Providence school bus issues - what to do if you're having problems

This school year, kids who ride the school bus in Providence are experiencing an unprecedented level of problems: late to school, late getting home, missing school bus monitors, clueless drivers, and more. There's been a fair amount of press about this, so I won't go into the gory details here. At the most basic level, kids aren't reliably getting to or from school because the district has underfunded transportation, and the district's contract is with First Student, a company with a reputation of poor service both within and beyond Providence. There is a vast amount of detail and nuance contained with those basic facts, and if you're interested in delving into it, read on to connect with others who are doing just that.

If your children have been experiencing these problems, or if you are are generally concerned about Providence school transportation practices and polices, please join a Facebook group that an awesomely can-do parent, Michele Meek, has started to gather those concerned to share information and address the issue with the district and the district's bus provided, First Students. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/503295836430396/ and join the Providence Parents Concerned about School Busses group. Read through the posts and comments; some of the issues and challenges that families are facing as a result of unreliable school bus transportation are frightening and sad.

You can also visit http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/home/?u=46bef54b3dc49dc8140b7915a&id=c364889d75 to subscribe to an email list that Michele has created to keep people informed about the issues and the city's response (via that link, you can also access the three email updates that she has sent out thus far).

So far, Michele and other parents have organized a meeting of concerned parents earlier this month, and followed up by bringing the issue to the most recent PPSD school board meeting, which took place on Monday, 9/23. You can read detailed coverage of the meeting here: http://www.golocalprov.com/news/providence-parents-blast-busing-problems-at-school-board-meeting/.

Please join and please spread the word.

Spaziano in-district charter application moves forward; King's moves...sideways?

News about the district charter school initiative, from the 11/21 edition of the ProJo (story here):

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The teachers at Frank D. Spaziano Elementary School have overwhelming approved going forward with an application to become a district charter school.
The faculty voted 35 to 1 Thursday to pursue its application with the Rhode Island Department of Education. The teachers at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School voted against applying for charter status last week. 

This is a new effort by Supt. Susan Lusi. A district charter would have more freedom over schedules and the length of the school day, but its teachers would remain in the union and the district would control its curriculum. 

Nine schools originally expressed interest in becoming charters but the tight deadlines made it difficult for schools to complete the application process. They may apply next year.

Though teachers at King (where my kids attend, but from which I have little news to report directly) did not vote in sufficient numbers to carry its in-district charter application forward, last night's school board agenda (accessible here: http://www.providenceschools.org/pesb/) reveals that there was an action related to a charter application that King's current principal, Derrick Ciesla, is proposing. I was not at the school board so can't report on what it is and what transpired. If any readers have more info, I'd be glad to share it, and when I learn more, I'll do the same.

Providence School Board seeking to fill three seats - info and deadlines

Here's some info on the process that's happening now to fill three seats on the Providence School Board. The terms of current school board members Nicholas Hemond, Maila Touray, and Robert Wise are expiring (though of course they may be reappointed; most of this is adapted from a city press release and I am sharing in case this helps reach anyone who is interested. 

The Providence School Board Nominating Commission is accepting applications for three positions on the School Board.Candidates with strong finance and/or policy experience are particularly encouraged to apply. School Board members are appointed to three-year terms.

The School Board Nominating Commission will conduct an information session on Monday, October 29 for interested parties to learn about the roles and responsibilities of School Board members and the School Board nomination process.The meeting will be held 6:00-7:15 pm at the Providence Public School Department at 797 Westminster Street, in School Board Room B on the third floor.

The School Board application deadline is 4:00 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012. Applications can be completed online, and the School Board job description and other information is available at the city's website: https://www.providenceri.com/schools/nominating-commission-application/

Applicants whose applications meet the general qualifications for School Board candidacy will be invited to appear at a public forum on Tuesday, November 13 for interested community members to meet and ask questions of candidates. The forum will be held 6:00-800 pm in the auditorium of the Providence Career and Technical Academy at 41 Fricker Street in Providence.

At the conclusion of the application process, Mayor Taveras will select nominees from a pool of finalists recommended by the Nominating Commission. The new School Board nominees will be subject to City Council approval.

PPSD in-district charter process - the questions

This post is a recap and expansion of the questions I asked yesterday about the in-district charter school process that is now unfolding within PPSD. In subsequent posts, I'll share answers and information as it becomes available.

• What are PPSD's specific motivations for introducing in-district charters?

• Why is this happening so hastily? Teachers found out about this in some (all?) schools with almost no time to consider before voting to move forward. Potential partner organizations had a week to respond to indicate interest in the partnership possibility, which may have limited the capacity for strong potential partners to respond.

