Latest news with #AngélicaInfante-Green
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Providence Council president reverses course on Excel Academy deal
Miller's change of heart before tonight's City Council vote appears to kill the lease arrangement with Excel Academy, although charter school advocates are still lobbying other council members to support the deal. Reality check: This is more of a value statement from Miller – one that keeps her closest political allies happy – than it is a nail in the coffin for Excel Academy. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Excel started accepting fifth graders from Providence, North Providence, and Central Falls during the 2022-2023 school year, and it already has the approval from the Rhode Island Department of Education to eventually grow to a K-12 school. The council has no ability to block that expansion. Advertisement But Miller has created an obstacle for school leaders because they believed they had negotiated a deal that would be beneficial to everyone involved. Now they'll need to find new space as their school continues to grow. The bigger picture: This is a bad look for Miller, and she's smart enough to know that. But opposing charter schools is not going to cost anyone their seat on the Providence City Council (the pro-charter movement is not considered a major player in city elections). Advertisement Where Miller's decision could become a problem is with the state takeover of Providence schools. Providence leaders were unsuccessful in convincing the General Assembly to return the school to local control this year, and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green already has approval to keep control of the district until October 2027. One of Infante-Green's primary concerns about Providence is that the local government – the mayor's office, council, and school board – is too dysfunctional to oversee the school district. Miller's flip-flop doesn't help with that perception. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
School districts, teachers unions sue over Trump's freeze on education funding
Related : The new case comes as the US Department of Education has agreed to release about $1.3 billion in funding for after-school and summer programming, out of $6.8 billion withheld. No decision has been made yet about the rest of the money, a notice to states on Friday said. Advertisement The money released is for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which include nonprofits such as the Boys & Girls Clubs that serve high-poverty, low-performing districts with after-school and summer programs. The frozen funds prompted alarm that those programs would have to shut down or significantly scale back in the coming weeks if the money remained frozen. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The funds were released after 10 Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said the state received $6.5 million from the released after-school funds, but the Department of Education 'hasn't provided any information about when — or if — the remaining Congressionally allocated education funds will be released.' Advertisement Rhode Island had 'Unnecessary delays and cuts to education funding for students are irresponsible,' Infante-Green said. 'Students and teachers in every school district in Rhode Island will be negatively affected.' The funds that remain withheld support the The Department of Education and Office of Management and Budget did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit. But OMB previously said it was withholding the funds, which are typically disbursed on July 1, in order to review whether the programs were spreading a 'radical leftwing agenda' including support for undocumented immigrants. Miriam Weizenbaum, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said the administration would have to follow the appropriate federal procedures to seek to withhold money for that reason, which wasn't done here. 'You get more notice and opportunity to be heard with a speeding ticket,' Weizenbaum said. The new lawsuit said the 'uncertainty' about the funds is 'causing significant anxiety and confusion among the Teachers Unions' members right before the start of the school year.' 'The Teachers Unions are under intense stress and pressure to help members determine exactly how their jobs will be affected,' the suit said. 'Some members will be scrambling to find new jobs.' If cuts take place, class sizes could grow, the lawsuit said, making it 'more difficult for teachers to effectively perform their jobs' and harder for districts to retain teachers. The plaintiffs include the Anchorage School District in Alaska, the largest district in that state, along with two other Alaskan districts, the Cincinnati Public Schools, and large teachers unions in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas. Advertisement Weizenbaum, who was previously a top litigator in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, said it's unclear if the judge in the separate case would making a ruling that affects all 50 states, or just the 23 states who sued, which would leave out some of the districts in the new case. She said teachers unions also wanted to bring the separate suit in order to make sure their experience of what the funding cuts will bring is heard before the court. 'Their on-the-ground perspective needs to be before a court,' Weizenbaum said. 'This is a big hit across the country at all levels.' Maribeth Calabro, the president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, wrote in a declaration attached to the lawsuit that a wide range of jobs in Providence are funded with the withheld money, including instructional coaches, social workers, and behavioral specialists. The withheld money 'has created widespread uncertainty about staffing levels, student support services, and professional development availability for the upcoming school year,' Calabro wrote. She said Rhode Island's ability to teach the science of reading could be in jeopardy, along with Providence's compliance with a US Department of Justice settlement over properly teaching English to multilingual learners. The group asked for a preliminary injunction to release the funding as the case is heard. A hearing date has not yet been set. Steph Machado can be reached at
