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Regarding the Rochester Board of Education, young Isaiah Santiago made history via the recent Democratic Party Primary Election. At age 19, he is the youngest person ever elected to the Board. While fresh political "blood,"( as the saying goes) is certainly needed and welcomed, and congratulations are absolutely in order; at the same time, the question is being raised—and I think rightly so—is the overall outcome of the Election a clear signal that we can expect more of the same, entrenched, status-quo politics, and overall, longstanding, miserable conditions? It's interesting that it was exactly two decades ago that the man who is currently Rochester's Mayor, also made history, when he was elected via the 2003 Democratic Primary Election at age 23, as the youngest person (at that time) to sit on the Rochester Board of Education. And though he boasted about his accomplishment as a Board member when he left the Board in 2017 to join Rochester City Council (see his 11/8/17 press release at a link below), the objective truth of the matter is that in 2017, 13 years after he was elected to the Board of Education—five of those years in which he was President of the Board—overall conditions in the Rochester City School District (RCSD) were worse than ever, and still are. It is vitally important for us to remain keenly cognizant of the fact that one Board member alone (regardless of age, aspirations, hopes, dreams, etc...) can’t produce widespread, significant, measurable, permanent change and/or improvement. And it's also vitally important to understand that young Mr. Santiago has to work with 5 other folks who have sat on the Board for years, and in spite of their efforts, have not been able to produce widespread, significant, measurable, permanent change and/or improvement, which actually brings us to another critically important point. Why is there no discussion, no congratulations regarding the other new "blood," Primary winner who will gain a seat on the Board after the November General Election? Are the political pundits and congratulatory forces schizophrenic? After all, Ms. Jacquelyn Griffins' defeat of entrenched incumbent Ricardo Adams, especially with this being her first run for political office, and unlike Mr Santiago and Mr. Adams (without the backing of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), and their local affiliate, Rochester Teachers association (RTA), was no small task. So, again I ask, why is "our" community not congratulating and celebrating her victory? Politically speaking, is the community indeed schizophrenic, or are there other political dynamics at play? Hopefully, the community, especially and particularly the sector that is most directly, and most devastatingly impacted, is paying very close attention. There’s a longstanding, crystal-clear, political pattern here in Rochester, by which school board candidates are elected via minuscule percentages of eligible voters, which was true in the most recent Primary Election, like nearly every other Primary—for decades. Also, those who are backed by NYSUT and their local affiliate RTA, are most frequently winners, which of course almost always translates into Commissioners' loyalty relative to carrying out union-friendly agendas (the latter of which are often diametrically opposed to the objective best interests of the vast majority of RCSD children and families), especially those who are socioeconomically poor, mainly unorganized, and Black—which happens to be the demographic that composes the overwhelming majority of RCSD students and families. Those candidates in this particular case are Beatriz LeBron; Amy Maloy, (Brighton Teachers Association), and Isaiah Santiago (see NYSUT's advertisement at a link below). In the final analysis, regardless of who is elected to the Rochester Board of Education, if there is no serious, well-organized, community-based entity (and currently there is none) that holds Commissioners accountable, then it's not likely that there will ever be widespread, significant, measurable, permanent change and/or improvement in the RCSD. Period! References: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/local/communities/time-to-educate/stories/2018/06/06/worst-public-schools-america-rochester-ny-rcsd-kodak-park-school-41/550929002/ https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2018/09/27/rcsd-rochester-schools-testing-new-york https://www.rcsdk12.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=66064&dataid=61281&FileName=110817%20Press%20Release%20re%20Evans%20Resignation.pdf https://www.whec.com/top-news/recent-rcsd-graduate-elected-in-primary-for-one-of-four-spots-for-school-board/ https://www.nysut.org/news/2023/june/primary-victories https://www.whec.com/top-news/voters-head-to-polls-to-cast-ballots-in-rochester-area-primaries/

