RIDE Commissioner talks plans to tackle PVD Schools crisis

July 17, 2019 5:39 pm

PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) – It’s been nearly a month since the release of the scathing Providence Schools’ report from Johns Hopkins University, and now Rhode Island’s Education Commissioner is not only armed with feedback after several public hearings but also has some options on the table about how the school system can begin its reformation.

The report released last month detailed crumbling schools within the district, not a whole lot of learning going on in classrooms, rowdy behaviors from students causing safety concerns, and crumbling buildings.

Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green held eight public forums for parents, teachers, and students since the report’s release, and now we’re hearing what may be some options moving forward.

“The layers of bureaucracy cannot continue,” Infante-Green said. “It’s far worse than we thought.”

Infante-Green tells ABC 6 that although the report said that parents felt like they were left out of the conversation, she said she’s learned it’s much worse after attending the meetings.

“Parents feel lost there’s no way to get any information,” she said.

With the beginning of the new school year less than 50 days away, Infante-Green said some of those problems reflected in the report can be addressed immediately.

“Students not feeling safe in the building I think there are immediate things we can do about that,” the Commissioner said. “The conditions of the buildings I think there are some immediate things we can do.”

Infante-Green said that repairs within the schools will need to be taken care of by the city, but she added that when it came to long term solutions, including improving test scores for students, it gets a little more complicated.

With Governor Raimondo saying last month that the state will get involved in some way, Infante-Green is very open to the idea of charter schools helping to fill the role.

“Let’s not make any mistake about that. [Charter schools] are going to be a part of the tool kit,” she said.

Infante-Green said the state will also be turning to Massachusetts for help, as the Bay State has significantly greater scores on testing for its students.

“We’ve been partnering with Massachusetts as we start thinking about the things that need to happen here,” she said. “They’re the top in the nation. Why wouldn’t we look to them?”

Providence City Council will be voting for an independent audit of the school department at a City Council meeting on Thursday, but Infante-Green said she doesn’t see that point of it as “we know where we are.”

Infante-Green said she understands Providence is not the only troubled school district in the state, and she said more reports like the one released for Providence Schools could happen in the future, as she said everything is on the table.

“This is about the entire state moving forward,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to think that this is just Providence.”

Infante-Green will hold a presentation Tuesday to the Providence City Council with more specifics going forward.