Media folks and others were quick to notice that Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza was absent from the press conference where the new superintendent of Providence Schools, Harrison Peters, was officially introduced. His office says he wasn’t invited. And predictably, his absence has now become a story —and that is part of our problem. We rail… Continue reading Let’s Ignore the Adult Drama and Focus on Outcomes for Students
Providence mayor Jorge Elorza caught a lot of people off guard yesterday during the Achievement First board meeting when he, seemingly out of nowhere, floated the idea of them expanding by way of closing a lower performing charter school. If there had been a record player in the room, I suspect it would have screeched… Continue reading Elorza Jumps the Shark—And Providence Children Are Collateral Damage
Jorge Elorza is probably the only Mayor in the country who has direct access to one of the best and one of the worst performing school systems in the state in their own city — and yet he has made the calculated decision not to lead on connecting and collaborating to maximize the impact of… Continue reading With a Waitlist of over 3,000, Elorza Can Finally Lead By Opening Up Additional Seats at Achievement First
Last night was a much anticipated meeting of the Rhode Island State Board of Education meeting—it’s impossible to imagine that those in charge did not expect a large crowd. The agenda included a vote on whether or not to allow Angélica Infante Green, the state education commissioner, to take over the Providence Schools. But somehow,… Continue reading This Is Not What Public Service Looks Like in 2019
Rats. Asbestos. Lead paint. Brown water. Paint peeling off in sheets. Raw sewage. Fewer than 10 percent of 8th grade students able to read and do math at grade level. Ineffective and abusive teachers who can’t be terminated. Classroom work consistently far below grade level. Students watching Netflix and YouTube on their phones during class.… Continue reading Pointing Fingers Is a Must
It is no secret that any critique of teachers is seen by many—especially teachers themselves—as an attack or an attempt to vilify the entire profession. So let me say right out of the gate that I am not doing that. I spent a decade as a teacher and it was the most exhausting and draining… Continue reading Can We Please Have an Honest Conversation About Teacher Absenteeism?
In February of 2018 Mayor of Providence Jorge Elorza and school superintendent Chris Maher rolled out a strategic plan that laid out goals around student proficiency, student and teacher absenteeism, and the high school graduation rate. The motivator for the initiative was the chronic underperformance of students in math and reading as well as high… Continue reading A Glaring Omission in Elorza’s Inaugural
When Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza was recently shouted down by the city’s teachers throughout the entirety of his state of the city address, he was forced to answer some questions about the current status of negotiations between his administration and the Providence Teachers’ Union. Anyone in the chamber that night— or watching from home as… Continue reading Providence Mayor Elorza Wants a Transformational Contract for Teachers — Here’s What It Should Look Like
After news broke the other day that Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza was ready to tackle the insidious issue of crumbling school buildings, everyone on radio an in print was talking about it. And it’s a conversation that’s long overdue and certainly not unique to Providence. Neighboring East Providence as well as Detroit parents could certainly… Continue reading Crumbling Buildings With No Escape Hatch for Parents
As another charter battle heats up in Little Rhody, the usual status quo protectors are talking about everything except what matters most: student outcomes and parent demand. And when it comes to Achievement First, the charter school looking to expand, it’s impossible to deny that they’ve earned the privilege of doing so. They’ve proven the… Continue reading Student Outcomes and Parent Satisfaction Must be Front and Center in Debate over AF
