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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

RORE Budget Response and Demands 2021-22

Rochester Organization of Rank and File Educators (RORE) 2021-2022 Budget Response and Demands

Over the past decade and a half Rochester City Schools have been intentionally deprived of funding. This upcoming year, after struggling through a global pandemic, our district has a unique opportunity to start to undo the state's denial of  the Foundation Aid owed to RCSD for 14 years and the City of Rochester’s stagnant RCSD funding for 15 years.

RCSD has the highest categories in Monroe County for economically disadvantaged population (90%), the Students with Disabilities (21.4%), English Language Learners (15%), and transportation costs per student ($2,225),  as well as increasing Charter School tuition costs ($95.8 Million).  

(Children’s Agenda, April 2021) https://thechildrensagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RCSD-Budget-Presentation-4-5-2021.pdf?emci=4e569dab-db96-eb11-85aa-0050f237abef&emdi=ade49ad0-e296-eb11-85aa-0050f237abef&ceid=16113265

The RCSD has been caught in a cycle of underfunding resulting in massive layoffs of staff and downsizing of schools, specialized programs, extracurricular activities, and other opportunities and resources for students.

Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small and State Monitor, Shelly Jallow, have approached the 2021-2022 budget from a deficit standpoint. They are quoting low enrollment, disregarding how the pandemic has played a large factor in Pre-K and K enrollment this past year, as well as the loss of programs and opportunities that may lead families to seek alternative education options for their students. They are quoting a student to teacher ratio of 10:1, while ignoring the number of educators who serve as co-teachers, resource providers, and teachers on special assignment. The specialized programs are required to have smaller class sizes. Educational research tells us that students perform better with smaller class sizes, rather than classes filled to the maximum allowed capacity. They are questioning sustainability, not taking into account the fact that we need to invest in the district in order to see improvement.

With the Federal Stimulus money that is being given to the RCSD this year, as well as the newly guaranteed Foundation Aid from the State, RCSD leadership is in a position to invest these funds. In providing enhanced resources and opportunities for our students. We need to provide our students and families with schools that offer them the desired support, enrichment, and opportunity.

The Superintendent and District need to be transparent about where the Stimulus and Foundation Aid funds are going, and how these funds are going to make positive change in the district. As the budget is developed, focus should also be given, and clarity provided, as to how funding will be equitably divided among all schools in the district, so that all students are receiving the same level of opportunities and resources.

1)      Increased staffing:

  Hire more BENTE support staff and offer a living wage, including custodial staff to maintain a high level of sanitation cleanliness in our buildings as we return more students to schools as there is still pandemic risk, cafeteria staff so that we may provide our students with high quality, healthy breakfast and lunch, and bus drivers as their will be increase in bus routes and extracurricular after school activities.

   Hire more counselors, social workers, and members of the ROC Restorative Team to provide extra Social Emotional support for students as they return to school following the pandemic. This could involve creating permanent or temporary partnerships with community programs, such as the Center for Youth, to help fill this need.

  Hire Intervention teachers to support students in Math and English at all levels across the District.

  Invest in recruiting and retaining racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse staff.

  Hire more art, music, library, and physical education teachers so elementary students can have art for more than a half of the school year.

2)      Extended Day, and Year Round Enrichment Opportunities for Students:

  Provide a “Ramp Up” program leading up to the beginning of the school year, offering the opportunity for students who have remained remote during the 20-21 school year to reacclimate to being in the school building. This program could also offer arts enrichment, resource, time with counselors, and other Social Emotional opportunities.

  Provide and/or invest in summer opportunities for students including arts enrichment, athletics, internships, community building, and supplementary academic enrichment.

  Begin development and implementation to provide year-round arts education in our Elementary Schools.

  Use extended school day time to provide Social Emotional support including free play for young students, opportunities for counselors to meet with small groups, arts enrichment, and restorative/mindfulness practice.

3)      Increased Staff Support:

  Provide increased, paid BOCES level training for paraprofessionals and teachers aides.

  Fully fund, and provide Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias Training for all staff, including District Leadership.

  Invest in the training and implementation of a more culturally responsive curriculum.

  Increase classroom funds so that teachers may provide better support and materials for their students, and standardize funds for all classrooms across the district.

We believe that our students will benefit most if we think intentionally and with urgency while we have the funding, and approach our budget decisions from a standpoint of investment rather than deficit. The above list offers suggestions that may appear bold to some, but they are essential to providing our students with enriching and engagement learning opportunities.  






Saturday, January 30, 2021

Same Storm, Different Boats


RCSD families, students, and staff want to go back to school in person and want to do so safely. Will that be possible this year? Is there a number of educator or student deaths that we are willing to accept in order to have in-person school? Are RCSD, the city, and the state willing to spend the money to make school reopening truly safe? These questions are of particular concern in Rochester, where 87% of students and 40% of staff are Black, Latinx, multi-racial, or Native American.The consequences of racist health care, discriminatory housing, and employment practices are that these students, staff, and their families are at greater risk of contracting and becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.

