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Rochester board rejects tentative RTA agreement after intense debate; 4-3 vote
Summary
After hours of discussion the board voted down a tentative agreement with the Rochester Teachers Association; trustees debated transparency, evaluation, and long-term retention strategies before the 4-3 vote.
The Rochester Board of Education rejected a tentative memorandum of agreement with the Rochester Teachers Association (RTA) in a 4–3 vote on July 8 after a heated discussion about process, timing and long-term retention strategies.
The agreement had been ratified by the RTA and signed by district negotiators earlier in the week and then presented to the full board for approval. Board members spent significant time debating whether the board should approve a short-term, one-year package of increases and retention bonuses or press for a multi-year successor agreement. Commissioners also expressed frustration about the timeline and said they did not have adequate opportunity to review a tentative agreement before ratification by the union.
Commissioner Lebron, who moved the resolution, said she would vote yes despite reservations because she did not want to leave bargaining-unit employees without the signed terms they had believed were settled. Several commissioners said the district needs longer-term incentives and clearer links between pay and instructional outcomes. Vice President Malloy urged a three-year successor contract to promote stability and professional growth. Commissioner Patterson, a former teacher, said she would not support the agreement and urged the district to prioritize student outcomes and clearer evaluation tools, for example greater access to lesson plans for evaluating instruction.
After a roll call, commissioners LeBron, Santiago and Elliott voted yes; commissioners Malloy, Griffin, Patterson and President Camille Simmons voted no. With the noes in the majority, the board declined to approve the tentative RTA agreement.
Board members said the result does not end negotiations; multiple speakers urged both sides to return to the table and seek a multi-year successor agreement focused on teacher retention strategies, pathways for professional growth, and clearer performance measures tied to student outcomes. Several commissioners said the federal funding outlook, which could affect Title and Medicaid reimbursement streams, underscores the need for fiscal caution and a longer-term agreement to align workforce and budget planning.
