Students and teachers did not cause the RCSD budget problems, they should not be the ones to pay for it!

The Rochester City School District is a critical institution to the success of our entire community. Major cuts, resulting in massive layoffs mid-year, will only weaken the schools' ability to provide a sound education to all of Rochester's youth. Laying off teachers will inevitably lead to a reduction in programs and larger class sizes and these can only lead to worse outcomes for Rochester's students.

Years of under-funding and mismanagement have led to a crisis in the budget. Neither students nor teachers created any part of this problem. In a city school district that is fighting every day against the powerful effects of concentrated poverty and structural racism we simply cannot afford another round of cuts at the classroom level.

Tell the RCSD Board and Superintendent Terry Dade that they will have to figure out another way forward.