Colleagues,
Based on the results of teachers’ responses to a recent survey, the RTA Representative Assembly earlier today affirmed the teachers’ overwhelming expression (93%) of no confidence in the District’s and Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small’s response and current plan to address the lack of safety at our schools. The Resolution of No Confidence, along with the summary of results from the RTA’s survey, is attached below.
While Rochester City Hall declared a State of Emergency due to the alarming increase of violence across the city, the Superintendent of Schools is failing to take any real action and is offering band-aids and empty rhetoric instead of leadership. Last month, all four unions representing teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals and non-teaching employees in the Rochester City School District formally offered recommendations to improve safety and learning conditions (including lower class sizes, social and emotional support for students, incentives for filling staffing vacancies, increased security measures at schools). The District has ample resources to fund these needed critical measures. Yet, the Superintendent and the District responded with mostly rhetoric and little action. And now the Superintendent is recommending school closures, school mergers and school relocations – additional disruptions laying the foundation for maxing out class sizes and reducing services to our students for next year.
Thank you for your solidarity and for your unswerving support of your students. We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of our efforts on your behalf and on behalf of our students. In the next days and weeks, we will also suggest to you what you can do to help as we continue to advocate for a safe environment for teaching and learning that our students need and deserve.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President
RTA RESOLUTION AFFIRMING NO CONFIDENCE IN THE RCSD AND SUP’T LESLI MYERS-SMALL’S