Nancy Sung Shelton

I take great pride in being a parent, but that is not all that I can contribute to the conversation. Due to my perseverance and dedication, I have overcome many challenges, several of which many Rochesterians can relate to. As a display of my high regard for education, I completed post-secondary degrees in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Sciences, and obtained a master's in Management. However, I am most proud of my GED, because that diploma signifies when my life changed.

I will bring to the Rochester School Board a diversity in my personal experience, educational background, and professional achievements.

My goal, as a Commissioner, will be to aid in the creation of an academic environment that inspires students to learn, schools that are conscientious in incorporating the values and beliefs of the community that they serve - in practice and policy - and an overall feeling of confidence in the district's ability to make these goals a reality.

Let's all lift our children up and praise them for their current and future success and recognize that there is great learning in our shortcomings and mishaps.

Van Henri White

It's hard to believe that it's been two and a half years since I was sworn in as your Commissioner of Schools. At the time, the district's graduation rate was at a record low of 39 percent, and there were times when it seemed as if our schools were on "lock down" or in the headlines for school violence once a week.

Fortunately, much of that has changed. Our graduation rate has risen 13 percent. This is the largest increase that any school district has ever recorded since the Department of Education started reporting four-year graduation rates. Moreover, since last year, school violence and suspensions are down a remarkable 40 percent.

I have worked along side a lot of good people - including students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders, and three superintendents - to get this district moving in the right direction. In the last two years alone, I have drafted and secured the unanimous support of my colleagues to pass ground-breaking reforms and policies which:

1) Protect our children from lead poisoning;

2) Ensure equal opportunity in the School Board's bidding policies;

3) Ensure that our classroom lesson plans and books fairly and accurately infuse the history, traditions, and culture of all ethnicities;

4) Reduce our dropout rate, and

5) Increased our graduation rate.

My work on the district's dropout and graduation rates is something that I'm especially proud of. Many of the recommendations contained within my March 2007 "10 Point Graduation Rate Improvement Plan" and my report, "Rochester's Drop-out Rate: Looking Beyond the Numbers" are having an impact on our students right now. New York State has 306 rural, urban, and suburban school districts. No district has ever posted this type of improvement in its graduation rate. However, I will be the first to admit that we still have a long way to go. Accordingly, I am asking that you re-elect me to a full four-year term so that, together, we can continue to move our district and community forward.

José Cruz

The Rochester City School Board is entrusted with this community's most valuable resource, its children. We must ensure that our students are able to take full advantage of a comprehensive educational experience in order to reach their greatest potential.

All children - those at the top of the grade, those at the bottom, and those in the middle - must have access to a range of options and experiences so they have choices after high school. I will support the development of more co-op programs, in which seniors are able to go to school and work a portion of the day earning credit, experience, and income. We must also replicate the academic programs that are successful in particular schools throughout the entire District.

The School Board must also ensure that we are accountable to the taxpayers of Rochester. The RCSD must take steps to be fully transparent, and we as Board members must make the tough decisions to ensure that the district is using taxpayer dollars wisely.

Finally, we must at all times focus on the needs of our students and find ways to work together towards the common goal of improving their education. My government and community experience have given me the skills to build consensus and get things done, and I look forward to putting those skills to work as Commissioner of the Rochester Board of Education.