Mayoral control legislation in Rochester should give parents effective access
As Mayor Robert Duffy works with state legislators and the governor’s staff crafting legislation on mayoral control of city schools, he must make sure it contains a strong component of interaction with parents.
Lawmakers should pay attention to the experiences in other cities, such as New York City and Detroit. As Democrat and Chronicle reporter Nestor Ramos documents today in a story about mayoral control in Washington, D.C., some parents feel shut out and say there are few ways to influence the direction of reforms. There’s no reason for that to happen here, should mayoral control be made law. Some Rochester citizens have already voiced reasonable concerns about losing the opportunity to give input at school board meetings; others complain about losing their right to vote in board members.
Duffy often cites New York City as a model that he’s following. When the Legislature extended mayoral control for that city last summer, it put in writing specific steps to address parental concerns.
Mandates include holding public hearings on a variety of topics, such as proposed school closures and reconfigurations, and setting up advisory councils made up mostly of parents for the topics of special education, English language learners and high schools.
More parental involvement will pay off in the long run, too. As guest essayist Brian Kane notes on today’s Speaking Out page, there are numerous examples of cities where partnerships with school districts, parents and organizations accomplished a variety of goals.
The Rochester School District’s strategic plan already calls for ways to improve interaction with parents.
There’s still so much unknown about what mayoral control would look like. Duffy would be wise to put strong parental engagement at the top of his objectives.