In accordance with the article at the first reference link below - can someone please explain why in-the-heck would the New York State Education Department pay someone "$180 an hour, up to $150,000 a year to assist [literally the highest paid Board of Education in all of New York State, and one of the highest paid Superintendents in the State] in addressing fiscal and operational challenges," especially since the Board includes a Commissioner who claims to be such an outstanding budgetary expert and watch dog--- not to mention the RCSD six-figure-salaried  Executive Director of Budget and their multi million-dollar Office of Budget and Revenue? Damn!!! Shouldn't somebody be let go??? NO OTHER BUSINESS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WOULD OPERATE IN THIS MANNER, AT LEAST NOT ONE THAT'S SUCCESSFUL!!! What is it (exactly and specifically) that this new guy is going to do that Jaime Aquino, Jaime Alicea, and Shelley Jallow didn't do??? The truth of the matter is, after D. Aquino's 2018 Report, the ONLY thing that was needed was IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE EXCELLENT REPORT --- PERIOD. However, since there was so much push-back and resistance from the dysfunctional Rochester Board of Education, and  especially from the mighty Rochester Teachers Association, the Recommendations were never taken seriously by then State Education Department Commissioner Elia, Chancellor Betty Rosa, nor New York Regents in general. As usual, you all prostrated to the organization that's known as the most powerful education lobbying group in all of New York State (NYSUT, and its local affiliate RTA). What in the world is the Board of Regents Chancellor  talking about??? "The Rochester City School District must achieve continued fiscal and academic progress to ensure the students of Rochester receive the high-quality education they deserve," OR WHAT??? How long have we been hearing this empty, super-hyper-rhetoric??? Do y'all remember this: "Change is coming to the city school district, one way or another" ??? In fact, what does the Chancellor's quote above even mean??? What exactly and specifically does he mean by: "The Rochester City School District must achieve continued academic progress???" Is he referring to minuscule so-called gains such as the fact that (according to the same New York State Education Department that's shelling out public funds in ways that look exactly like double-dipping) ---16% of the 89% of RCSD students who were tested in grades three through eight, were so-called "proficient" in ELA, and 14% were "proficient" in math during the 2022-23 school year --- compared to 13% and 12% respectively during the 2021-22 school year. This means that over the one year time period, literally, only a few students did better than the previous year ---  while the vast majority (in many cases) were nowhere near so-called "proficient" either year. Is this supposedly an example of what the Chancellor means by so-called "continued academic progress to ensure the students of Rochester receive the high-quality education they deserve???" I hope-the-hell-not. So then, if this is NOT an example of what he's talking about - then what (exactly) is the specific manner by which he's measuring so-called "continued academic progress???" This is NOT a rhetorical question. We need the answer. It's just amazing how taxpayers allow this type of subterfuge to go on and on, and on, without raising even an iota of hell. Apparently the bottom line is as long as folks are pretending to produce change and improvement, and there are no uprisings , this is all acceptable, even though many swear it's not. It is. References: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/2024/01/02/mark-potter-named-rcsd-fiscal-consultant-in-rochester-ny/72086717007/ https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/andreatta/2018/11/23/rochester-ny-school-board-members-highest-paid-state/2092355002/ https://www.roccitymag.com/news-opinion/rochester-school-board-members-consider-cutting-their-own-salaries-12616260 https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2021/02/03/rochester-ny-school-board-members-decline-pay-cut/4365875001/ https://www.k12dive.com/news/pay-for-rochester-ny-school-board-raises-questions/331067/ https://www.rcsdk12.org/Page/973 https://m.roccitymag.com/news-opinion/change-is-coming-to-the-city-school-district-one-way-or-another-9309360 https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/education/new-york-state-school-test-results-released-for-the-2022-23-year/ https://data.nysed.gov/essa.php?instid=800000050065&year=2022&createreport=1&38ELA=1&38MATH=1&48SCI=1®ents=1&cohort=1&nyseslat=1&nysaa=1&naep=1 https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/main/rochester-de-report-11-14-18.pdf https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/11/15/rochester-schools-board-responds-aquino-distinguished-educator/2011240002/ https://www.roccitymag.com/news-opinion/student-readiness-has-been-overlooked-says-rta-president-adam-urbanski-9492064

Commissioners to ensure that happens, or at the least that everyone within the organization is giving 100% toward

comfortable meeting with them alone and the school would not agree to have her bring community activists Howard Eagle and Minister Clifford Florence to the meeting. Eagle and Florence are part of the Faith Community Alliance, a community advocacy group and a coalition

