Teachers Begin Summer Session for ROC Urban Leadership Program
(July 12, 2019) A group of committed teacher leaders in the Rochester City School District are working toward their building-level certification in a ground-breaking new program for Rochester.
The Roc Urban Leadership program is a unique master’s degree program designed with the lens of equity and cultural relevance in order to develop transformational, dynamic leaders in the Rochester City School District.
The week of July 8th, seventeen teachers started a four-week intensive summer session as part of a P20 Principal Partnership Pilot Program. Teachers will receive a second master’s degree and be prepared to take the New York State Education Department School Building Level (SBL) Certification exam. This involves a partnership with the New York City Leadership Academy and Bank Street University.
The coursework is competency based and focuses on equity, including culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogy that is data driven. In the first week of this intensive summer session, teachers have been learning about organizational structure. For instance, as one participant stated, “What are the needs of the Rochester population and its high-needs children, and how can we best serve them?”
These teachers have already been out in the City of Rochester working with neighborhood associations and other community leaders to gain a better understanding of relationship building. As an example, three participants in the program visited with State Senator Joe Robach and interviewed him about what it means to be a leader, and they discussed what can be done to promote equity and improve achievement and outcomes for students.
This program will help the District develop a more robust pipeline of aspiring leaders who are ready to take on the challenge of providing a high-quality education for all students.