Boston Globe
04-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Providence teachers to vote on new contract
It is expected to carry the union through the 2026-2027 school year. The state is widely expected to turn control of the district back over to Mayor The bigger picture: One of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green's top goals when she led the state takeover was to Advertisement That never happened. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the gubernatorial transition from Gina Raimondo to Dan McKee, priorities (and strategies) changed. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The state lost its desire to have a prolonged battle with the union, and the union (even through its own leadership changes) held firm. The contract saw minor tweaks during the takeover, but nothing close to what Infante-Green promised (or threatened) back in 2019 and 2020. The negotiations for the deal that will be voted on next week moved slowly in part because both sides knew there wouldn't be very much extra money since pandemic-era federal funding has dried up. What's next: The teachers' union vote is scheduled for June 9. Getting a deal done now is beneficial to Infante-Green and McKee, who won't have to worry about a contentious contract battle as he seeks reelection next year. Advertisement Mayor Brett Smiley and the City Council have not been involved in the negotiations, but if the school system returns to their control next year, they'll have a major say over the next contract. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Too many absences? RI students may be held back under new policy
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Students in Rhode Island who miss too many days of school or aren't testing at grade level could be at risk of being held back under a new policy. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green announced the new policy in an effort to combat chronic absenteeism in the state. Infante-Green emphasized that students who are chronically absent tend to score about 20% lower on state assessments and are more likely to drop out. TARGET 12: RI students missing school at record-high levels, sometimes for months For years, the Rhode Island Department of Education has pushed the message: Attendance Matters. But despite efforts to incentivize showing up for school, the problem still persists. Starting next year, students who miss 18 or more days of school and do not meet grade-level benchmarks may not be allowed to move on to the next grade. 'Learning matters': State leaders recognize decline in chronic absences 'Sending a kid to third grade that hasn't mastered what happens in second grade … that child will always be behind,' Infante-Green said. 'It's very unlikely that they will catch up.' However, some parents and educators believe the policy is prioritizing the wrong issue. Instead, they believe the state should be looking at why students are missing school in the first place, not just what happens when they do. 'I think the policy is too harsh because there's things that happen in life. There's people that are dying. There's homelessness. There's shelters,' Kim Jemmott told 12 News. 'There's a lot of things that happen in life that we can't control.' Infante-Green clarified that the decision to hold a student back would be made on a case-by-case basis, and only used as a last resort. 'This is not about penalizing. This is about ensuring that our students get what they need, and there will be countless supports at the school,' she said. 'I think that when we have kids that reach the 8th grade and can't read on grade level, we're doing an injustice to our students.' By implementing this policy, Infante-Green expects to boost test scores and graduation rates. NEXT: 10 takeaways from this year's RI Kids Count factbook Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
RI's Pre-K lottery open for 2025-26 school year
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island families with children turning 4 before the fall can now apply for the state's Pre-K lottery. The programs, offered in 20 participating communities, provide 'free, high-quality learning opportunities' for young kids, according to the R.I. Department of Education. To be eligible, a child must be 4 years old as of Sept. 1, 2025. Spots are limited, so filling out an application is required. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on June 22. RI Pre-K Lottery: How to apply 'The high-quality learning opportunities that are offered through our RI Pre-K program allow children to develop the academic and social-emotional skills they need to succeed throughout their educational journeys,' R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said in a press release. 'All students, no matter their background, benefit from early learning experiences,' she added. 'I invite all Rhode Island families with eligible children to enter the lottery for a chance at a free seat.' The state-funded pre-K programs are offered at public schools, Head Start agencies and child care centers in the following cities and towns: Bristol-Warren Central Falls Coventry Cranston East Providence Johnston Lincoln Middletown Newport North Kingstown North Providence Pawtucket Portsmouth Providence Smithfield Warwick West Warwick Westerly Woonsocket RELATED: RI Senate passes universal pre-K, constitutional right to education Visit the state's website to learn more, or send questions to RIPre-K@ Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
