Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approves extension on Providence intervention

August 29, 2024 7:33 pm

Gino DeAngelis,

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education accepted a proposal to continue state intervention into Providence Public Schools for up to three years.

The state took control over the district in 2019.

The decision to extend the district’s Turnaround Status and the currently implemented Turnaround Action Plan comes after two separate third-party reviews by SchoolWorks and the Harvard Graduate School for Education’s Center for Education Policy Research.

The council said the reviews found “notable progress under the state intervention” but there were multiple areas that still needed improvement.

“As commissioner overseeing the intervention of Providence Public Schools, I am committed to delivering the improvement students, families, and teachers of Providence have demanded for more than three decades,” Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said. “I look forward to continuing the momentum and working closely with our partners to address the remaining challenges that will help us create a world-class education system that we can all be proud of.”

Providence Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez said that he will continue to “work with his teams” to face the challenges in the district.

Providence School Board President Erlin Rogel released a statement calling the decision “disappointing:”

The council’s decision to extend the intervention in Providence beyond two years is disappointing. My hope is that we use this interim period to responsibly prepare for the return of our district to local control. The transition back must be a community-driven process that ensures our schools are governed by those closest to the work: a superintendent who can make informed, independent decisions; a school board that can provide meaningful oversight; and a community that has the power to hold us all accountable. We have a chance now to rethink how we govern our schools and ensure this extended period leads to lasting, meaningful change.