Community Engagement

The Path Forward process calls for active and ongoing public engagement to build upon the knowledge, creativity and goals of school communities to reimagine our schools for the future and to ensure equity and excellence for Rochester City students. Community engagement is critical to generate fresh ideas and build upon the knowledge, opinions and creativity of our neighborhoods and community.

Path Forward Community Engagements

Rochester City School District Engagement and Communication teams created and implemented a community-engagement process to guide on-going and long-term commitments to high-quality community schools for Rochester students.

The Community Engagement team, in tandem with the Office of Customer Services and Relations, designed and hosted Path Forward informational sessions with neighborhood groups, community partners, philanthropic partners, parent groups, students, labor partners, faith-based partners, district staff and others to gain valuable insight and feedback. The main goal of all the engagements were to help align the District's educational vision for modern educational facilities with desired enhancements and input from Rochester student, parents, and residents.

Our Voice: Fall Student Summit

On September 29, over 200 students in grades 9-12 met at the School of the Arts to engage in conversation about innovation of future schools. This was the first public engagement of the Path Forward Project. The District captured student voice as the principle component for designing processes around students needs and the education system. Students feedback and voice were captured in sessions on various topics that included: school choice, academics, school climate, classroom redesign, transportation, racial equity, and community involvement/access to jobs.

Students spoke extensively about the learning experiences they value most and the types of learning environments they prefer. One student stated, “I need individualized learning experiences,” while another shared, “A good classroom promotes interactions between students and teachers.”