Rochester School Superintendent Terry Dade is leaving for a new job.
Rochester School Board President Van White wants to know more about the role of the University of Rochester in Terry Dade's departure as superintendent.
The UofR's Warner School of Education assisted the district in the Hudson Valley in their hiring process.
White says it doesn't seem appropriate.
Earlier this month, Dade proposed a $6 million budget cut at East High School, which is being managed by the UofR.
A statement from the the University of Rochester and its Warner School of Education has been released this afternoon, saying in part that the center was responsible for the Cornwall Central School District search, but were entirely unaware of the fact that Terry Dade had become a candidate.
Officials say they are looking into how this happened to avoid any possible real or perceived conflict of interest in the future.
The full statement can be found below.
The Board of Education also released a statement saying in part that they only learned of Dade's departure from media reports. They say their first priority is to recommend a budget to Rochester City Council that addresses the fiscal circumstances the district is facing.
The full statement can be found below.
Dade is still working for the district for two more months, and will still have a role in solving the budget mess. White says a meeting will be scheduled with Dade, the board members, and the head of the Board of Regents.
Statement from Board of Education regarding the Departure of Superintendent Dade
"To the Rochester School Community,
Much to our surprise, we learned yesterday from the media that Superintendent Terry Dade accepted another position. Please understand that your Board of Education’s commitment to our students, staff, and community remains steadfast.
Going forward, our first priority is to recommend a budget to the Rochester City Council that best addresses our fiscal circumstances with a focus on the best educational opportunities for our children. At the same time, we are focused on the future leadership of the District and its stability as we look forward to our reopening for regular instruction. We are confident that the strength of our community, together with our commitment, will see us through the challenges currently facing us.
In closing, we wish to thank the many people who have worked so hard during this pandemic to ensure the health and safety of the entire Rochester Community, and particularly the students and parents of the District."
Statement from the University of Rochester and its Warner School of Education
"The University of Rochester has an unwavering dedication to the City of Rochester, and the East EPO has been a significant part of this for the past five years, but certainly not the only part. We understand that the superintendent search assistance provided by the Warner School of Education to the Cornwall School District on its face looks like we may have undermined our commitment to Rochester, its educators, its residents, and most importantly its students and families, so we want to be clear that this is not the case and the result is entirely unintentional.
The Warner School’s Center for Professional Development and Education Reform provides leadership coaching and search consulting services throughout the state. Since 2009, the Center has conducted nearly two dozen superintendent searches for districts, and the Cornwall search was one of five assisted by the Warner School in a little more than a year.
While the Center was responsible for the Cornwall Central School District search, University leaders and East EPO leaders were entirely unaware of the fact that Terry Dade had become a candidate. While unfortunate, it was a completely independent and confidential process.
That said, we are looking more closely at how this happened, so as to avoid any possible real or perceived conflict of interest in the future. University leadership takes seriously its commitment to the Rochester community and the stability of its schools and regrets that we had any role, however small, in Mr. Dade’s departure.
The University is very proud of its partnership with the Rochester City School District and the achievements of students and faculty at East High. We have seen five years of steady progress to graduation rates and learning outcomes for East scholars. We take very seriously the trust that the Rochester community has placed in us to lead this effort. We have also worked hard to cut East’s budget by 20% in light of the RCSD budget deficit, and we look forward to continued collaboration and results for Rochester children and families."