Providence Educators: Start Your Engines!

"This is not ‘mission accomplished’ at all,’’ says State Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “I see it as, we’ve laid the foundation, and they have to build upon it.’’ This is like the captain of the Titanic saying, “We were just stopping for ice!” The state took over Providence schools following a devastating review by a team from Johns Hopkins University that documented serious issues plaguing the city’s schools, from crumbling buildings to poor academic performance.

The takeover stripped the mayor, the city council, and the school board of control over the school system’s budget, policies, and hiring decisions. Infante-Green’s office hired the superintendent, negotiated the teachers’ contract, changed the curriculum, and implemented new programs. Five years after the state takeover, the buildings may have improved, but only 17.7 percent of elementary and middle school students are reading at grade level, just half a percentage point higher than before the pandemic. Math scores are up by 5 points from six years ago, but remain at only 16 percent proficiency, according to the latest Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) scores.

Infante-Green’s decision to expedite the state’s turnover surprised everyone. And even though the mayor and other elected officials have been seeking this for several years, there’s concern about how smooth it will be. The lack of transparency and the shifting goal posts haven’t helped.

Then there’s the newly appointed/elected school board, which is already divided. Led by 24-year-old Ty’Relle Stephens, the board was criticized by Infante-Green for overstepping their roles in getting into the day-to-day running of the district, which she believes should be left up to the superintendent.

This new board format requires city or state legislation to ensure that budgeting and collective bargaining remain in the executive branch. Otherwise, we’ll end up like Boston, where they are laying off 400 teachers because the city doesn’t have enough money to pay the ‘negotiated’ contracts. For the mayor, challenges and opportunities are clear… and growing. The school year always starts with hiccups, from school assignments to transportation, and minimizing them must be a priority. A financial review of spending is critical and should be conducted to ensure costs across the board are controlled.

Both the city and the state have been all-in on infrastructure, committing over a billion dollars to upgrading school buildings. The funds have been controlled by the Department of Education, which is reimbursing the city for up to 91 percent of the cost. The irony, of course, is that the actual student enrollment in the system is down by several thousand as parents look for alternatives in charter, religious, and private schools. Meeting the multi-lingual needs of the schools continues to be a challenge.   

State Senator and former Providence City Councilor Sam Zurier heads the Senate Education Committee, and no one is more knowledgeable about the city’s school issues. Zurier led a blue-ribbon senate study commission in 2023 that authored an education bill containing many of the big-picture changes we had hoped to see when the state took over the system. Key points in his proposed bill include: a career-ladder approach that advances teachers based on excellence and commitment rather than seniority; performance mandates that replace seniority as the basis for filling open positions; and a focus on school boards’ responsibilities to base their priorities on student outcomes. And an emphasis on the need for collaboration in problem-solving.

All sounds great except that the president of the Rhode Island Senate is also president of the National Education Association of Rhode Island (NEARI), which represents 12,000 teachers, so expect a watered-down bill if it even makes it to the floor. Changes at the State House could be more favorable for the city. Both Governor Dan McKee and past Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi relied heavily on union support for their success. With Chris Blazejewski replacing the latter and Helena Foulkes polling ahead for governor, both positions would be held by politicians more attuned to Providence educational issues. Blazejewski’s wife is an educator, and his young children attend Providence schools, so he is very vested.

The school build-out program is scheduled to continue for the next few years. As budget crunches continue, battles between designs approved and locked in by the state several years previously are now meeting neighborhood concerns, which are likely to produce flare-ups resulting in higher costs. Mayor Brett Smiley should get all the leaders in one room, lock the door, and tell them that this is for the city’s parents and children and that no one is leaving until we’re all working together and speaking from the same platform that is in their best interest.