Education

The Import of Civil Rights Talk in Education

By Justin Katz | August 3, 2009 |

After the RISC summer meeting, Ocean State Policy‘s Brian Bishop elaborated on his specific objection to the commentary of Education Commissioner Deborah Gist with respect to civil rights. The following is the relevant segment of her talk (stream, download, 42 sec): In particular, our students whose families are poor, who are black, Latino, whose first…

Juxtaposing Rhode Island’s Student Achievement to Teacher Compensation Rankings and a Plan to Make it Worse

By Monique Chartier | August 2, 2009 |

Further to the dissatisfaction that Justin expressed yesterday with remarks made by Rhode Island’s new Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist at the RISC Summer meeting … STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT – Brushing the bottom 20% nationally ALEC 2008 Report on American Education [PDF] Ranks RI academic achievement at fortieth out of fifty first. Note that this is…

Funding Formula Fallacies, or How Regressive is Rhode Island’s Current Property Tax Structure?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | July 29, 2009 |

Providence City Councilman Terrence Hassett, quoted in a Philip Marcelo Projo article from a week ago Sunday, explained the purpose of an education “funding formula” more directly than most…“There is an ocean of money available for some communities that is not there for poorer urban communities,” says Providence City Councilman Terrence M. Hassett, a Smith…

Caruolo Law: Clarifying What it Does and Does Not

By Monique Chartier | July 25, 2009 |

Rhode Island General Law Title 16, Chapter 16-2, Section 16-2-21.4 Does > Permits school committees to sue their city/town for failing to fully fund their budget. the school committee shall have the right to seek additional appropriations by bringing an action in the superior court > Requires a financial and performance audit in the event…

Cutting Sports Now, What’s Next?

By Marc Comtois | July 23, 2009 |

Faced with the cuts in sports funding, Woonsocket athletic director George Nasuti is taking a proactive approach in hopes of averting a similar situation that occurred nearly two decades ago when several sports programs were weakened and athletes fled to other schools. He called a meeting of athletes and parents: “Either we work to fund…

A Drastic Step in Detroit

By Monique Chartier | July 23, 2009 |

And we’re not talking about another auto bailout. From today’s Detroit News. About 2,600 Detroit Public Schools teachers and staff will have to reapply for their jobs by Friday or face losing their positions under a massive shakeup that has union leaders crying foul. Forty-one schools will be “reconstituted” and all staff positions among them…

The Travesty of the School System

By Justin Katz | July 22, 2009 |

The union’s response to the Woonsocket school committee’s approved cuts — which, as Monique suggests, it hopes the judiciary will obviate — was predictable and probably wouldn’t have merited mention except for the closing words of Woonsocket Teachers Guild President Richard Dipardo: “They’ve cut all sports but track, all extra-curricular activities,” Dipardo said. “It’s just…

NEA-RI Future Illusions with Averages

By Justin Katz | July 21, 2009 |

Mr. Crowley has been on the attack, lately, so it’s pleasant to see him turning toward attempts to actually make a case on behalf of those for whom he advocates. Yesterday, he presented some National Education Association numbers (I know, I know) thus: This first chart shows that over the last decade, teachers [across the…

Could the Seeds of Educational Radicalism Spread?

By Carroll Andrew Morse | July 17, 2009 |

Russell J. Moore of the Warwick Beacon notes that other Rhode Island communities will be closely watching Providence and Central Falls’ “radical” experiments with hiring teachers on a basis other than seniority…Should a school department hire teachers administrators believe would best educate students? Or should the teacher who has worked for the school department the…

Gutting the District in Woonsocket

By Justin Katz | July 16, 2009 |

For those who need a bright light in the lazy days of a tardy summer, here are the cuts approved by the Woonsocket School Committee last night (PDF, including other documentation): All sports except track & field: $155,903 Athletic supplies: $12,750 Athletic uniforms: $9,350 Choral, class advisors 8 through 12, RI Honor Society, band, drama…