Warwick students skip class to protest

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

Dozens of high school students in Warwick walked out of class Wednesday. They are fed up with the district’s special education department.

Just after 1 o’clock, students in Warwick skipped their last period and protested on Warwick Avenue in front of the Warwick Public Schools administration building.

"Everyone here is missing period five currently,” said Zach Colon, a senior at Toll Gate High School who organized the protest.

Colon says he’s been to every recent school committee meeting pushing for change to Warwick’s special education department.

"It’s in protest of the policies we’re putting in in Warwick,” said Colon.

He reached out to students from every high school in Warwick and asked them to protest directly in front of the administrators who have the ability to make changes.

"I realized that everyone’s education is being affected. Both the kids with IEPs, 504s, and the kids that are in classes being slowed down because they don’t have IEPs but the classes are full,” said Colon.

He and other students protesting said they’re concerned with overcrowded classrooms. In many cases, more than 50 percent of the students in each class have IEPs.

The students are also demanding an investigation into the special ed department. Last week, Superintendent Philip Thornton, along with Mayor Scott Avedisian, announced that Rhode Island’s Department of Education would be conducting a review of the department, but students protesting say that’s not enough.

"One of the things that I want is an investigation. That was the main point of this protest in general,” said Colon.

The superintendent declined an on-camera interview with ABC6. Instead, he released the following statement:

"We are implementing what are fundamentally recognized across the state and across the country as best practices in special education services. These are practices and procedures that should have been implemented in Warwick ten years ago. It is unfortunate that a small number of people are protesting these long overdue initiatives and it is troubling that this same small group of folks is encouraging others to protest programs that are specifically designed to provide all our students with the best teaching and learning we can provide."

Last week, Mayor Avedisian said RIDE’s review should be finished by the end of January.

© WLNE-TV 2016