Local Citizens Unite to Form Education Advocacy Group

A group of local parents and teachers will be holding a press conference on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 to announce the formation of a new education advocacy group called Rochester's Citizens United for Real Education (Rochester's-CURE).

(Rochester)  A group of local parents and teachers will be holding a press conference on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 to announce the formation of a new education advocacy group called Rochester's Citizens United for Real Education (Rochester's-CURE).  The press conference will be held at the Metro Justice Office, 167 Flanders Street at 3:30pm.

Rochester's-CURE was born out of a necessity to bring together those concerned with the direction the Rochester City School District is going.  "Helping parents empower themselves to advocate for their children, to not be intimidated by the bureaucracy of schools or Central Office is one of our main goals," said Ernest Cooley, one of the founding steering committee members.

Explaining the focus on parents, fellow founder, Rochelle Coley, added, "This is the correct way to put the students first.  We will represent the first step towards the 'cure' for what ails our schools."

Fellow founder, Stephanie Dilbert-Eagle noted, "It is past time that we band together as parents, community members and educators, and demand the right to have meaningful input into educational decisions that seriously impact our children's lives and futures."

The press conference will detail the need for a group such as R-CURE as well as the group's structure, goals and methods.  The other members of the steering committee of Rochester's Citizens United for Real Education are, Howard Eagle, Nancy Cuminale and Dave Atias.