Education, was developed under the auspices and guidance of the Racial Equity Advocacy Leadership (REAL None of them have fully embraced the REAL team’s Racial Equity Action Plan and/or tireless implementation there is potential evidence that the Peluso Administration intends to weaken, if not dismantle the REAL Additionally, REAL team-led, anti-racist work that was happening with teachers and other RCSD employees ~ Howard Eagle is a longtime educator and local anti-racism advocate, known for his campaigns for the

On 8/17/23, the Rochester Board of Education held a "retreat" (see the first link below), which they said represents the beginning of a process to develop a set of "smart goals" for the Rochester City School District (RCSD). It was good to hear the Board President say they "will be communicating to the community about these goals to ensure that there's more input from the community, [and people should] feel free to reach out to the Board staff in terms of any questions or any input you may have." With regard to numerous statements made during the session, some very important questions and ideas comes to mind. My first question is why is the Board talking (again) about developing a NEW District Strategic Plan? Former Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small had developed one, just before she left the District, a little less than one year ago (as had most, if not all of the scores of predecessor-Superintendents, prior to Myers-Small). So why is it that every time a new RCSD Superintendent is hired, a NEW Strategic Plan is required? Is the reality such that Superintendents and their scores of "chiefs, assistant chiefs," and other well-paid executives are NOT capable of developing a Strategic Plan that's so fundamentally-sound (though it may require minor tweaking) that it will stand as a legitimate, overall directional 'road map' (no matter who the Superintendent is)? For the sake of stability and consistency, shouldn't this be the case, especially since the RCSD has had a tendency for decades to switch Superintendents every 2 or 3 years, and sometimes less? Secondly, when the Board was answering a question regarding their beliefs about the RCSD "strengths and challenges" one Commissioner mentioned that "the majority of the Board is focused on student outcomes vs. adult outcomes. Does this mean that there is a minority among Board members who are not "focused on student outcomes vs. adult outcomes?" If so, shouldn't that be a matter of public information? And if not, then what is the rationale regarding the latter quote? This is NOT a rhetorical question. On the contrary, it is a very important one. With regard to "challenges" that the RCSD faces, two Commissioners in particular, emphasized points regarding an issue that many in our community are convinced is one of the most pressing and vitally important issues that the RCSD faces. That is, the ongoing, historic existence, and continued devastating impact and manifestations of individual, institutional and structural racism. The same Commissioner quoted above stated that "one [challenge] is lack of Black and brown teachers, and not only just Black and brown teachers, but teachers who understand the community, who are willing to disrupt, based on the students of color that they see—because they have experience within the community, to be able to speak truth to these systems, and be able to help disrupt them for the benefit of our community." The latter quote represents a very important statement. However, at the same time, it is extremely abstract and nebulous. It's one thing to say that teachers (and I would add administrators, support staff, parents and others) need to "speak truth to and disrupt systems," but what (exactly and specifically) does that mean? What (exactly and specifically) is it that needs to be "disrupted?" And who (exactly and specifically) is it that needs to be "spoken to," and spoken to about what (exactly and specifically)? Systems are made up of rules, regulations, policies, practices, procedures, laws, and most importantly, people—the latter of whom oversee and/or carry out the rules, regulations, policies, practices, procedures, and laws that guide and govern systems. As it relates to "speaking truth [and] challenging, and disrupting systems", the people who establish, oversee and carry out or implement the rules, regulations, policies, practices, procedures, and laws that guide and governs systems are the ONLY ones who can be challenged, disrupted, and/or spoken to. Thus, unless and until we figure out, and clearly articulate what it is that needs to be challenged and/or disrupted, and who it is that needs to be spoken to, we're merely dealing in abstract, philosophical, theoretical jargon. Also (very importantly), if many or most teachers, and again, I would add administrators and some support staff, don't really "understand the community, [and] are [not] willing [and/or able] to disrupt, based on the students of color that they see because they [don't] have experience within the community—which seems to be the crystal-clear implication—then they can/should be taught how to "challenge [and] disrupt." This should become a necessary, routine part of school culture. A second Board Commissioner made a very strong, completely accurate, crystal-clear statement at about the 1:23:32 mark of the video (first link below), in which (while discussing "low expectations"), she pointed out that "when we historically produce these [super-low] numbers [relative to ELA Math, Science, and Social Studies scores] year after year there is a district culture of low expectations, and that is not prescriptive to the teachers necessarily, but there's low expectations because there's no district that I can think of [within the predominantly, lily-white suburbs of Monroe County or beyond] that would allow students (year after year, after year; decade, after decade) to produce these type of outcomes, and there not be an outcry. So, low expectations, and I say it with my chest unapologetically." She also noted that " the graduation rates are rising, but college access or taking advantage of even skilled trades are still things that our students are not necessarily persisting with. So, how well prepared are they? And I know some of these things are very national, and you see them in other spaces, but when you look at our ranking in comparison to even folks that are dealing with the same issues that we are, we're still very much either the top three [lowest], or the last one on the list, depending on what list you're looking at, and so there's a disparity in Rochester that we have to really, you know, acknowledge." These are vitally important points, which allude to, or directly calls out individual, institutional, and structural racism not only as it exists within the "culture of [acceptable] low expectations" within the RCSD, but also within ALL predominantly Black, urban, public school districts in New York State, especially and particularly the so-called "big-five" (New York City, Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse). Even more importantly, the racialized urban (predominantly Black) / suburban (predominantly white); massive failure / massive success-dichotomous-pattern that exists throughout Monroe County and New York State, also exists throughout the white-supremacist-based U.S. nation-state, which is one reason why we know that it is NOT just one, great big coincident, but instead, is due to the historical and ongoing racist nature and essence of the U.S. public education system, which in my humble, but staunch and informed view, calls for a long-overdue, post World War II Marshall Plan-type design regarding the long-standing, deepening, urban education crisis (an urban education "Recovery Act" so to speak), designed to address conditions that have resulted from intentional, historic, disparities, discrimination, deprivation, and all sorts of systemic inequities, which have NEVER been adequately and/or thoroughly addressed. References: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=170580572720902 https://www.minorityreporter.net/post/the-tripartite-beast-and-illness-of-individual-institutional-and-structural-racism https://medium.com/@howardjeagle/racism-still-going-unaddressed-in-the-rochester-city-school-district https://medium.com/@howardjeagle/an-open-fyi-to-rochester-city-school-district-rcsd-superintendent-carmine-peluso-regarding-the-cd https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/local/communities/time-to-educate/stories/2018/06/06/worst-public-schools-america-rochester-ny-rcsd-kodak-park-school https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2018/09/27/rcsd-rochester-schools-testing-new-york https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/greenrochester/pages/1/attachments/original/1614048303/REAL_Racial_Equity_Action_Plan_11-25-19-compiled.pdf

