Colleagues,
Here’s a brief update on several issues:
– Grieving Trevyan Rowe. All Rochester teachers join with the entire community, and especially with Trevyan’s family, teachers and friends, in our sadness about his tragic death. We are determined to do all we can to diminish the possibility that this would ever happen again to any other Rochester student. We are all united in our grief. We are also urging the Board of Education, and all others, to respect due process and not to make any final conclusions about what happened until all the facts are determined by the ongoing investigations.
– Contract Vote. Rochester teachers ratified the proposed one-year extension of our contract by more than 99%. The Rochester City School District’s Board of Education is scheduled to vote on this tentative agreement this Thursday. We are grateful to you for your continued support and confidence in your union.
– March For Our Lives. On Saturday, March 24, Rochester students, teachers and others will demonstrate for safer schools through gun law reforms. The demonstration will take place at Washington Square Park from 3 ’til 5pm. See the attached flyer here and, if you can, join your RTA colleagues at this important demonstration.
– Free Summer Music Lessons. RCSD teachers, in collaboration with the Rochester Education Foundation, are hosting a fundraiser at Radio Social on March 29th from 7 ’til 11pm to raise funds for RCSD students to attend free music lessons at the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. See the attached flyer here for more details.
– Rochester Teachers Care. This week’s video features the inspired and inspiring teaching of Debra Ortenzi, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teacher at the World of Inquiry School #58 < https://youtu.be/1qWe35VV69w>. She exemplifies the dedication and excellence of so many other Rochester teachers who passionately serve our students every day.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President