About Us

How we work | Our Mission l Our Founders

How we work

 

The Rochester Fund for Educational Accountability is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization providing research and analysis, advocacy and proactive initiatives that support urban families and directly confront the educational status quo in Rochester, NY. We work to influence change by bringing together leaders of different backgrounds and perspectives, analyzing education policy implications for the Rochester community, and working to foster an engaged parent community and electorate.

 

The Rochester Fund is a virtual organization of individuals and partners dedicated to achieving educational justice for Rochester’s children. Although we have a city mailing address, our organization is supported by the work of professionals, activists and community leaders from all over the region. Additionally, we are part of a growing national network of education consumer groups, advocacy organizations and think tanks working to focus public pressure on our country’s public education system.

 

The mission of the Rochester Fund is to:

 

·         Promote accountability of the Rochester public school system through monitoring of the District's implementation of federal, state and district education policy;

·         Encourage community involvement in Rochester's schools;

·         Provide citizens and community-based groups working with urban parents with an objective, independent source of news coverage on issues relating to school accountability, choice and reform in the Rochester, NY area, as well as information on opportunities for public input and participation at the school-, district- state- and federal-levels;

·         Improve public access to information on the performance of the Rochester City School District by providing a community library of school performance data and analysis, and information on parents rights; 

·         Facilitate a regional dialogue on improving Rochester's schools and build social networks among parents, community members, teachers, administrators and board members interested in school reform.

     

 Our Founders  

 

The Rochester Fund was founded in 2007 by parents Carrie Remis and Valarie Johnson, who after serving as parent leaders in the Rochester City School District, became concerned about barriers to parent and community involvement and ineffective and costly reforms.  

Carrie Remis began her career in the education field as New York State public education advocate. Later, she served as Director of Admissions at the University of Rochester's Graduate School of Education, where she served on regional and national consortia focused on teacher preparation and quality and diversity in the education workforce. Most recently, she has worked as a consultant in education technology and marketing.

Valarie Johnson works with parents and community-based organizations to address the needs of Rochester’s school-aged children. She serves on numerous state and federal advisory bodies including the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council and the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning US Dept of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control. In 2000, 2001 and 2003, Ms. Johnson participated in the Harvard Civil Rights Project Community Training Institute on Racial Justice in K-12 Education, Minority Issues in Special Education and School to Prison Pipeline.

Together, Ms. Johnson and Ms. Remis have over 17 years experience on district governance committees.

 

 

 

 

© 2007-09 Rochester Fund for Educational Accountability.