critical, urban, public education issue, is the voice of the guy who some refer to as the “czar,” or the “real ~Howard Eagle References: https://www.wxxinews.org/post/connections-rta-president-adam-urbanski-school-reopening-plans https://rochesterbeacon.com/2018/11/01/is-he-the-real-rcsd-superintendent/ https://www.theguardian.com

is in “Monroe County” — those of us who are members of the RCSD’s Racial Equity Advocacy Leadership (REAL not explained why she (the only Superintendent in Monroe County who “leads” a Racial Equity Advocacy, REAL Action Plan, which she has NOT embraced — apparently didn’t think that it was appropriate to involve her REAL She has stated that she will explain during the REAL team’s next meeting with her on January 25, 2021 moduleinstanceid=68962&dataid=65522&FileName=01.24.19.pdf file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/REAL%20Racial

Teachers Association—mister Adam Urbanski, who some refer to as the RCSD czar, and others maintain is the "real If not, why does the RCSD have a Racial Equity Advocacy Leadership (REAL) team, and why has Urbanski ~ Howard Eagle is a longtime educator and local anti-racism advocate, known for his campaigns for the Eagle taught social studies in the RCSD for 23 years, before retiring in 2010, and taught as an adjunct References: https://rochesterbeacon.com/2018/11/01/is-he-the-real-rcsd-superintendent/ https://www.youtube.com

literally by the hundreds and thousands, and millions across the nation) who are feeding the very real

. — Howard Eagle is a longtime educator and local anti-racism advocate, known for his campaigns for the Eagle taught social studies in the RCSD for 23 years, before retiring in 2010, and is now an adjunct

The real victory should go to the best candidate!