• What exactly is required of school communities on October 1? Per RIDE guidelines (online at http://ride.ri.gov/Commissioner/charterschools/applications.aspx) the December 1 application deadline is clear, but the October 1 deadline is not mentioned.

• Are schools submitting applications to become in-district charters in the 2013-2014 school year, or 2014-2015?

• Why is this happening with a lack of clear information from the district? What are PPSD's plans for putting out a FAQ or other document that clearly briefs the public on this process?

• What's the specific plan and timeline for parent/family involvement in terms of finding out more, collaborating with school-based planning teams on the charter applications, and, of course, voting. 

• What are the specific requirements for parent votes? RIDE regulations say that more than 50% majority parent vote is required for a school to convert to charter. What is the mechanism of the vote - is it 50% of parents/family members who show up for a meeting or 50% of all parents/family members? When in the process does the vote occur - before, simultaneous with, or after the faculty vote?

• What happens to the neighborhood status of these schools? Do they become schools that have no neighborhood zone and to which any student in the district can apply?

• What will be the governance structure for these in-district charters? Will they have their own boards or be part of PPSD and the Providence School Board?

• How will the teachers of these in-district charters be represented by the PTU? Will they negotiate individual school-based contracts with the district?

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?

Learning from charter schools - what could that mean?

Related to the previous post on RIDE's big list and what it means for Providence, this July 14 ProJo article contains comments on the implications of this new RIDE classification schema from Superintendent Sue Lusi and School Board President Keith Oliveira, including this insight: 

Providence School Board President Keith Oliveira says it’s time for Providence to look to local charter schools that are moving the academic bar.

“It’s unacceptable that we have so many schools on the list,” he said. “We need to look at those urban schools with high degrees of achievement and parent satisfaction — the charter schools. They are doing something that’s working. It’s about time we consider learning from them.”

Mr. Oliveira, which charter schools are you referring to? A huge amount depends on that answer. If hope that you're thinking about some of our local, independently run charter schools such as ICS, the Learning Community, and, Times2, and Paul Cuffee. I think we have lots to learn from what they're doing - and of course, plenty to learn from other schools in the district including, of course, school on "the list." 

I will keep saying and writing, until I am blue in the face and the fingers, that PPSD already has much of the wisdom and skills needed to change outcomes for young people in our schools. What we lack is the political will that would provide resources and opportunities for effective professional development, site-based management, appropriate support for school leaders, sustained district leadership, lack of disruption from top-down district reorganization. Yes, I am still bitter about last year's school closings and their impact on young people and their schools. To think that there's no connection between that and lack of progress within a number of PPSD school that resulted in these new classifications is ridiculous. 

In addition to all that, collaboration among and between district schools and local charter schools would be great, especially given the high quality of local independent charter schools that surround us. Yes, let's learn from and with them. 

However, I hope that "learn from" doesn't mean "we invite charter chains managed by for-profit operators to take over our school district." That kind of "learning" we can do without. 

Proposed 2012-2013 PPSD calendar

Up above is the draft version of the 2012-2013 Providence Public Schools academic year calendar that was supposed to be approved at last night's school board meeting. Click on the image to see a larger version. It's available as part of the publicly posted school board meeting agenda, which can be found here: http://www.providenceschools.org/pesb/.

However, this calendar wasn't approved because only three of nine school board members were in attendance - not a quorum, so they could not vote. Three out of nine! I don't know which three were there. Thanks for showing up, whoever you are. And the rest of you? What's the deal? Who am I to ask, you could ask - after all, I wasn't there either. But hey, I'm not on the school board.

School board members, show up so that business can get done, even basic business such as approving this calendar. Families urgently need this information in order to plan our summers. Let's assume it will be approved as is, which means that the first day of school will be Tuesday, August 28.

I'll guess that approving this calendar was not even the most urgent business that needed to get done. But because it's what I was waiting for, I'll invest a few minutes in this little fuss, and also offer up the draft as a likely indicator of what next year looks like for our kids.

And while I'm in ranty territory, I'll hang out here a bit longer to ask why Providence School Board meetings (and other public meetings) aren't broadcast on the web for people to view if they cannot attend. Due to family obligations, I can't often make it to school board meetings. If the meetings were webcast, you can be damn sure I'd tune in, or at the very least watch recordings. That the ProJo nor other local media do not cover the school board meetings is frustrating, too - though the need for such coverage would be less urgent if we were able to take advantage of easily implemented technology to make the meetings more accessible--and the school board more accountable--to many more citizens.

I imagine I'm not the only one who wants this and I would love to know if there's any energy inside (or outside) City Hall to put school board and perhaps other meetings online. If not, why not?

Now leaving Rantopolis.


