During a recent government meeting, parent Joshua Raymond emphasized the importance of upcoming candidate forums for the Rochester Community Schools (RCS) school board elections, urging community members to attend. The forums, hosted by the League of Women Voters and the RCS Parent Advisory Committee, will take place on October 8 and October 15, providing a platform for all ten candidates to address the same questions and share their positions on key issues.

Raymond also raised concerns regarding RCS's literacy initiatives, particularly the implementation of structured literacy curriculums in only five of the district's thirteen elementary schools. He inquired about the instructional methods being used in the remaining eight schools, specifically questioning whether Lucy Calkins' units of study are still in use and what measures are in place to prevent ineffective reading strategies from being taught.

Additionally, Raymond expressed apprehension about the continued use of the reading recovery program, citing a 2022 study from the University of Delaware that indicated students who participated in the program scored lower on state reading tests in later grades compared to those who did not. He warned that if the reading intervention does not align with the core literacy instruction, it could negate the benefits of the structured literacy approach being piloted.

Raymond concluded his remarks by urging the school board to consider these critical issues as they shape the future of literacy education in the district.