Statement from New York State Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia

I appreciate the efforts of the Rochester City School District Board of Education in preparing a response to Distinguished Educator Dr. Jaime Aquino’s recommendations. Today, the Department provided the District with detailed feedback on the action items described within the District’s Plan. While some elements within the plan were responsive to the Distinguished Educator’s recommendations; unfortunately, it fails to include an overarching, coherent vision for District improvement and is unrealistic in terms of timelines and capacity to implement meaningful actions effectively. I anticipate the District will work closely in the next several weeks with Dr. Aquino to revise and resubmit its plan. We remain focused on ensuring that the students of the Rochester City School District receive the education they need and deserve.