Education
You know, this sort of talk can only expand the sense of unreality between unions and the general public: “Something is insane in Providence,” [American Federation of Teachers President Randi] Weingarten said, standing on the steps of City Hall. “On a week where teachers and students were taking a well-deserved break, a secret plan was…
From the Providence Journal Editors: If George Caruolo’s blatant conflict of interest as a $5,000-a-month lobbyist for a gambling palace does not disqualify him from becoming chairman of the state board overseeing K-12 public education, his dismissal of the need for serious education reform surely should….Mr. Caruolo’s view is that all [of Education Commissioner Deborah…
Marc’s already posted on the topic, and I’m admittedly playing catch-up in my daily reading routine, but having read George Caruolo’s declaration of the not-badness of Rhode Island schools (and the consequent no-rushism of the probable chairman of the state Board of Regents), I have to offer additional comment. What’s striking, given the prominence of…
In yesterday’s Projo, Linda Borg reported that Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith wants Mayor Angel Tavares to reconsider his decision to formally dismiss all of the teachers in the Providence School System…The Providence Teachers Union president offered the School Board another option Monday night: send out letters that include the possibility of layoffs and…
Thomas Russell of Barrington pushes a logical error frequently confused for an argument: I am (unfortunately) old enough to remember the state of education before the birth of teachers unions. Teaching positions were treated as patronage jobs, and salaries were so low that many graduates only turned to teaching after they failed to find work…
To follow up on last night’s post, the full ProJo story provides more insight into the “What, me worry?” philosophy of George Carruolo. For instance: For his part, Caruolo emphasizes cooperation among all groups — teachers, parents, students and the community — as the critical ingredient for school improvement. “Everyone will have to make compromises…
Bah. Who needs a sense of urgency: George Caruolo, the savvy former politician Governor Chafee has appointed to lead the state’s top education board, says Rhode Island’s $2-billion-a-year public school system is not that bad. What is needed to improve the state’s 300-odd public schools, he says, may not be an ambitious agenda of change…
Providence’s Mayor Angel Taveras “blasted” the following last night to his e-list. [Note to NBC Nightly News correspondent Kevin Tibbles: painful as it may be to admit, Mayor Taveras is a (D), not an (R).] Mayor Taveras’ affirmation of a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers as well as his reminder of our collective “moral responsibility” to…
A bevy of education-related stories today. The repercussions following the Providence teacher “firings” continue, with Mayor Tavares getting attention from the New York Times. The ProJo reported that teachers fear it’s the end for seniority-based retention, which is kind of a strange way to put it because, as the story also explains, that end was…
The ProJo has more on the Providence School district sending pink slips to all teachers. Basically, it was Mayor Angel Taveras’ call based on economic reality and trying to have as much flexibility as possible. The mayor said the unprecedented move was necessary because of the depth of the financial crisis facing the city and…