UPDATE: The ProJo, object of my complaining, did report on the meeting nonattendance. Thanks for that, and the the story shares that Keith Oliveira, Nina Pande, and Barbara Wong were in attendance last night. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Tom.

Dr. Susan Lusi chosen as Providence Public Schools superintendent

Last night, as the ProJo and other sources reported, the Providence School Board unanimously* voted to appoint Dr. Susan Lusi as the permanent superintendent of the Providence Public Schools. Yay! And onward. Lots and lots of work to do, and I am glad that many of us will be doing that work with Sue's leadership.

--
*Worth an asterisk because at last night's school board meeting, five of nine school board members were in attendance: Keith Oliveira, Nicolas Hemond, Nina Pande, Robert Wise, and Barbara Wong. Natalia Rosa-Sosa, Megaly Sanchez, Maila Touray, and Julian Dash were absent from the meeting and therefore did not vote.

Providence School Board meeting tonight, 6:30pm, public vote on PPSD's next superintendent

Tonight, the Providence School Board is scheduled to vote on the confirmation of the next PPSD superintendent. Originally, this was slated to be a decision that took place entirely in executive session, per this Providence School Board agenda filed on Tuesday, May 1 and posted on the RI Secretary of State's website. On Friday, May 4, a revised agenda was posted stating that the board will meet first in executive session and then reconvene publicly for a vote to confirm the superintendent choice.

This is a welcome change that adds a last-minute smidgen of transparency to a process that has been secretive. I wrote last week about the undemocratic effects of the covert superintendent choice process. I very much wish to be present this evening for the vote in order to take advantage of what little opportunity for participation has been afforded. If you're just learning about this now and have any opportunity to attend, I hope that you do and that you're willing to post here in a comment or otherwise share what you saw and heard.

I didn't plan to be there, since until Friday there was no reason to be there. This week's capacity for evening meetings, already quite limited during Little League season, is already full; I'll be at the monthly PPSD Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting on Thursday evening (and if you want to know more about the PAC and how to participate, please let me know!). Mercifully, that's our one baseball-game-free evening this week. Part of me, of course, wants to figure out some way to get to tonight's school board meeting to witness whatever goes down. But a whole lot more of me--as much as I'd like to be there, as vital as it is that we show up and be heard--really needs to be present for my kid who will be playing tonight; for my other kids who will be at the game too; for my husband who's also trying to balance a job, a commute, and a family and who I don't wish to hit with a last-minute plea that he leave work early so I can be at the meeting tonight; and for some semblance of sanity, laundry, homework, dinner, and routine, none of which are easily had right now. 

Had this whole process been more transparent, inclusive, even marginally acknowledging of the importance of public engagement or at least public information, I'd likely have found a way to be at the meeting that should have been public all along. Yeah, I know that I've previously groused about how hard it is for many of us--particularly family members with school-age children--to react to last minute info, drop everything, and show up to stand up for what's right for our schools. We live in an imperfect world, that's just how it goes. Nevertheless, the last-minute change irks me, not because the school board vote has been made public but because it should have been public all along so that (to name just one reason) people could plan to be present  for--and perhaps even participate meaningfully in--important events in the life our our city's schools.

So, to recap: School Board meeting tonight, 6:30pm at 797 Westminster Street, during which the Providence School Board will vote on the next PPSD superintendent. Please go if you can. Please share what you saw and heard. Please know that I really wish I could be there. Thanks,

My email to the Providence School Board in support of Dr. Susan Lusi

Dear Members of the Providence School Board,

I am contacting you to ask that you appoint Dr. Susan Lusi as the permanent Superintendent of the Providence Public Schools. I strongly believe that her credentials and experience for this position are exemplary. 

During the past year, Dr. Lusi has led our district away from chaos and toward sorely needed order. PPSD cannot afford the interruption and disruption that will result if the you do not appoint Dr. Lusi; we need the continuity of her leadership not only for its own sake but because her work has been exemplary. Dr. Lusi is building systems that will see the district through the long haul. Her attention to dealing with back-office issues around data management and systems integration represent work that has been overlooked or poorly attended to for years. She takes teaching and learning seriously. The partnership with the Providence Teachers Union that she has forged to support a cohort of schools receiving federal School Improvement Grants represents an important collaborative step. She has the knowledge and experience to work well with the Rhode Island Department of Education.

As a parent of three children in the Providence Public Schools and member of the District's Parent Advisory Council leadership group, I can attest that Dr. Lusi communicates with parents and families confidently, compassionately, thoughtfully, and competently. Providence's public schools have benefited from the commitment, fierce focus and work ethic, deep expertise and experience, and local roots and knowledge that she has provided and will continue to bring to the job. 

Thank you for your consideration of my request to appoint Dr. Susan Lusi as the permanent Superintendent of the Providence Public Schools and for your public service.

