Lesli C. Myers-Small, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools
Rochester City School District
131 West Broad Street
Rochester, New York 14614
www.rcsdk12.org

TO: RCSD Union Presidents

FROM: Lesli C. Myers-Small, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

DATE: October 31, 2021

RE: Response to October 30, 2021 Communication

I am in receipt of your most recent communication and share the concerns you have regarding safety and security.
My team and I have been actively working to address the issues raised in your previous communication.
I would like to reiterate that the RCSD is committed to promoting practices that create safe and high-quality
learning environments. We acknowledge that our school communities are navigating a variety of issues around
staffing, student conduct, and the impact of the pandemic. We also know that we have an increasing amount of
students who are not adhering to our outlined expectations which are contributing to an already challenging time
on our campuses.

In response to your request for me to issue an immediate blanket directive that violates educational law, student
privacy rights, and our District’s policies is not an option that I will exercise. Currently, any student that engages in
“violent” behavior is placed on short or long-term suspension as guided by the District’s Code of Conduct. Impacted
secondary students that are placed on long-term suspension are assigned to alternative instruction for the duration
of the assigned penalty after the hearing. This program is currently designed as an in-person delivery model. Based
on what we know from the impact of COVID, in-person learning provides the best learning experience for our
students. Therefore, we are exploring all options that prioritize in-person instruction and will only consider remote
learning options after exhausting all other solutions.

In the immediate, we have initiated a support plan for Franklin Upper School which includes:
 Staffing supports (School Safety Officers and the Mobile Safety Unit)
 School-specific needs to be addressed during Superintendent Conference Day including work sessions that
will take place during the week
 Principal Smith will meet with his staff on Monday to gather feedback and share next steps
 Members of our support team (Trauma, Illness and Grief and ROCRestorative) will be available to address
additional needs as they arise

Additionally, Districtwide strategies that have already been put in place include:
 Implementation of new arrival and dismissal protocols, including additional security
 Allocation of resources for additional security equipment and system upgrades
 Deployment of central office staff to support staffing shortages as well as assist during arrival and dismissal
 Increased presence of social emotional support staff at high needs schools

A comprehensive outline of actions to date and next steps will be communicated in writing by Wednesday,
November 3, 2021.

c: Board of Education Commissioners

Dr. Shelley Jallow, State Appointed Monitor
Dr. Genelle Morris, Deputy Superintendent, Teaching and Learning
Ms. Melody Martinez-Davis, Deputy Superintendent, Support Services
Superintendent’s Cabinet Memo #2122-04