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ROCHESTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH
ROCHESTER, NY · EIN 920762152 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B99 · Education · Medium ($1M-$10M) · ready4schools.org
revenue
$5.3M
expenses
$1.2M
net assets
$4.8M
employees
3
volunteers
6
program ratio
70%
mission · from form 990

READY IS DEDICATED TO INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY SCHOOLS FOR ROCHESTER'S K-12 STUDENTS. READY WORKS TO TRANSFORM ROCHESTER'S EDUCATION LANDSCAPE BY LAUNCHING AND SUPPORTING HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS, CULTIVATING EFFECTIVE TALENT, AND PROMOTING SUPPORTIVE POLICY CONDITIONS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Rochester Education Association for the Development of the Youth (READY) works to expand access to high-quality K-12 public schools in Rochester, NY. The organization focuses on systemic change by supporting school innovation, developing local educator talent, engaging families in advocacy, and promoting equitable education policies. READY measures success by the number of students enrolled in quality schools and the strength of the city's education ecosystem.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $0
    READY PARENT ACTION ACADEMY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (SUPPORTIVE POLICY) - READY'S PARENT ACTION ACADEMY DRIVES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY BY EQUIPPING FAMILIES TO LEAD SYSTEMIC CHANGE. THIS WORK CULMINATED IN A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY REPORT ON NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES, AND FACILITATED FORUMS TO AMPLIFY PARENT VOICES IN SHAPING EDUCATIONAL POLICY. THE INCLUSIVE IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENTS ENSURED DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES INFORM READY'S PRACTICES, EMPOWERING PARENTS TO ADVOCATE FOR HIGH-QUALITY, EQUITABLE SCHOOLS IN ROCHESTER.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Parent ACTION Academy
Leadership program that equips parents and caregivers with knowledge and advocacy skills to influence Rochester's education system and drive community-driven solutions.
READY Power Lab
Six-month advocacy leadership program building on the Parent ACTION Academy, designed to train parents, educators, and community members to organize and lead systemic change efforts.
READY School Finder
Online tool created by and for Rochester parents to help families evaluate and select schools based on performance data, location, grade level, and program offerings.
READY School Incubator
Fellowship program supporting local educators to design and pilot innovative school models through two tracks: Design Studio for early-stage ideas and Launch for full-time school development.
READY Teaching Academy
Year-round program for high school students to explore teaching careers, develop cultural identity, and gain real-world experience in education through mentorship and training.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Parent-Led Education Advocacy 2 activities
    • Conducting community engagement and advocacy to inform education policy
      Produces community reports and hosts forums to amplify parent voices, conducts inclusive engagements to inform organizational strategy, and empowers families to advocate for equitable education policies in Rochester.
    • Running the Parent ACTION Academy for parent advocacy and leadership
      Offers a fellowship and leadership program that trains parents and caregivers, particularly those of color, in advocacy, education policy, and community organizing to advance equitable access to quality K–12 schools in Rochester.
  • Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
    • Administering the School Incubator fellowship for educators
      Supports local educators in designing and launching innovative school models aligned with community priorities through a structured fellowship that includes pilot development and full-time school startup support.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Funding scholarships for future educators through the READY STARS Scholarship Fund
      Provides financial support in the form of $5,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Rochester who plan to pursue careers in teaching and education.
  • Student Career Readiness and Internship Placement 1 activity
    • Operating the READY Teaching Academy for high school students
      Runs a year-round, after-school and summer program that prepares high school students in grades 9–12 for careers in education through mentorship, training, real-world experience, and opportunities to earn college credits.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Operating the READY School Finder tool for families
      Provides a free, mobile-friendly online tool co-designed by parents that enables Rochester families to browse, compare, and apply to K–12 schools based on location, performance, grade level, and program offerings.
    • Supporting school expansion and quality improvement in Rochester
      Implements initiatives to increase student enrollment in quality schools from 3,000 to 10,000 by 2034 through school expansion, new school development, and ecosystem strengthening.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.34M
Contributions & grants$5.33M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$13K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.16M
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead30%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$266K
Grants paid out$80K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$4.98M
Cash$4.79M
Investments$0
Liabilities$200K
Net assets$4.78M
Liquid reserves49.4 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue +273.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DR SHANAI LEE EXECUTIVE DI 50 $167K
board members · 7
  • ALLEN WILLIAMS — VICE CHAIR
  • CARRIE PENA — BOARD MEMBER
  • KAMEELAH SHAHEED-DIALLO — BOARD MEMBER
  • LAURA SMITH — BOARD MEMBER
  • LONDON BOOKER — BOARD MEMBER
  • MAYA CRANE — TREASURER
  • RASHONDA MARTIN — BOARD CHAIR
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Anna Murray-Douglass Academy No. 12 Partner — Hosts READY's Fireside Chats with Dr. Rosser.
  • Dr. Shanai Lee Partner — Founder and Executive Director who led the community engagement process that formed READY.
  • Keyla Quinones Partner — Quoted as a partner or stakeholder supporting the mission of equitable access to school information.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park Partner — Hosts READY's 2026 Juneteenth Festival.
  • Parent ACTION Academy Partner — POWER Lab builds on the foundation of the Parent ACTION Academy.
  • Parent Advisory Council Partner — Collaborates with staff and board to shape organizational direction and mission implementation.
  • READY Partner — Collaborates with READY to operate the Teaching Academy program for high school students in Rochester.
  • ROCHESTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH Network — Implied organizational alignment through program focus on Rochester public education and parent engagement.
  • Rochester Education and Development for Youth Network — READY is the operating name for Rochester Education Association for the Development of the Youth, indicating internal branding alignment.
  • Rochester Education and Development for Youth Network — Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 92-0762152, referenced as the legal entity behind READY.
  • Rochester parents Partner — Collaborates with Rochester parents in designing the READY School Finder and shaping school models through community engagement.
  • UPrep Partner — Hosts high school students in the READY Teaching Academy Cohort 1
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Capital Multiplier Model for Resource Mobilization
    methodology: capital_multiplier_model
    By combining local community relationships with access to national philanthropy, we amplify impact because trusted local intermediaries can channel and leverage external capital toward high-impact, community-identified student opportunities.
  • Community-Driven Advocacy & Power Building
    methodology: community_power_building
    By equipping parents and community members—particularly families of color—with advocacy skills and leadership development, we produce systemic education change because empowered stakeholders can hold institutions accountable and drive policy reform from lived experience.
  • Holistic School Quality Assessment
    methodology: multi_measure_school_quality
    By measuring school quality through a multi-metric framework that includes attendance, teacher retention, and equity—not just test scores—we produce more equitable school improvement because schools are incentivized to support the whole student and address systemic disparities.
  • Parent Empowerment Through Information
    methodology: parent_empowerment_through_information
    By providing families with accessible, comprehensive data on school performance, we increase informed school choice and advocacy because knowledge equips parents to act as agents of demand-side pressure for quality and equity.
  • Youth Pipeline Development for Educator Diversity
    methodology: pipeline_development
    By preparing high school students of color for future careers in education through mentorship, training, and real-world experience, we improve cultural responsiveness in teaching because a racially and culturally aligned educator workforce increases student engagement and outcomes.