RTA's No-Confidence Threat: Another Attack on RCSD Leadership?
Either WXXI reporter Noelle Evans is confused, or she has overlooked one of the main tactics that Rochester Teachers Association (RTA) President Adam Urbanski has used for decades to pressure Rochester City School District (RCSD) superintendents into meeting union demands, including salary increases.
The RCSD continues to struggle academically, a decades-old reality that disproportionately harms Black and Brown students.
In her Oct. 22 report, Evans claimed that a possible no-confidence vote against Superintendent Eric Rosser would be a rare move, something the district hadn't seen in approximately 15 years.
REALLY??? What about November 2021, when the RTA approved a no-confidence vote concerning the district's school safety plan? Or December 2019, when Urbanski announced that the union was considering a no-confidence vote against district leadership? Similar controversy surrounded former Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard in 2011.
Clearly, this is not unfamiliar territory for Urbanski.
If the historical record is an accurate indicator, Urbanski will pull out all stops to pressure the Rochester Board of Education, including members whose campaigns received teachers union support, to rein in the superintendent and give in to union demands.
That might represent victory for Urbanski and his supporters, but what about RCSD students and families?
More than likely, if history repeats itself, Dr. Rosser could decide to pack up and leave town. Then the superintendent merry-go-round would begin all over again, representing another major setback for Rochester's children.
I don't understand why the district's responses to these attacks seem so mild. I understand the desire to remain civil, professional and diplomatic, but sometimes it's necessary to take the gloves off, especially when children's futures are at stake.
According to Evans' report, a district spokesperson acknowledged that RCSD has had five superintendents in seven years and that similar public campaigns against district leadership have contributed to instability.
That's putting it mildly!
The district's chief of communications, Marisol Lopez, was more direct, urging RTA leadership to negotiate in good faith rather than continue rhetoric that does little to serve teachers and students.
The RTA leadership has repeatedly raised concerns about school safety during disputes with district leadership. Those concerns deserve serious attention, but why do they seem to become especially prominent during contract negotiations?
And why do we hear comparatively little about those concerns once contracts are settled and raises secured?
Did the problems magically disappear, only to reappear when negotiations resumed?
Urbanski reportedly claimed that hundreds of teachers do not feel supported by the district. According to New York State Education Department figures cited by the Rochester Beacon, RCSD employed approximately 2,156 teachers during 2024-25.
So, what about the other teachers?
We have heard from teachers who disagree with Urbanski's tactics and leadership. It is past time for them to understand that their silence can amount to complicity, whether intentional or not.
Unless they speak out publicly, the impression remains that Urbanski represents every teacher in the district.
DEAR CONCERNED COMMUNITY: THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THIS SITUATION REPRESENTS ANOTHER GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE THE LONGSTANDING, RACIALLY INEQUITABLE EDUCATIONAL STATUS QUO WITHIN THE RCSD!
Before officially becoming superintendent in May 2025, Dr. Rosser was asked what he would need to remain in Rochester for five to 10 years. His answer centered on community support.
Surely, he has discovered that some who initially expressed support may not be willing to stand with him when the political pressure intensifies.
However, there are those of us who supported him from the beginning, meant it then, still mean it and are ready, willing and able to stand!
We cannot continue allowing entrenched political interests to undermine educational leadership while our children suffer the consequences.
In 2015, the Democrat and Chronicle called for Adam Urbanski's resignation. Nearly 11 years later, the questions surrounding his leadership and influence remain.
For those of us who are deadly serious about concrete, widespread, measurable and permanent improvement within the RCSD, the time to act is NOW.
Let’s talk. Let’s plan. Let’s execute.
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Howard Eagle is a longtime educator and local anti-racism advocate, known for his campaigns for the Rochester school board and prolific political and social commentary. Eagle taught social studies in the RCSD for 23 years, before retiring in 2010, and was an adjunct professor in the Department of African American Studies at SUNY Brockport for 19 years before retiring in 2020.
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