|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
For the first time in over twenty-five years, I do not have to think about teaching in the Rochester City School District. I once loved teaching. I knew I was making a difference on some level, and I could tolerate the district nonsense but over the past few years, there became a genuine sense that real change was hopeless. The failure was demoralizing but far more harmful was the leadership response. The same language and strategic plans were being regurgitated with no additional support. We all knew the cycle. Just play the game.
There was no part of the year that was more frustrating than the training we received before school started. The indoctrination started every September when teachers were told about the new plans and cosmetic changes. It was torture, but we had to sit through it. Thirty years of failure and stagnation had created a system that had one primary goal, preserving the bureaucracy. Everyone at every level had given up. No one spoke about or confronted reality. No one. The hole was, and still is, unimaginably deep. Consider this.
The 2024-2025 New York State test results show the state average passing percentages. The state averages are in the 50-60% range. Rochester City scores are in the 10-15% range. This fact alone is alarming, but one in particular, better proves my point. 1,543 students in grade 8 took the math exam. Out of all of them, only 1 student got a score of “4” which is essentially like an “A”. Think about this. 1 out of 1,543. That is beyond pitiful. That is negligent.
Educational leaders and those in power talk about housing, jobs, taxes and other things that affect Rochester families, but can anything be more harmful to a community than lost hope? Public schools are the foundation of a community. If they have crumbled but those who rely on them have no other choice but to attend them, eventually the families accept them, no matter how dreadful they are. Unforgivable.
John Bliss
The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to comment on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].
“Abandon all Hope ” (Les Portals de l’enfer- August Rodin). It is difficult to imagine that this level of incompetence does not involve some level of criminality afoot since this tragic education failure cost $1.15B. That is a “B” as in billion.
So where and what is the hopeful remedy?
Thank you for making the effort to teach our next generations. Given the onerous school tax levy on property owners, it’s obviously frustrating that we are not getting better results out of our students. The 1 out of 1543 stat is particularly troublesome. We increasingly live in a technology driven world when boiled down, runs on mathematics. This will even be more evident with the dawn of AI. I don’t know what these kids will do for a career if they can’t master basic skills? (not to mention a career that will enable them to pay NYS level taxes). As you pointed out, the system doesn’t seem to be headed for improvement. They’ve basically done away with the Regents (standardized testing along with NY’s once great university system was a standard for the country) . Looking at it from the outside it appears they’ve eliminated it simply because the kids found it too hard? This can’t go on, taxpayers won’t tolerate paying more school taxes for less results for the duration. Couple that with the population flight from NYS in general, the school system is simply going to run out of money and students eventually. There are already news stories (if you look for them) of open discussion by school officials seeing this coming, discussing the option of consolidating school districts. The taxpayer isn’t going to carry costs for empty buildings, poor grades, EV school busses etc. The prognosis is not good.
Thank you John for sharing what you see from the inside. And what you see unfortunately has been shining through for decades. The education system is broken – known to the entire Monroe County community. The strangle hold by Adam Urbanski continues to cripple our students and their families. And with the continued help of Harry Bronson and Sarah Clark at the State level- Rochester education cannot improve! Just a fact! Look at what they have done as education committee members- just horrible lack of support for our students! (Why – they depend on Adam getting votes for them to stay in their jobs! As THEY do nothing to improve learning levels.
BUT 10,000 of these City Students have hope!!! Because they are in Charter Schools which are providing Hope! And the quality of education is higher- not at a great level but a HOPEFUL level!
Send a message on November 3 – VOTE for candidates that have a commitment to dramatically improve performance levels in ELA and Math for the students and their families. Harry Bronson and Sarah Clark are not those candidates.