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Across Rochester, families share a clear hope: K–12 schools that truly prepare their children for life, college, and/or careers. Yet many parents feel they have no choice but to navigate systems that feel confusing, inconsistent, or closed off. When families lack clear information or meaningful influence, inequities widen. Children bear the immediate consequences, and over time, our entire city feels the impact.
Rochester Education and Development for Youth (READY) was created to change that. Built from a two‑year, community‑led process, READY’s mission is to ensure every child has access to a high‑quality school and every family has the tools to make informed decisions. Research consistently shows that this work is most effective when parents and caregivers are empowered partners. A synthesis of 51 studies by Henderson & Mapp (2002) found that students with engaged families, across all backgrounds, earn higher grades, attend more regularly, take more advanced courses, and are more likely to graduate.
Understanding the System Matters
Educational systems are complex. Enrollment methods vary, quality measures differ, and policies shift. Without clear, accessible information, families are left to navigate a maze alone. When parents understand how systems work, they can make informed choices, recognize quality beyond test scores, identify barriers to access, and hold systems accountable. Research by Hoover‑Dempsey & Sandler (1997–2005) shows that when parents know how to support learning and communicate with schools, students develop stronger motivation, self‑regulation, and confidence.
Advocacy Is a Critical Skill
Studies on community organizing for school reform (Henderson & Mapp, 2007) show that informed, organized parents can influence district policies, improve school quality, and expand equitable access. Parents are not just caregivers, they are partners and change‑makers. Advocacy can take many forms, for example, asking questions in meetings, serving on committees, sharing experiences with policymakers, or organizing with other families. But advocacy requires confidence, knowledge, and community. That’s where the READY Parent ACTION Academy comes in.
READY Parent ACTION Academy Builds Parent Power
The Academy equips parents and caregivers with the information, tools, and support they need to navigate and influence educational systems. Participants gain:
- Clear, Accessible Information: A grounded understanding of Rochester’s education landscape, from enrollment pathways to school quality indicators and decision‑making structures.
- A Community of Support: A network of peers who share goals, experiences, and collective strength.
- Advocacy Skills: Practice identifying the right questions, communicating with educators, and uplifting equitable policies.
- Leadership Development: Support in seeing themselves as essential system leaders whose lived experience is critical to improving schools.
- A Pathway to Influence: Opportunities to participate in coalitions, initiatives, and broader efforts to strengthen Rochester’s educational ecosystem.
Parents Are Essential to Rochester’s Educational Future
READY believes that families, educators, and community partners must shape the future of education together. Parents bring deep knowledge of their children, their neighborhoods, and the barriers they face, as well as cultural expertise, community trust, and a long‑term perspective. When parents are informed and empowered, decisions become more grounded and equitable. Schools improve. Systems shift. Children thrive.
The READY Parent ACTION Academy is more than a program, it’s an invitation for parents and caregivers to lead. When families lead, Rochester moves closer to a future where every child has access to a high‑quality school, and every family has the power to choose, advocate, and shape their own futures.
Christina Schermerhorn
Rochester Education and Development for Youth, Inc.
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I applaud this group’s mission. Missions are important yet to implement this one it requires parents, guardians and caregivers in City of Rochester to VOTE for change and elect School Board members that focus on educating their children. AND send a clear message to Mayor Evans and County Executive Bello that THEY need to change the structure of the RCSD. There is no debate that over the last 3 decades the structure has not worked. It has produced some of poorest results in the USA. So, Rochester Education and Development for Youth, Inc. send a message to our leaders- they can influence positive change. The RCSD, Teachers Union and School Board cannot.