READY School Finder: A solution to improve access and equity

If we provide families with an accessible, easy-to-understand knowledge base about public school options, Rochester’s school selection and enrollment processes will be more equitable.

Though our city has a broad portfolio of public education options, an informational tool on schools to help families make their decisions does not exist.

Today, significant barriers prevent families from participating effectively in Rochester’s school selection process. Participation in school selection is more than the opportunity to explore schools that are accessible to families based on proximity. Effective participation in school selection is possible when transparent, comprehensive information is readily available to all families.

In response to the needs and concerns of parents, we are working to create the READY School Finder, a tool that will make it easy for parents to pick the right school for their children. Over the next several months we will explore publicly available information on schools in our community and work to design a tool that will help Rochester families navigate our public school systems. Together, we can equip families with data and catalyze our community to build a better education system for all of Rochester's children.

Yours in service,

Shanai Lee, MBA, EdD

Rochester Education Fellow