RCSD picks a new superintendent

The Rochester City School District has named Eric Rosser as its superintendent, effective July 1.

Rosser’s appointment passed in a 4 to 2 vote. School board President Camille Simmons, Amy Maloy, vice president, and commissioners James Patterson and Jackie Griffin voted in favor, while Beatriz LeBron-Harris and Isaiah Santiago voted against. Commissioner Cynthia Elliott was absent for the vote.

“Joining this incredible community is both humbling and exciting, and I look forward to collaborating with educators, staff, parents, students, and community members to expand opportunities for all students,” Rosser said. “ I firmly believe that a strong partnership between school, home, and the community is essential to ensuring that every Rochester child has access to high-quality education experiences. I am committed to working alongside the entire community to turn this vision into a reality for every student in the Rochester City School District.”

A Cincinnati native, Rosser started his educational career in 1993 in the Buffalo City School District. He served as director of student support services and supervisor of pupil personnel services before leaving for a position as assistant superintendent of instructional operations at the Atlanta Public School district in 2007.

Rosser then served as deputy assistant superintendent of elementary and secondary education for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington D.C. in 2012 before returning to Buffalo three years later as associate superintendent for student support services.

Rosser most recently was superintendent of Poughkeepsie City School District. During his tenure, which began in 2019, Rosser instituted cell phone lock-up and pouch systems in middle and high schools, renamed three schools, testified before the senate on the issue of poverty in education, and started work on restructuring that district’s five elementary schools. The restructuring plan was to be submitted to the New York State Education Department this month with bussing changes to be approved by voters in May 2025. 

Commissioners in favor of Rosser cited his experience as key to their affirmative votes.

“As an educator with over 24 years of experience as a teacher, I welcome you,” Maloy said, referring to Rosser’s experience. “I welcome the stability you will bring to our district. I welcome your experience in districts that are much larger than ours. I value your emphasis on literacy and your ability to bring a strong foundation for our students.”

“We look forward to a lot of great things with you. You shined above so many others,” said Patterson. “I look forward to working with you. I look forward to providing you the autonomy to do the job, but more so, supporting you. You have 110 percent of my support.”

The two no votes for Rosser were largely made due to the uncertainty at the district and nationally. (President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order to dissolve the Department of Education.) LeBron-Harris also cited infighting and the salary as other concerns she had.

“As we are continually fighting the federal government and Project 2025, we have no idea what’s to come, for Medicaid, insurance, labor, Medicare, benefits and services for families, but especially public education is under attack right now,” she said. “With the changing landscape, I could not support the most lucrative contract yet that RCSD is to give a superintendent. I cannot support an outsider coming in at this time.”

President Camille Simmons defended the salary amount, saying that Rochester was at the lower end of compensation in comparison to national trends. The exact salary amount was not mentioned at the meeting. According to SeeThroughNY, the previous superintendent, Carmine Peluso’s salary was $276,085 in 2024. (Lesli Myers-Small, the superintendent before Peluso, is listed on the payroll for $352,173 in 2023, a year after she was pushed out.) It has been reported that Rosser earned $205,000 annually in Poughkeepsie.

“Yes, we did all vote to have a (superintendent search) process. But that was almost a year ago and things have changed,” LeBron-Harris continued. “At this point, I definitely feel like this became commissioners voting out of pride because they didn’t like that they got called out for their decisions and how they’re moving versus actually taking a step back and looking at the bigger scope of what’s happening.”

She also stressed that this was not an attack on Rosser or his abilities and that she had removed herself from the search process earlier. (In an earlier meeting Simmons noted that all commissioners had been provided access to candidate information.)

The district’s need for a new superintendent came with Peluso’s abrupt departure from RCSD to the position of superintendent at Churchville-Chili schools last year. Work on finding a new superintendent began last September with search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates and included community input sessions and a survey that influenced targeted candidates.

When Rosser takes over, he will face a number of immediate projects, including the transition of East Upper and Lower Schools from an educational partnership organization back to the district, a reconfiguration plan for RCSD’s middle schools, as well as challenges related to a historically impoverished student population.

“I think it is time to enter into something new,” Simmons said. “What I will say is this, Dr. Rosser sir, walk softly and carry a big stick. Those are my words.”

Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist. 

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