Engaging our community
The Rochester Education Fellowship is in the process of engaging stakeholders—students, families, educators, and community members—to better understand concerns and priorities related to our educational landscape. We are working to gather community input via stakeholder interactions and surveys to co-create a bold and innovative vision for education in Rochester. The REF Community Survey aims to understand challenges, barriers, and viable pathways to a high-quality education.
Here’s what some of our stakeholders had to say:
Student: “Without opportunities to succeed, there's a lot of space for us to fail.”
Parent: "When we think about schools we have to think beyond the walls of the buildings, we have to address the needs of our community."
Parent: “Parent voices should be at the table when conversations and decisions are being made on behalf of the children in our community.”
Community-based Organization Leader: “We must begin to row in the same direction.”
Educator: “Our priorities and goals must be accompanied by sustainable efforts and standards of accountability.”
Responding to the needs and harnessing the strength of our community, we hope to create a movement of stakeholders who are engaged, empowered, and mobilized to advocate for high-quality education options and highly effective educators. Working together we will create a shared vision to improve educational outcomes for Rochester’s children.
Shanai Lee, MBA, Ed.D.
Rochester Education Fellow
I want to hear from you! Please contact me to learn about upcoming engagement opportunities!
It's time to choose!
National School Choice Week (Jan. 23-29) is upon us. This period gives us the opportunity to showcase educational options available in our community. Designed to increase access to educational opportunities for all children, school choice offers families a chance to explore a variety of options including traditional district schools, independently-run public charter schools, and the inter-district choice program.
Our community is rich in public school options for our children. Here are some links to free, public education systems and programs in Rochester. Please visit these resources to learn about your school choices. Complete your applications early!
In the news
This week, the Rochester Beacon published an article authored by Shanai Lee, Rochester Education Fellow, outlining the opportunity to listen, to heal, and to build a better future for all of Rochester’s children—together.
Shanai Lee MBA, EdD
Rochester Education Fellow
