Colleagues,
Here are some timely announcements and a brief update:
– Safety Concerns. Effective teaching and learning are impeded if teachers and students are not safe at and near schools. We are aware that is the case at some of our schools and we are working with Sup’t Peluso and local officials to make schools and school premises safer and more secure. The District is increasing security measures at and near schools experiencing the problems. We will continue our efforts until we achieve the safety that teachers and students need and deserve. Please report to us any incidents that occur and we will immediately bring this to the District’s attention.
– Transfers Schedule. Last month you received information from the District about Transfer Days (see attached). The process will be via Zoom. Teachers who are unable to attend can participate by proxy. The Proxy Form can be found on the RTA website <www.rochesterteachers.com>. RTA officers will be present to support and assist you. Meanwhile, if you have questions or concerns, please contact Martha Keating <maskerade6@aol.com>, Margaret Sergent <mmsergent@rochesterteachers.com>, Aimee Rinere <arinere@rochesterteachers.com>, or Matt Lavonas <mlavonas@rochesterteachers.com>.
– Search For Superintendent. The Board of Education will soon determine what process will be used in the search for the next superintendent. Dr. Peluso’s “permanent” successor is expected to begin sometime during the next school year. Meanwhile, the school board will appoint an Interim Superintendent whose term will start on July 1st. We wish Superintendent Peluso continued success in his new school district and only hope that his successor(s) will prove to be equally competent and collaborative.
– RTA/RTC Dinner Seminar. The RTA, in collaboration with the Rochester Teacher Center (RTC), is sponsoring the next Educational Dinner Seminar. The presenter is Dr. Noma LeMoine, a nationally renowned expert on literacy and language acquisition for African American and other standard English language learners. See the attached flyer for more details. Interested colleagues can sign up through True North Logic. Attendees will receive two PD credits.
– More PD Opportunities: RTC Institute. On May 6-11, the Rochester Teacher Center and RTA will hold our “2024 Institute on Teaching and Learning Informed by Cultural Knowledge.” The sessions are described in the attachment below. Among the topics are teacher professionalism, culturally grounded schools, linguistically responsive instruction, community engagement and learning, and ways of supporting our students. You can sign up on True North Logic for any or all of these sessions. Participants will receive PD credits. For more information, call the Rochester Teacher Center (585 262 8080) or email Ms. Yolanda Montalvo <ymontalvo@rochesterteachers.com>.
– Special Event. At 10am this Saturday, April 27, former Rochester superintendent Dr. Bolgen Vargas will discuss his recently published book entitled Let Our Children Soar! In that book, Dr. Vargas his subsistence farm life in the rural Dominican Republic, his immigration experience, his work as an educator, and how all this informed him about empathetic teaching of students for whom English was not their first language. His talk will be at the Monroe Branch Library (809 Monroe Avenue). It’s a well-written and compelling book that teachers and other educators will find informative and insightful.
– Solidarity With Striking D&C Workers. Workers at the D&C are still on strike and still fighting for a fair contract. They are picketing every day and, until they achieve a just settlement, rallying in front of the D&C Headquarters (235 East Main Street) every Wednesday at 5pm. Please join them if you can and wear your RTA Solidarity t-shirt if you have one.
Adam Urbanski, RTA President