I. SAME STORM, DIFFERENT BOATS

We’re all in this together is a common slogan during this crisis. What this platitude fails to acknowledge is that, while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. The United States is at an unprecedented moment of overlap between a global pandemic, deep economic recession, and an uprising for Black Lives that exposes the structural race and class fissures that have resulted in higher unemployment, exposure, infection, and death rates in Black and Brown poor communities.

THE COLOR OF COVID-19

Unsurprisingly, the data is increasingly showing that Black and Latinx Rochestarians account for disproportionate COVID-19 cases or deaths. Latinx residents, 20% of the population, have accounted for 45% of COVID-19 cases and Black residents, 39% of the population, have accounted for 43% of the deaths. Black and Latinx communities are more likely to experience economic and social factors that increase risk of illness and death. Below are just some examples:
  • More likely to live in high-density housing (making social distancing difficult), because of decades of residential housing segregation caused by institutional racism. 8.8% of Rochester children were homeless at one point during the 2016-17 school year. 75% of homeless students in Monroe County are in the city of Rochester. 78% of homeless students in Monroe County were living with friends or family, also known as “doubled up”.
  • More likely to live in multi-generational households, increasing the risk of infection of vulnerable older family members. Such living situations also make it more difficult to isolate if an individual gets sick, as space may be limited. In Rochester, 86% of all virus fatalities had underlying health conditions.
  • More likely to live further away from medical centers and to be uninsured, leading to poorer underlying health and barriers to care, increasing the likelihood of severe illness and death from COVID-19. For example, Black, Latinx, and Native American individuals are more likely to have chronic illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease — all of which are linked to higher COVID-19 fatality.
  • When employed, more are likely to be required to work outside the home in “essential” jobs that place them in harm’s way for infection. For example, although Black workers make up only 12% of all employed workers, they make up 36% of all nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides.
  • More likely to have a job without paid sick leave, increasing their exposure to other workers who may be infected, and increasing the likelihood that they themselves will expose others to COVID-19. Latinx workers are less likely to have access to paid leave compared to White workers.
  • More likely to rely on public transportation, increasing the risk of viral exposure.
  • More likely to live in areas with poorer environmental and air quality, increasing the likelihood of preexisting health conditions. Rochester’s children are diagnosed with asthma at a high rate; 20% of RCSD students have been diagnosed with it, compared to less than 8% of school-age children that have asthma nationally.
  • Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for most governmental relief funds, and ineligible to enroll in the Affordable Care Act. More than 5 million U.S.-born children who have undocumented-immigrant parents are likely to suffer extreme poverty. As a result, they are much more likely to be uninsured and thus more likely not to receive the health care they need.
  • Over 4,000 (17%) of RCSD students are English Learners (ELs). While many ELs are native born, they overwhelmingly come from immigrant families. In addition to similar healthcare context as undocumented immigrants, EL’s families face added difficulties in poor translation or no translation in their native language.
  • The rate of COVID-19 cases among Black people in Monroe County is 4 times that of White people
  • The rate of COVID-19 cases among Latinx people is 2.5 times that of White people
  • Black and Latinx people are more than twice as likely than White people to die from COVID-19

The effect on human lives is quantifiable: the disproportionate effect of coronavirus means that at least twice as many Black, Latinx, and Asian Americans died because of structural racism that puts them more at risk compared to White people. Continuing the phased restart of physical schools during the pandemic will inevitably increase the risk of infection and death for all Rochesterarians, but especially for over 25,000 RCSD students and families who fall into a vulnerable category because of race and/or poverty.

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Call to Action: Tax the Rich, Fund Schools

 

60 Minutes of Action: Tax the Rich, Fund Our Schools

With Incoming State Senators John Mannion and Elijah Reichlin-Melnick

Tuesday, December 22

4:00 to 5:00PM


Register in advance for this meeting:

https://bit.ly/3gILsSo


The Democrats have a supermajority in the state legislature. Meet two former educators now heading to the state senate! 


Now is the time for the ultra-wealthy to finally pay their fair share so that we can fully-fund our schools and other needed services. Learn about a new state-wide campaign, the timeline and strategy. We have only three months. We need all hands on deck. Unfortunately, our union is not yet on board.


On this Zoom call, you will be given all the tools you need to understand the economy of New York State, how to contact our union, and how to do social media outreach, and we will get it done in just 60 minutes!


PLEASE SHARE WIDELY WITH OTHER UNION MEMBERS!


Facebook Announcement: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/4134767506539084



Friday, November 13, 2020

Guest Speaker: RCSD United Against Privatization

 

Join the movement to protect public education. 

We will begin with the facts about the RCSD budget, followed by Dr. Shawgi Tell sharing his expertise on the subject of the charter school system, with 30 minutes of Q & A for participants.

 Register at https://bit.ly/3KVKCZJ

Register Now

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Call to Action


 

Join us for a Call to Action
Tuesday, October, 20th from 4 - 4:30pm

First, let's get educated about what our schools are owed.  Then, let's take collective action by calling and emailing our union leaders to demand they fully fund our schools.  Register at: https://bit.ly/3jOjRA8

All are encouraged and welcome to participate.

