The Children’s Agenda is deeply concerned that school closures are disproportionately harming our most vulnerable children. We believe schools need to reopen safely as soon as possible, but are concerned the politicization of the issue, and the lack of sufficient resources and clear guidelines for schools, is putting reopening—and children’s wellbeing—in jeopardy.
As the data in this report will demonstrate, the digital divide similarly has disproportionate impact on Rochester’s Hispanic/Latino communities. This report was originally written to inform immediate responses to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. It has been updated to reflect work that has been done to further close the divide. Information has also been added to inform long-term systemic changes to bridge the digital divide in substantial and sustainable ways.
PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION #1:
Eliminate the School Resource Officer contract with the Rochester City School District.
Under the School Resource Officer (SRO) contract, armed Rochester police officers have been present in a number of Rochester schools since 1998. There is increasing concern that this program has accelerated the school-to-prison pipeline in Rochester, as the permanent presence of armed police on school grounds may unintentionally lead to the criminalization of youth for normal adolescent behavior.
Children will be gravely impacted by their parents’ financial struggles and the simultaneous cuts to school budgets and social programs. Children who attend the Rochester City School District (RCSD) are especially vulnerable given the district’s already deep financial problems and the generational effects of poverty and racism.
We have a chance to use federal resources to rebuild the systems that failed children before and during the COVID-19 crisis, to make them stronger and more integrated than they’ve ever been. We hope New York State acts on the hard lessons learned during the pandemic by investing in affordable high-quality early learning, developmental services, income supports, and other strategies – at scale to fully meet the need, integrated into a seamless continuum, and sustainable irrespective of crisis – to help create a solid foundation on which New York’s children can grow and thrive.
FCC data indicate that all blocks in Rochester have necessary digital infrastructure for both residential broadband and wireless communication. According to the US Census, the majority of city residents (88%) have some type of computer, smartphone or
wireless device and 80% have some type of internet subscription. However, 17% of residents rely solely on a cellular data plan. Smartphones have limited functionality for educational purposes. Therefore, 37% of residents have limited online functionality.
There are geographic disparities in internet access with some neighborhoods having
20% – 40% of residents with internet access and others having 80+%. Most Rochester
neighborhoods are in the 60% – 80% range. The pandemic has had significant impacts on
education that are exacerbated by disparities in access to online learning.
Children will be gravely impacted by their parents’ financial struggles and the simultaneous cuts to school budgets and social programs. Children who attend the Rochester City School District (RCSD) are especially vulnerable given the district’s already deep financial problems and the generational effects of poverty and racism.
The Children’s Agenda recommends that the County develop a new policy to level the playing field between private-pay and subsidized families’ access to child care by changing its absence policy, while also establishing certain safeguards to ensure public funds are being spent wisely.
The Rochester City School District (RCSD) Board of Education has approved a shift of as many as 500 PreK slots from existing neighborhood providers into two district-run schools starting next school year by a
5-2 vote. We applaud Commissioners LeBron and Elliott for opposing the plan and standing up for a more cautious and thoughtful approach. Now it is critically important to maximize potential benefits to
children and families and minimize any potential harm.
RCSD should immediately establish a Board-Staff-Community Task Force to develop a comprehensive Pre-K and early elementary enrollment plan.
The RCSD Budget: What happened, What you need to know, and What you can do
The Children’s Agenda advocates for effective policies and drives evidenced-based solutions for the health, education and success of children. We are especially committed to children who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, health disparities and trauma.
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