It's no surprise that the debate over mayoral control is emotional. And since that debate will go on for a while, can we all agree on a couple of things? 1) Let's tamp down the anger. Anger is destroying public discourse all across the nation,...
URBAN JOURNAL: After Massachusetts, what will Democrats do?
Back in the days of Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War, it wasn't uncommon to hear friends talk about moving to Canada. Not young men hoping to avoid the draft: people who were so dismayed about where the country was heading that they weren't...
URBAN JOURNAL: Shaping the details in Duffy's school plan
For a few days, things were a little quiet after Mayor Bob Duffy said he wanted City Hall to take over the operations of the Rochester school district. There's nothing quiet about the discussion now, though. By the end of last week, the...
URBAN JOURNAL: Looking for leaders in the Albany crisis
In the terrific first part of his State of the State address last week, Governor Paterson declared this "a winter of reckoning." New York has a crisis in governance, he said: "Chronic and continuing experiences of outside influence and inside...
URBAN JOURNAL: With staff retirement, City Council loses its memory bank
Covering the news in the same city for 38 years, you develop a lot of respect for good public servants. Rochester's had more than its share of those people since we started this newspaper, and later this month, one of them is retiring. I can't...
URBAN JOURNAL: Let the mayor run the schools
I might as well end the year by making everybody mad: It's time to give the mayor control of the Rochester school district. I'm not under any delusion that this will improve test scores or the graduation rate. And frankly, I've made this...
If the acronym QOTSA means anything to you, then you're familiar with Nick Oliveri. Hell, if...
Have you ever seen a celebrity in person? If you've never had the opportunity to be cut off in...
"Almost" is a precarious place to live, both geographically and emotionally. It can mean, "I...
Step right up to the greatest show in town: City Newspaper's Best of Rochester 2009! Every...
This past weekend I took my nieces and nephew sledding at Harris Whalen Park in Penfield....
Recent Comments
James Spount said:
I thought this article was supposed to be about facts. Charter schools in Rochester right now absolutely DO outperform the district by 20-30 %...
in URBAN JOURNAL: Facts, fiction, and risks with mayoral control
Christina said:
I don't understand why charter schools are being compared to other schools. Do people have different expectations of them? Also, education is...
in URBAN JOURNAL: Facts, fiction, and risks with mayoral control
John Bernunzio said:
Regarding the comment on charter schools: how and why are charter schools populated by predominately upper and middle income students when there...
in URBAN JOURNAL: Facts, fiction, and risks with mayoral control
Tom Vierhile said:
Among the questionable statements in this essay: "Eight years of Republican reign" The Senate went to the Democrats after the 2006 mid-term...
in URBAN JOURNAL: After Massachusetts, what will Democrats do?
Tom Janowski said:
Instead of retreating, now is the time for some really bold moves--especially when re-election is in doubt. I would love to see national...
in URBAN JOURNAL: After Massachusetts, what will Democrats do?