July 21, 2024 Letter

Dear Neighbors:

Last week, I took some old Rhode Island friends on their first-ever tour of our State House. By the time we were finished, they felt charmed by its beauty and delighted by the Rhode Island stories it told. This has been a difficult summer for our country, and our State has its own share of problems we need to solve, but my visit reminded me how lucky I am to live in this place at this time. In this week’s letter, I will provide an update concerning the State’s takeover of the Providence Public Schools (PPS).

A.       The State’s Review Of The Takeover Of Providence Public Schools

The State began its takeover in November, 2019 for a five-year term that is subject to review and possible renewal by the Council of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Council issued Regulations to assess whether the takeover should continue, and the Commissioner of Education engaged a consultant to prepare a report to inform that assessment. That report is due in August.

B.       The City’s Review Of A Return To Local Control

In the meantime, the Mayor of Providence convened a Return to Local Control Cabinet to establish conditions the City believes are necessary to ensure a successful return to local control. The Cabinet prepared a list of eight metrics by which to measure some conditions for a successful return to local control. The Cabinet recently issued an online survey for PPS stakeholders and City residents to complete to inform their work. If you are a City resident or are involved in PPS, I encourage you to fill out the survey.

C.       Measuring The Takeover Against The Goals Of The Turnaround Action Plan

While the State and the City prepare these analyses, we can make our own assessment based on the goals of the Turnaround Action Plan (TAP) that the State prepared at the beginning of the takeover. There are many different goals, but we can start by reviewing the goals and performance in the basic measurements of student achievement. They are as follows:
TAP Metric:

Meet or exceed expections in

 Academic Year

2018-19 Baseline

(Pre-takeover

 TAP

Academic Year

2024-25 Goal

 Actual

Academic Year

2022-23 Data

(most recent available)
3rd Grade Math 17.8% 55% 20.8%
3rd Grade ELA 26.4% 68% 19%
8th Grade Math 7.4% 50% 5.6%
8th Grade ELA 14.7% 50% 14.5%
11th Grade Math SAT 14.6% 54% 13.5%
11th Grade ELA Sat 25.5% 67% 27.4%
In short, the academic performance of PPS students during the takeover has not come close to the goals set forth in the Turnaround Action Plan. To be fair, the pandemic caused learning loss for all children across the world, not just in Providence. I do not believe, however, any fair appraisal of the takeover can conclude that enough progress has been made to support a prompt return to local control. Instead, I would like to learn how the State plans to improve the takeover, and what timetable will be necessary to achieve the previous 5-year goals of the original TAP.

D.       Conditions For A Successful Takeover As Viewed By The State And The City

Put another way, I believe the State is now responsible for the success of the Providence Public Schools, and that it will need to do more it can fairly say that the takeover has reached a successful conclusion. In a similar way, I hope that the City will hold the State accountable for a more successful takeover before accepting a reversion to local control and responsibility.

E.       The Senate Study Commission’s Recommendations

As many of you know, I chaired a Senate study commission that reviewed several aspects of the Providence Public Schools, including labor-management relations, site-based management and accountability. The Study Commission issued this Report with recommendations that, in the Commission’s judgment, are necessary (though not sufficient) to support the sustainable progress of the Providence Public Schools. Included in those recommendations is the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement similar to that of the Springfield Empowerment Zone, which has achieved encouraging results through a contract that was approved by 96% of the teacher union’s membership.  The Providence contract is set to expire this Fall.

F.        Conclusion: Two Key Events To Watch For This Fall

To conclude, this Fall will bring two major events shaping the future of the Providence Public Schools, namely the decision about the possible extension of the State takeover, and the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement. The Commission’s Report proposes that these two events can be linked. By negotiating a new contract with the Springfield Empowerment Zone-type reforms, the Providence Public Schools can build a sturdy foundation for a successful (and hopefully) prompt return to local control.