Suspension Policy Protests -- Where do we go now?

Now that the largest teacher-protest in years (since the time of the last Black Rochester City School District Superintendent, Dr. Clifford Janey) —- has come and gone —- what’s next? The problem and issue of how to effectively reach and how to adequately and appropriately educate Rochester’s most challenging students still hangs in the balance.

We believe that it is incumbent upon the Rochester City School District Superintendent, Mr. Jean-Claude Brizard and especially upon president of the protesting-Rochester Teachers Association, Mr. Adam Urbanski, to call for collaborative efforts aimed at generating a permanent (as opposed to quick-fix) solution(s) for this very old, ongoing, critically important issue and problem. Such an effort should begin with a well-publicized, community-wide public event, at which educators, parents, students, and community members in general are invited to bring forth realistic, concrete ideas regarding a potential, viable solution(s).

This should not be an event for rhetorical speeches and grandstanding. Instead, it should be an information-gathering session(s), which should include clear intent of utilizing agreed-upon, best ideas in an ongoing process of actively and consistently moving toward a concrete, realistic, permanent solution(s) —- with all deliberate speed!

(This statement was sent to the both Urbanski and Brizard as well as the corporate news organizations in town)