Providence City Council education-related hearings this week: RIDE rankings and elected school board

In his weekly newsletter, Providence City Council member Sam Zurier shares two events likely to be of interest to fellow education obsessives.

1. TODAY (!!!), Monday July 23 at 5:00pm, the City Council Education Subcommittee will hear a presentation from the  Providence School Department concerning the State’s recent rankings of schools for intervention (discussed here on this blog last week). The purpose of the hearing will be to learn how the rankings were compiled, and how they will impact the affected schools.  The meeting will take place on the third floor of City Hall (25 Dorrance Street).


I cannot make it to this hearing - will be en route from work. Am putting this out there in case someone reading this is able and as usual, if you're incline to write up what happened and share here in the comments, so grateful we would be!


2. On Thursday July 26, at 5:30pm, the City Council Ordinance Committee will hold a public hearing on proposed revisions to the City Charter, including one to replace the appointed school board with an elected school committee.


So not likely that I will make this hearing either, though I am quite interested. I am also quite without a firm opinion about the best direction in which to head. I am inclined to support an elected school board more out of distaste for the current appointed board, which puts too much power in the hands of the mayor's office. Clearly much more to say and debate but I'll be quiet about this for now in the interest of sharing this post with 4 hours and 53 minutes to spare before tonight's meeting - should be plenty of time to clear your calendar and be there, right?