Rochester Beacon (https://rochesterbeacon.com/category/education/)
The X-Cats, the robotics team of Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, has touched the lives of hundreds of Wilson High students. For some, it clarifies career goals and paves the way to prestigious jobs. For others, it makes the difference between graduating from high school or dropping out.
The “digital divide” is not defined solely by geography. Income matters too. State-of-the-art infrastructure will not bring broadband access to those who cannot afford it.
The newly revamped MBA curriculum at the UR graduate business school has received Program of the Year honors for offering a science, technology, engineering and math designation in every area of specialization.
East High School has seen a sharp reduction in suspensions. Still, a racial divide exists within the Rochester City School District which suspends minority students at significantly higher rates than statewide averages.
International students enrolled at UR, RIT and other local schools boost these institutions and the local economy. But changes in immigration policies could prompt foreign students to study in other countries or return to their native lands.
The Rochester City School District has less than two months to formally respond to Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino’s call for change. If there is no meeting of minds, the district could face a state takeover or cede control to the mayor.
Nine Rochester schools in receivership have met targets set by the state Department of Education, showing signs of improvement. In the receivership program, management of schools whose students have failed to meet minimum standards set by the state is put under control of a specially appointed receiver.
In the latest statewide public school test results, New York’s charter schools once again outperformed their local school districts as well as the state as a whole. To those who oppose the charter school movement, here’s simple question: “What is your proposed solution to the urban education crisis?”
Darrell Huff’s “How to Lie with Statistics” was an instant classic following its publication in 1954. Do widely quoted figures on K-12 education tell the whole story?
This year marks a half-century since RIT relocated from downtown to Henrietta. What began as a move born of necessity paved the way to realize a more modern, progressive vision for the institute.
If there is a single barrier to district improvement, it is the diffusion of power. Well-intentioned empowerment of students, parents and teachers leaves little power for school leaders.
