August 9, 2007

Education

New Charter Middle School Planned for Central Falls

Carroll Andrew Morse

Is Rhode Island's statewide moratorium on charter schools, currently slated to end at the of the 2007-2008 school year, really going to be allowed to lapse? According to Rochelle Lefebvre of the Pawtucket Times, officials in Central Falls must believe so…

Students may be soon be able to enroll in [Central Falls’] first charter school that, if approved by the General Assembly, could open as soon as September 2008.

Angelo Garcia is the director of Channel One, the city's social service agency, and the Ralph J. Holden Community Center.

He said he has been in communication with the Rhode Island Department of Education recently about the proposed school....

The school, which would be called Segue, would offer seats for about 240 local middle-school-aged children. Charter school advocates suggest a new facility would take the burden off Calcutt Middle School, which now houses nearly 700 students.

Hopefully, Central Falls will be able to repeat the experience of Providence, where two of the top three middle schools (out of nine total) are charters.

On the other hand, I wonder what charter advocates will have to give up to get the legislature to cooperate with their plans? Watch out for the General Assembly demanding that charter-school employees surrender their right to a secret ballot when voting on union issues (a provision quietly slipped into some proposed charter legislation earlier this year) as the price for allowing new charters.

11:30 AM
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Surrender their rights to vote in a secret ballot and allow the boss to threaten, intimidate, bribe, cheat, steal votes, and general behave like Republicans in an election.

Posted by: Pat Crowley at August 9, 2007 2:03 PM

"Surrender their rights to vote in a secret ballot and allow the boss to threaten, intimidate, bribe, cheat, steal votes..."

Funny that you say that since Congress just passed a law allowing union bosses to do just that.

Posted by: Greg at August 9, 2007 2:30 PM

Greg, put the talking points down because you really don't have any idea what you are talking about.

Besides, aren't you still in time out?

Posted by: Pat Crowley at August 9, 2007 6:23 PM

Pat,

I think Greg has a point. Are you sure you said what you really wanted to say in your first comment?

Posted by: Andrew at August 9, 2007 7:31 PM

Great point, Greg. Fortunately, so far, it has not become law.

We can't have secret ballots - that hallmark of a democratic process. How will union thugs know whom to intimidate?

Misnamed, indeed.


"... The House passed the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act, which would have eliminated the secret ballot for workers voting on whether to form a labor union. The measure fell just nine votes short of Senate approval, but organized labor still has its passage at the top of its wish list. ..."

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_6565990

Posted by: SusanD at August 9, 2007 9:41 PM

I'm not a member of a union so I don't bow to you or Bob. The only 'time out's I respect on this forum are those handed down from the admins. I'm not about to concede my freedom of speech rights to a toady puke union hack like you.

Posted by: Greg at August 9, 2007 9:41 PM