What education can do to move forward toward justice and equity

2020 — In the wake of a summer of violence against unarmed Black men both nationally and locally, East High Superintendent Dr. Shaun Nelms, discusses how to make systemic changes in countywide educational policies and the creation of an antiracist curriculum to help students learn about and discuss Rochester’s issues with racism and injustice. In two separate interviews, Dr. Nelms explains how East and how Rochester can do both.

Watch: “Anti-racism Curriculum to be Implemented in School Districts across Monroe County” on WHAM News (January 15, 2021)

Watch: “Anti-racist Curriculum to be Incorporated in History Classes in all Monroe County Schools” on WROC’s Rochesterfirst.com (January 15, 2021)

Read: “Across Monroe County, Students Will Soon have Anti-racist Lessons” on WXXI News and in City Newspaper (January 13, 2021)

Watch: “New Instruction Centered on Equity, Social Justice at Monroe County Schools” on News10NBC (January 12, 2021)

Watch:  “A Conversation with Shaun Nelms on Systematic Poverty in Rochester” on Spectrum News’s Capital Tonight (September 24, 2020)

Watch: “East High Superintendent Prepares Students, Parents, and Teachers to Address Racism” on News10NBC’s, Rochester in Focus (June 14, 2020).

August 11, 2020 –East High School’s partnership with the University of Rochester is paying another dividend as the two will work together to explore ways to build a challenging mathematics program. The university’s Warner School of Education received a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The task: Work on overcoming barriers for students in a high-poverty setting, identify resources and make sure they stay in place to keep the program going. The idea is to create a model that can be used in various settings.

Read article in Minority Reporter here.

June 14, 2020 — Dr. Shaun Nelms was a guest on News10NBC’s weekend public affairs show, Rochester In Focus, to talk about ways to educate young people about racism and the initiatives being created to combat it, especially as we prepare for a new school year. Watch segment here.

June 2, 2020 — Dr. Shaun Nelms discusses how to have tough, uncomfortable conversations with your kids about racial inequality, the historical significance of these events, and how each person can do their part to improve social injustice. Listen to podcast here.

May 1, 2020 — Steady increases in both teen suicides and school shootings have heightened public concern about cyberbullying. This article documents how the University of Rochester-East collaboration is reshaping school climate and strengthening relationships at school to curb cyberbullying. We describe how three aspects of school life — beliefs, structures, and policies — have changed the climate at East High, in ways that better attend to cyberbullying. Read full article here.

March 23, 2020 — Joanne Larson is quoted in a Democrat & Chronicle story highlighting the inequities during a time when there is an increased reliance on parents as educators. The story looks more closely at four different families around Rochester and what their home school set-up looks like. Read the story “What Does ‘School’ Look Like These Days? That Depends” HERE or at https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/education/2020/03/23/one-week-school-four-rochester-families-covid-19-coronavirus/2884828001/

March 2020 — This article documents how a collaborative group of teachers, administrators, parents, students, community members and university staff designed a model that built student voice into the foundation of school culture and practices.  The stakes were high. We faced both the pressure to prevent the school from closing and the opportunity to reshape it into a place that truly served young people and expanded their opportunities for advocacy. Read full article here.

December 2019 — Schools only become “inclusive” once school culture changes. At East Upper & Lower Schools, students with disabilities are starting to feel the change. This article, by Warner’s Theresa Danylak, describes how the resources available within a university-school partnership worked to improve education for students with disabilities. Read article here.

December 2019 — Absenteeism links to low achievement in urban districts. And since urban schools comprise a higher percentage of students of color and students living with poverty, absenteeism can be understood as contributing to the achievement gap between students of color and their white counterparts. Thus, reducing absenteeism is a move to reduce inequity. Read more here

July 19, 2019 — Representatives from the University of Rochester-East EPO partnership discuss the EPO’s three-year progress report. They share the challenges East has faced, the successes they’ve seen, and what they hope for the next phase of the collaboration.

May 2019 — Shaun Nelms was the keynote speaker this year at SUNY Fredonia’s 142nd Commencement. An article published in Observer captures some of the key highlights from his address. Read the article, “Fredonia Grads Challenged to Transform Society,” HERE or at: https://www.observertoday.com/news/page-one/2019/05/fredonia-grads-challenged-to-transform-society/

The link to both Commencement ceremonies is on Fredonia’s website at: https://www.fredonia.edu/student-life/commencement

February 2019 — The EAST EPO has issued a report to communicate the progress of East High School in the first three years of the partnership with the University of Rochester. The Center for Urban Education Success supports and researches this partnership. Students, staff, and families have accomplished a great deal, and the trajectory for the future looks positive. Report in English. Report in Spanish.

January 2019 — Valerie Marsh and Shaun Nelms recently co-wrote an article focused on stemming chronic absenteeism in urban schools for District Administration magazine. Based on research conducted at the Center for Urban Education Success (CUES) and applied at East Upper and Lower Schools in Rochester, NY, this article outlines four steps schools can take to increase attendance, especially pertinent to urban settings. Learn More

October 2018 — CUES publishes a practitioner brief on bullying in schools, exploring prevalence, contributing factors, and interventions. This brief’s analysis of empirical research aims to provide a balanced and accurate depiction of bullying in all of its forms. A resource guide for teachers and practitioners is included. Learn More

June 2018 –The Konar Foundation’s gift creates a new endowed directorship position to lead CUES, and Dr. Shaun Nelms, Superintendent of East Upper and Lower Schools in Rochester and formerly an affiliated faculty member of CUES, was installed as the inaugural director to fill this endowed position. Learn More