Community Organizes Protest, Study Sessions, around the State of our Schools

<p><img src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/1/1_education-not-for-sale.png" align="right" alt="" />Last week was quite busy for community members looking to change the direction of the Rochester City School District. Before Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard gave his "State of the Schools" address, <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display/26778/index.php">between 400 and 600 teachers protested outside of the School of the Arts</a>. The protest, organized by the Rochester Teachers Association, focused on many issues, but the thread that tied them all together was that teachers see Brizard as running the schools with a heavy-handed, top-down approach, rather than reaching out to teachers and listening to their expertise. </p > <p> Earlier, the <a href="http://communityeducationtaskforce.rocus.org/">Community Education Task Force</a> organized a study session at the Phylis Wheatley public library titled, <a href="http://blip.tv/file/4674508">"What IS the plan for our schools?" (video reportback)</a> The plan was to investigate several initiatives in the RSCD and think about what they really mean for students, teachers, and the larger community. The night was a way for the CETF to take matters into their own hands regarding the lack of communication from Brizard and his administration — if we aren't going to be told the plan for the schools, then we need to figure it out. We highly recommend watching the video if you want a quick synopsis on where Rochester city schools could be headed.</p > <ul> <li><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display/26778/index.php">Hundreds Picket "State of the Schools" Speach</li > <li><a href="http://blip.tv/file/4674508">Study Session: What IS the Plan For Our Schools? (video)</a></li > </ul >

<p><img src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/1/1_education-not-for-sale.png" align="right" alt="" />Last week was quite busy for community members looking to change the direction of the Rochester City School District. Before Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard gave his "State of the Schools" address, <a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display/26778/index.php">between 400 and 600 teachers protested outside of the School of the Arts</a>. The protest, organized by the Rochester Teachers Association, focused on many issues, but the thread that tied them all together was that teachers see Brizard as running the schools with a heavy-handed, top-down approach, rather than reaching out to teachers and listening to their expertise. </p> <p> Earlier, the <a href="http://communityeducationtaskforce.rocus.org/">Community Education Task Force</a> organized a study session at the Phylis Wheatley public library titled, <a href="http://blip.tv/file/4674508">"What IS the plan for our schools?" (video reportback)</a> The plan was to investigate several initiatives in the RSCD and think about what they really mean for students, teachers, and the larger community. The night was a way for the CETF to take matters into their own hands regarding the lack of communication from Brizard and his administration — if we aren't going to be told the plan for the schools, then we need to figure it out. We highly recommend watching the video if you want a quick synopsis on where Rochester city schools could be headed.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display/26778/index.php">Hundreds Picket "State of the Schools" Speach</a></li> <li><a href="http://blip.tv/file/4674508">Study Session: What IS the Plan For Our Schools? (video)</a></li> </ul>