RCS Connections

04/18/2026

We would like to remind everyone that less than a month ago, a parent advocating for their child with special needs was publicly accused by Blake of “having an axe to grind.”

04/16/2026

It has come to our attention that we have not been posting pictures of people with John James as often as the other page that shares our name. Our apologies. Let us correct it here.

04/16/2026

It's really nice when we can see the other page that shares our name agree with a trustee that makes a good point. Even when they frame it like a disagreement? This video shows comments Trustee Litkouhi made Monday night. AKA three days before the page released the same information (screenshot below in the comments).

You could have just shared her post and said "We agree," Molly. It would have been easier!

04/16/2026

We are horrified that Trustee Blake made the discriminatory comments he did and then doubled down on them.

04/14/2026

04/12/2026

When they come so close to the point and yet miss it completely....

Former RCS teacher Cara Lougheed has weighed in on the other RCS Connections' latest nonsense which criticizes candidate Nick Blaszczyk for his idea of wanting to talk to teachers. She explains his idea is bad because of the retaliation the staff would face.

Even more bizarre, REA President Liz Schroeck liked her comment.

What is Liz Schroeck doing if she admits she isn't supportive of teachers being able to give feedback because of retaliation? One would think she would be concerned that the teachers that her whole job is to advocate for are silenced by administrators. You would think this comment, liked by several RCS staff, would clue her in that she should spend less time on a page of lies and more time doing her actual job.

Lougheed and Schroeck come so close to seeing the problem (district retaliation) but decide the best course of action is to allow teachers to feel silenced rather than risk the status quo.

We don't know Mr. Blaszczyk. But we do know that if the RCS Con page is this opposed to him, he's likely worth getting to know.

04/11/2026

The other RCS Connections have manufactured yet another controversy out of routine, everyday business.

This week’s “scandal du jour”? Candidates paying filing fees to appear on the ballot.

This is a long-accepted and entirely commonplace practice. But to them, everything must have a sinister motive.

Maybe it’s worth asking: why do they assume that?

Consider the record. This is the same group that has:

• supported the district maintaining a dossier on parents who questioned leadership
• defended the firing of a parent who spoke up for students
• had a supporter attempt to gather information by posing as a reference check for a non-existent company
• publicized where a trustee’s young children attend school

We could go on, but the pattern is clear.

So when they push to identify who signed petitions for certain candidates, it’s fair to ask: what is the real goal?

If history is any guide, it’s not transparency; it’s targeting those who challenge the status quo.

03/27/2026

While acting as Rochester Community Schools' Board President, Trustee Jayson Blake just made two decisions that should concern every parent and taxpayer.

Two qualified candidates for the Board of Education were dismissed, not based on experience or merit, but for reasons that raise serious red flags:

• One candidate spoke openly about the lack of special education services their child received
• Another was dismissed for being a “straight white male”

Let that sink in.

When candidates are excluded for advocating for their child’s legally protected educational rights, it sends a chilling message to every parent. Speak up, and you risk being sidelined.

And when someone is dismissed based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, even under the guise of “balance” or “representation,” that is discrimination.

Public bodies do not get to pick and choose which forms of discrimination are acceptable. Federal and state laws are clear. Decisions cannot be made based on protected characteristics.

What makes this even more concerning is that Jayson Blake is a lawyer. He should understand the legal implications of excluding candidates based on protected classes or retaliating against someone for raising concerns about special education services.

Beyond the legal exposure this creates for the district, it raises a bigger question. What kind of leadership filters out voices based on identity or advocacy instead of valuing diverse perspectives?

School boards are supposed to represent the entire community, not curate it.

This is not about politics. It is about process, fairness, and the very real legal risks that come with ignoring both.

03/24/2026

THIS WEDNESDAY! Join Rochester Community Schools Superintendent Nicholas Russo for a community conversation and thoughtful discussion about student-centered teaching and learning across the district. This event will take place on March 25 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the RCS Administration Building, located at 52585 Dequindre Road in Rochester.

03/23/2026

Tonight the Rochester Community Schools board will make an appointment to the board. This is the 10th appointment in the last 15 years. This is a ridiculous number of resignations followed by appointments- most of whom go on to be elected to the board in the subsequent election.

We are disturbed. Averaging a resignation/appointment every 1.5 years can only be seen as a strategy to circumvent the work of getting elected to school board by gaining name recognition through appointment.

Additionally, we are disturbed that two of the candidates chosen for an interview tonight are active participants on a page that serves no legitimate purpose but routinely spreads hatred, misinformation, and discord in the community.

Rochester School Board, please. We are asking you stop the appointment nonsense. Serve the terms you were elected to. But more immediately, reject the divisive hate and lack of integrity reflected in Laurin Gracey Parker and Jamie Rawcliffe's applications.