Articles about RCSD

Bill Cala was the interim superintendent of the RCSD. He wrote a list of priorities based on his own observations and experience in public education. Here are a couple of sections that I think are very relevant, though I recommend you read the whole article if you get a chance. The first is about partnerships and the second is about mentoring programs. In that second section, he talks about peer mentoring, which I really believe is important. I bolded and made red a few parts, but it's all good stuff I think.

I think his comments are important as we consider:
-What age group we want to target
-The structure of our program (i.e. tutoring, mentoring, combination...)
-What issues that the students are facing that they will bring with them to the center
and how we can assist them.

Partnerships, School Adoptions and Volunteering

While there are myriad partnerships, school adoptions and volunteers, RCSD needs much, much more in order to ensure the success of our children. Furthermore, the definition of partnerships, adoptions and volunteerism has a different meaning from school-to-school and are completely unregulated. There has been very poor support of the aforementioned from the highest levels of administration. There must be strong support from the superintendent and the board for these initiatives. Our business community is ready to partner. Our faith community has committed to adopt every school in the district. Our community at large is knocking at the door to mentor our youth. All of the above groups have expressed a serious frustration with RCSD. They do not feel wanted. In many cases, they simply cannot get in the door. Volunteers have repeatedly stated that RCSD does not know how to use volunteers. This reluctance to involve the community has created a lack of confidence in RCSD and a sense that the school district does not really care about children.

In a recent conversation with the president of MCC, I was told of a host of partnership opportunities that were squandered by RCSD. In another meeting with Brockport State College we were informed of Tuition-Free Training offered to RCSD students in Academic preparation, Certified Nurse Assistants, Child Development Associate and Renewal, Civil Service Exam Preparation, Commercial Driver License, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, English for Speakers of Other Languages, GED preparation, Licensed Practical Nurse, Medical Secretary, Nail Technician, Office and Administrative Support, SAT preparation and Surgical Technician. These offerings are from SUNY Brockport's Rochester Educational Opportunity Center. Unfortunately, very few referrals of our students into this program have been made.

Recommendations

The establishment of the position of director of Parent and Community Involvement/Partnerships will be necessary to address the above issues. The short and long-term plans of the district must include Partnerships, Adoptions and Volunteering as critical components for student success in addition to academic and structural reform. Commitments made with the community from May to December of 2007 must be maintained and nurtured. The Faith Community Alliance has committed 52 parishes to adopt all 61 schools. This must not be ignored. There has been significant commitment from the Educational Leadership Council (consisting of Who's Who of business, industry, community and higher education of Rochester) to the RCSD. All levels of education are being supported by the ELC, from Pre-K to grade 12. In the last year we have engaged our local colleges and universities through Today's Students and Tomorrow's Teachers. This program, brought to the district in September prepares minority students to become teachers during the high school years and provides college scholarships. It must be expanded every year. This is a major initiative that will help produce critically needed minority teachers.

Rochester's Promise was announced in December and provides $100,000 to RCSD student accepted to the University of Rochester. Nazareth and Roberts Wesleyan provide tutors as well as other support. These are just a few programs of many that must be continued, nurtured and expanded. It should be a priority to engage the 19 area colleges in a commitment to emulate the University of Rochester's "Rochester's Promise."

I met with Monroe Community College President December 13, 2007. At that time he announced the desire for the MCC Foundation to fund scholarships to MCC for all RCSD graduates. I recently provided him RCSD student scholarship selection criteria. It is imperative that RCSD follow through on this initiative to offer substantial hope to our students.

Judy Fonzi from the U of R has been a wonderful resource to help coordinate and define partnerships, adoptions and volunteerism. We have begun meetings with her and they must continue. Another expert source on volunteerism is Isobel Goldman of Jewish Family Services.

Programs that offer free tuition to our students such as the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center must be embraced. Partnerships with MCC and its vast resources through Workforce Development Funds must be accessed, not ignored.

Mentoring

One of the major recommendations of the report on the condition of the RCSD chaired by Al Simone was the need for 10,000 mentors. Prior to 2007, there had been no progress in this area. We do not need the Simone report to know the importance of mentors and intergenerational activities. Minimally, our at-risk youth need mentors. This is a high priority. Generation 2 is an intergenerational program with 1^st graders that is in 3 of our elementary schools (2 added this year). It is not enough! Interviews with students have told us that they are crying out for caring adults to serve as role models and mentors. Conversations with secondary teachers lead us to the same conclusions. Seventh grade students make up the majority of secondary schools' 1,804 long-term suspensions. This quote from a highly-respected African-American male RCSD teacher and role model hits the point; "If we can't nip 7^th grade behavior in the bud, what in the world are we going to do when they are in 9^th grade? All we can do in high school (grades 9-12) is bandage them rather than treat them."

Recommendations

This year we created The Family Wisdom Initiative at Freddie Thomas. This program (led by a community family psychologist Dr. Bruce Goldberg and community member Midge Thomas) engages 40 adults in a family mentoring program. This program will be evaluated and should be replicated in our other schools. Additionally, we have had conversations with Educational Data Systems (EDS) to begin a district-wide mentoring program for 7^th graders. This program is in its nascent stages. Every "at risk" 7^th grader will be given a mentor BEFORE long-term suspension becomes a necessity. This program must be established if we expect to make a difference in the lives of secondary students and if we expect to increase the graduation rate. Henry Bleier of EDS has been part of a mentoring program for the past 12 years at Monroe High School. He has committed to work with RCSD to develop this program. Psychologists Bruce Gilberg and Patty Yarmel have worked with me in the foundation of the development of the 7^th grade mentoring initiative. On December 18, 2007 we discussed the direction the program will need to take in order to provide the necessary help for our adolescents.

We are hopeful that another participant will be included in these initial mentoring planning discussions in the person of Hussain Ahmed. I commissioned Hussain to begin the Rites of Passage initiative at John Marshall. Rites of Passage works exclusively with the 7^th graders at John Marshall. It is an incentive program that stimulates hope and desire for students to go beyond high school and on to further educational opportunities. In this program, every 7^th grader has a mentor. The success of this program will be measured longitudinally. Combined with efforts such as the Family Wisdom Initiative and the planned Mentors for All 7^th Graders effort, we will make a difference in student behaviors and subsequently student achievement.

When examining Rites of Passage, the district should also look into a peer mentoring component for seventh graders. Seventh graders need mentoring and role-modeling from older high school and college students. Peer mentoring programs such as College for Every Student by Met Life should be given careful consideration.