Max Schulte

Throughout the region, residents paused Monday to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. 

The MLK Day 2020 Community Celebration at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre focused on the women who helped make the movement possible.

Simeon Bannister is the chair of the commission that produced the event. He asked the crowd to take responsibility for Rochester by focusing on improving education and “crushing” poverty in the region.

In a split vote, the Rochester City School District Board of Education approved a plan late Thursday night to lay off 155 district employees.

Under the latest plan from Superintendent Terry Dade, teachers will account for 109 of those layoffs, down from a previous proposal to lay off 152 teachers.

Teachers like LeAnna Dupree and Jamie Lillis were among the hundreds of teachers, staff, and community members who protested outside. They were also among 94 people who expressed their displeasure with the cuts during a nearly three-hour public comment period.

“This is an opportunity for redemption," said Dupree. "Mistakes have been made, of course they have, but join us now be a part of our district. Either take responsibility for your roles in the crisis, or take responsibility for saving the teachers and students.”

East High School students, like senior Madison Smith, walked out of their classes on Monday to protest the district’s plan to layoff more than 150 teachers. The cuts, which total over 200 staffers, come as district leaders grapple with bridging a $64.8 million budget gap. 

“If you see us doing this, if you see how hard we’re fighting for these teachers, and you still don’t care, and you still plan on cutting them, on not changing your decision, It shows that you do not have our best interests in mind,” Smith said.