitude to the serious problems that remain unaddressed. He took a full year to address the payroll and Oracle debacle, which still continues to fester. Now he is refusing to become directly involved in the stalled negotiations for a successor contract. That is yet another reason why we will soon survey our members to gauge their confidence in Dr. Rosser.
As you already know, we declared impasse in our negotiations for a successor contract with the District because the talks were going nowhere and Superintendent Rosser refused our proposal that he become directly involved. The NYS Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has assigned a neutral mediator who has scheduled a negotiations session for October 27. If Dr. Rosser continues to evade his responsibility to become directly involved in negotiations and PERB mediation, it will confirm what many of us already suspect: he fully intends to repeat his failed approach to teacher negotiations while he was the superintendent in Poughkeepsie. So much for his and the RCSD’s motto “One District Connected in Action.”
Thank you for your unswerving support and show of solidarity. We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of negotiations and of our efforts to get the Superintendent to do right by teachers and students.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President