READY

Rochester’s next generation of educators is already here. Our first READY Teaching Academy began at University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men. Now, we’re bringing that opportunity to #EdisonCareerandTechnologyCampus! We’re helping 9th-grade students explore what it means to teach, lead, and make a difference in their communities. Through hands-on experiences, leadership development, and opportunities for college-level learning, students in READY's Teach Academy can build the skills and confidence to see themselves at the front of a classroom someday. Because building a stronger future for Rochester starts with investing in the students who will help shape it. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g353rf6n and follow us on social media for photos from our day at Edison! #READY4SCHOOLS #READTeachingAcademy #FutureEducators #RochesterNY

Happy World Teachers’ Day! 💙📚 Thank you to the teachers who inspire curiosity, nurture confidence, and help our youth learn, grow, and thrive. We are sending a special thank you to the teachers in the Rochester community. Today, READY celebrates you! #WorldTeachersDay #ThankYouTeachers #READY

What does it mean to be children first? A children-first perspective begins with a simple question: What do Rochester’s children need to learn, grow, and thrive? It means looking beyond debates about school type and focusing on the quality of each child’s educational experience. Whether a student attends a district or charter school, they deserve effective teaching, a safe and supportive environment, strong academic opportunities, and access to the resources they need. Putting children first also means respecting families, responding honestly to the data, and supporting solutions that produce better outcomes for students. Our shared responsibility is to ensure that every Rochester child has the opportunity to succeed.

📸 READY in action at RCSD’s @AllCityHighSchool Campus! Here’s a photo/video dump from READY’s participation in an #EmpowerEdSolutions program, where we connected directly with Rochester students about civic engagement and the power of their voices. Consultant Boose led an hour-long READY Youth Vote presentation with All City students, creating space for young people to learn more about civic participation, why their voices matter, and the different ways they can influence decisions shaping their schools and communities. For READY, this work is about more than a single presentation. It is about investing in the next generation of informed, engaged young leaders and ensuring Rochester students have access to the knowledge and tools they need to participate in their communities. We’re grateful to LaShana from #EmpowerEdSolutions and the All City School community for creating opportunities to bring this work directly to students. This is what youth engagement looks like in action. 💙 #READYRochester #YouthVoice #CivicEngagement #YouthLeadership #RochesterNY #PublicEducation

It’s United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes pledge season, and your contribution can go even further for Rochester’s children. When you designate your United Way gift to READY, you’re investing in students, families, and educators across our community. READY leverages local support alongside national philanthropy to bring more resources, more opportunities, and greater investment back to Rochester. That means your local contribution helps us multiply our impact and expand what’s possible for Rochester’s children. As you make your United Way pledge, designate your contribution to: Rochester Education and Development for Youth, Inc. (READY) Donor Designation #3454 Your gift starts here in Rochester. Its impact can go even further. Together, we’re creating more opportunities for Rochester’s children to thrive. #READY #RochesterNY #UnitedWay #RochesterEducation #InvestInYouth

Rochester’s enrollment landscape has changed. Families are choosing from more educational options than ever before, each with different strengths, opportunities, and challenges. No matter which path a family chooses, every Rochester student deserves clear information, strong options, and access to a great school. Understanding where students are enrolling is an important part of understanding how to support what Rochester families need and how our city can better serve them.

A little preview of READY in action! READY Youth Votes. This week, READY joined #EmpowerEdSolutions at RCSD’s All City School Campus for a nonpartisan conversation centered on youth voice, civic engagement, and the power of participation. LaShana Boose brought READY’s Youth Vote presentation directly to students, creating space to talk about what it means to be informed, engaged, and empowered to have a voice in the decisions shaping their schools, communities, and futures. And this is just the preview. Tomorrow, we'll share more moments from our time at All City High and take a closer look at youth civic engagement in action.

What does chronic absenteeism look like across Rochester’s public secondary schools? We examined 2024–25 attendance data across both traditional district and charter schools serving Rochester’s middle and high school students. And while the numbers vary from school to school, one thing is clear: this is a citywide challenge that deserves a citywide conversation. But the data is only the starting point. Behind every percentage is a student. A family. A set of circumstances. And questions we need to keep asking: What is keeping students from school? Do they feel supported when they get there? What barriers are families navigating? And what will it take for more young people to feel connected, understood, and ready to show up? As we close out this week’s conversation on chronic absenteeism, here’s what we’re examining across our city. Swipe through the data. ➡️ The goal isn’t to point fingers. It’s to better understand the challenge, listen to young people and families, and keep pushing toward solutions that help Rochester students thrive. #ChronicAbsenteeism #RochesterNY #RochesterEducation #StudentSuccess #PublicEducation #READYRochester

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and this week, we’re talking about chronic absenteeism, what it means for students and families, and what it takes to address it. Chronic absenteeism is about more than missed days. When students are consistently absent, the question shouldn’t stop at “Why aren’t they coming to school?” We also need to ask: What barriers are they facing? Do they feel connected? What would help them want to show up every day? WHEC-TV News10NBC reports: Greece Central School District’s community school strategy shows one approach. By connecting students and families with mental health supports, food resources, family engagement opportunities, clubs, and dedicated community school coordinators, schools are working to address barriers while building a stronger sense of belonging. At Longridge Elementary, the school reported a 6.5% chronic absence rate in its last reported school year and was recognized for improved attendance. As we continue the conversation this week, we’ll look at chronic absenteeism in our community, what the data tells us, and what we can learn from approaches that put students and families at the center. Because improving attendance isn’t just about getting students through the door. It’s about creating the conditions that help them keep coming back. #AttendanceAwarenessMonth #AttendanceMatters #ChronicAbsenteeism #RochesterNY #ROC #Education #CommunitySchools

Nationally, we are engaged in a critical conversation about literacy, and it is deeply nuanced. As content creator #workbravely points out, while the data highlights real challenges, no single statistic tells the whole story. Literacy is shaped by what happens in our classrooms, inside our homes, and across our communities. It relies heavily on whether young people have consistent access to the support and opportunities they deserve. The goal here is not to point fingers. It is to truly understand the data, listen to students, families, and educators, and identify where we can make a collective difference. This is a community-wide responsibility, and it is a conversation our young people deserve for us to have.