Waiting on the $5.6 billion owed to NYS students means:

  • Programs eliminated
  • Schools closed
  • Thousands of staff cut
  • Unsafe to reopen with in-person learning
  • Inequitable Funding 

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Statement in Support of RAP & BENTE

 

Saturday, August 15, 2020

The Rochester Organization of Rank-and-file Educators stands in solidarity with our RAP and BENTE union sisters and brothers in the face of the anticipated layoffs following Thursday’s announcement that the RCSD will begin the first ten weeks of school remotely. The district is projecting to cut 113 paraprofessional positions and “a number” of BENTE members. While we fully support the decision to shift to a 100 percent remote learning model for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, it is unconscionable that the RCSD would seek to eliminate these essential positions in the midst of a global pandemic which has already put unprecedented pressure on the members of our community, both personally and professionally. 

As fellow educators, paraprofessionals and non-teaching employees provide invaluable support to students, teachers, and administrators despite the fact that these positions are among the lowest-paying jobs in the RCSD. RAP members have worked alongside teachers to educate students through this pandemic, often with fewer resources and less support themselves. BENTE members were on the front lines from the beginning ensuring our children were fed and that our buildings were disinfected and secure. In the coming weeks, our students, their families, and teachers are going to need more support, not less, as we acclimate to this new model. Instead of outsourcing the work to keep students safe and engaged, the RCSD should rely on its staff that already have relationships with our students and ties to our community, as many RAP and BENTE members are city residents themselves. 

This decision to eliminate these workers is inhumane and ill-conceived. Considering the advancements made in the fight for racial and economic justice by Black Lives Matter, a movement the RCSD claims to support, it is reprehensible that the district seeks to terminate these positions which are made up of predominantly Black and Latinx union members. RORE calls on superintendent Lesli Myers-Small to honor former superintendent Terry Dade’s promise that BENTE union members be paid through the pandemic, recognize the dire need for paraprofessionals, and reverse her decision to lay off these truly essential workers. 

Your fellow workers, 

RORE

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Tell City Council: Money for Families, Not a Police Station

 

On Tuesday, August 18th, Rochester City Council will vote on a proposal to spend $16 million dollars ($12.5 million is construction) on a new police substation on East Main Street.  About seventy-five percent of this money will be borrowed which would cause a $12.6 million debt.

Meanwhile, the Rochester City School District made the correct decision in starting the 2020-21 school year online in order to prevent our children and their families from becoming sick.  But that means our parents need support. 

Therefore we are asking all concerned citizens to contact City Council to tell them to vote against funding this police station and instead to use the money to support families who are now scrambling to make arrangements for their children for the upcoming school year. 

Contact City Council and ask them to do the following:

1.  Vote down funding for this police substation.

2.  Use earmarked money to support families with rent/mortgage assistance, utilities assistance including internet, and food. 

3.  Consider issuing bonds for the same amount of money you were going to for the police station to support families.

4.  Enact a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures within the City of Rochester at least through June 2021.

Some talking points to may want to include are:

*There is an immediate need for support for families struggling to make arrangements for their children.

*Some parents may literally need to be paid to stay home with their kids in order to be able to pay their rent/mortgage, buy food, etc.

*Money spent on the police station could be used to help families get suitable wi-fi in order for their children to participate in online learning.

*Funding a police station while not helping Rochester families in immediate need shows a perspective in which punishment of citizens is more important than supporting them.

Speaking at this Tuesday’s City Council meeting may be too late.  That is why we are suggesting calling or emailing them BEFORE Tuesday.  There is not a lot of time so do this now, or join RORE in a Zoom meeting for help in doing this, followed by all of us taking direct action and making contact with Council members.  This Zoom meeting will take place:

Sunday, August 16th at 4pm.

The link to register for the Zoom meeting is:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIofuirrDwoHtFAnKF4_AN187uEWWi8-svr

The Zoom meeting will be recorded and posted online if you need help but cannot make it.  See our website www.rocore.org after Sunday at 3pm for the video.

But of course you can contact us with questions at rore49united@gmail.com.

City Council Members

Loretta Scott        Loretta.Scott@cityofrochester.gov or 585-482-0407

Malik Evans        Malik.Evans@cityofrochester.gov or 585-428-7538

Mitch Gruber       Mitch.Gruber@cityofrochester.gov or 585-428-7538

Willie Lightfoot    Willie.Lightfoot@cityofrochester.gov or 585-478-4603

Jacklyn Ortiz       Jacklyn.Ortiz@cityofrochester.gov or 585-325-1960

LaShay Harris     LaShay.Harris@cityofrochester.gov  or 585-235-5168

Mary Lupien        Mary.Lupien@cityofrochester.gov or 585-406-4709

Michael Patterson Michael.Patterson@cityofrochester.gov or 585-451-2024

Jose Peo             Jose.Peo@cityofrochester.gov or 585-690-2984