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If you woke up from a coma after 15 years, you might get the impression that something has gone horribly wrong in public education, especially in urban school districts. And it wouldn't be surprising if you concluded that teachers and their unions are to blame. That's what a lot
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While many people think the Affordable Care Act was intended to reform the health care system, most of the law's impact relates to insurance reform -specifically, access to insurance. But to provide increased access, the law is encouraging far reaching trends throughout the industry. That was one of the
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There are many interesting discussions taking place on Flowercityparents.org and it's tough to single one out. But Rochester school board member Mary Adams wrote a recent blog urging parents to think about whether they want their children to take a "field" test to help the test publisher get
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A day after President Obama announced his support for marriage equality, GOP front runner Mitt Romney appeared on Fox News to say he didn't remember an assault on a fellow student who was presumed to be gay. The Washington Post reported that Romney and several classmates were disturbed by a
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If you're a political wonk, this is your week. The last few days have been politically charged and historical. Though it was disappointing to see North Carolina voters ban marriage equality, President Obama proved again that he is a strong leader, visionary, and forward thinking. His support
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I'm a gay man, married, and nearly 60 years old. And I respect President Obama for evolving on the issue of marriage equality rather than insisting he take a strong position either way. That may seem unjust and it may also strike some as cowardly. But it's also pragmatic. Obama
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The decline of the US economy has been written about extensively, and it's a favorite topic of political pundits. That's understandable. Thousands of well-paying manufacturing jobs have disappeared. A decade of wars has drained the US treasury. And calamities in the financial and housing markets brought on the
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I can't help but wonder what was going on in the mind of Mitt Romney's foreign policy aide Richard Grenell. A well-educated gay man in his mid-40's who supports marriage equality, Grenell presumably knew that someday he would be rejected by the Republican establishment. Grenell, who abruptly resigned from
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Though Democrats railed against the 2004 "Swift Boat" ads, to advertising and marketing types there was something brilliant about them. The ads torpedoed one of Senator Kerry's key strengths in his run for president, turning his Vietnam military experience into a vulnerability. The ads minimized Kerry's service,
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By mid-day yesterday, the accolades for Bolgen Vargas began rolling into our newsroom. "Bolgen has been a true partner with us and has helped to forge improved relations between the City and the City School District," Mayor Tom Richards said in a written statement. The Rochester Business Alliance is looking
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Rochester's school board members will probably meet sometime next week for a debriefing on the superintendent search. They've had second interviews with the finalists, and they may be ready to make a decision. I would love to sit in on that conversation. It's not going to be an easy
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Andre Spencer, one of the two finalists for Rochester school superintendent, was asked at last night's public forum how he worked with people who didn't agree with a policy decision. Spencer, an administrator with the Houston school district, cited the example of combining two Houston schools, a decision
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UPDATE: The police arrived and the forum resumed. What began as an orderly public forum this evening to meet the two finalists for Rochester school district superintendent suddenly imploded. About 20 minutes into Interim Superintendent Bolgen Vargas's question-and-answer period, about 18 members of the activist groups Rochester Parents
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A steady line of teachers, parents, and residents waited to meet Andre Spencer this afternoon. Spencer is one of two finalists for Rochester school district superintendent. The other is RCSD Interim Superintendent Bolgen Vargas. A forum for the finalists is being held tonight at East High School. Margo Watts, a retired
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After several months of one of the strangest primary seasons we've seen in years, Mitt Romney is limping to victory as the likely Republican nominee. But a recent ABC/Washington Post poll shows that while Romney has solidified his lead among Republicans, Obama leads him in a 2012 general-election matchup,
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Almost every gay man I know can tell you a story about an experience they've had dealing with a homophobic individual. A gay couple I knew in California lived next door to a retired marine officer who made their lives a living hell. Just as they were about to
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Jazz legend Dinah Washington won a Grammy in 1959 for her version of "What a Difference a Day Makes." I kept hearing Washington's velvety voice in my head last night while Rochester's Interim Superintendent Bolgen Vargas presented his budget proposal for the coming school year. At a special meeting
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A rumor has been circulating for weeks concerning the search for a permanent superintendent for Rochester city schools: "The fix is in. Interim Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has the job." That rumor has taken on a life of its own during the last 24 hours. First, City Council member Adam
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Most reports about the Supreme Court arguments concerning the health-care law have painted a gloomy outlook for the law's future. The conservative justices questioned the law's constitutionality, and some wanted to know what impact severing the mandate component of the law would have on the rest of the legislation. But
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We're learning more about 38-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who is accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians. We know, according to several reports, that Bales had already served three tours in Iraq. He was sent to Afghanistan on his fourth tour in the region. We also know that Bales