Sincerely,

Jill Davidson 

--
Please see this post for more on why it's important to support Dr. Susan Lusi and some information about the possibile alternative.

Providence School Board: Please appoint Dr. Susan Lusi as PPSD Superintendent

Earlier this week, I wrote about my support for current Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Lusi and urged the school board to confirm her as PPSD Superintendent on a permanent basis. At that time, I noted that we knew nothing about who the other candidate(s) were or are.

I believe we know more now. GoLocalProv reported that the field is down to two: Dr. Lusi and a mystery candidate from Pennsylvania. That mystery candidate may be Thomas Darden, deputy for process improvement and compliance of The School District of Philadelphia. If so, Tom Hoffman's report on Darden's background is very troubling. From Tom's blog:

...the private investment firm of which Darden was a co-founder and managing director, sunk Rhode Island based BlueSky Brands, of which Darden was a director, committing violations of labor law in the Virginias and mis-managing (if not looting) the pensions of workers in Rhode Island. Darden then headed off to the Broad Academy and Philadelphia Public Schools, where he was a key part of the corrupt and discredited Ackerman administration's strategy of parceling off the district's schools to private operators. And now he's the frontrunner for PPSD superintendent? In the middle of a rolling pension crisis?

This doesn't take into consideration that Darden's background in education seems shockingly minimal, especially in comparison to Dr. Lusi's deep experience and expertise. I remain committed to supporting Dr. Lusi and urge the School Board to appoint her as permanent Superintendent of the Providence Public Schools.

Of course, I am not the only one who believes that Dr. Lusi is the best candidate for the position. Linda Borg has reported in the ProJo that Providence City Council members, Council President Michael A. Solomon, Council President Pro Tempore Terrence A. Hassett, and Sam Zurier, have send letters of support to Mayor Taveras expressing support for Dr. Susan Lusi as permanently appointed Superintendent of the Providence Public Schools. You can see Zurier's letter here.

Please speak up if you have not already. If you have already, speak up again. Here's why: Dr. Lusi is building systems that will see the district through the long haul. Dr. Lusi has experience as a superintendent, not only via this past year in Providence but during a long stretch as Portsmouth's superintendent. She's stabilized the district's relationship with the union. She takes teaching and learning seriously. She communicates with parents and families confidently, compassionately, thoughtfully, and competently. Providence's schools desperately need the continuity, commitment, fierce focus and work ethic, deep expertise and experience, local roots and knowledge, that she has provided and will continue to bring to the job. She has the knowledge and experience to work well with the Rhode Island Department of Education. If all that were not sufficient, we cannot afford the interruption and disruption that will result if the school board does not appoint Dr. Lusi.

And here's how:

1. Email your City Council representative and ask that s/he write a letter of support for Dr. Lusi to Mayor Taveras, and do so yourself. Email or send letters of support for Dr. Lusi to PPSD school board members. Here are their email addresses:

• Keith Oliveira, Board President, keith.oliveira@ppsd.org
• Magaly Sanchez, Board Vice President, magaly.sanchez@ppsd.org
• Natalia Rosa-Sosa, Board Secretary, natalia.rosa-sosa@ppsd.org
• Julian Dash, julian.dash@ppsd.org
• Nicholas Hemond, nicholas.hemond@ppsd.org
• Nina Pande, nina.pande@ppsd.org
• Maila Touray, maila.touray@ppsd.org
• Robert Wise, robert.wise@ppsd.org
• Barbara Wong, barbara.wong@ppsd.org

UPDATE: A heads up: when I sent my email to the above list, Natalia Rosa-Sosa's email bounced. Click here for a copy of the email that I sent.

2. If you have not yet done so, sign and share the Change.org petition that is another way for you to demonstrate your support for Dr. Lusi. It's at http://www.change.org/petitions/providence-mayor-angel-taveras-hire-dr-susan-lusi-as-the-superintendent-of-providence-public-schools

3. Spread the word. Please urge your friends and neighbors to speak up for what's best for our city's schools and young people. Thank you.

Providence superintendent search: no news is not good news

Though you would not know it from the news, Providence is engaged in searching for a new district superintendent. The most recent news reports, from late March, indicated that four candidates were in play, one of whom is Interim Superintendent Susan Lusi. Other than Dr. Lusi, the candidates names were confidential, "a common professional courtesy," meant to prevent them from tipping their hands at their current workplaces, as WRNI reported.

While I am no expert on the protocol of superintendent searches, I have informally witnessed enough to know that if such secrecy is a common professional courtesy, it's largely honored in the breach. Generally--though certainly not lately in Providence--final candidates make public presentations and have an opportunity to interact with stakeholders. Generally, the media reports on the final stages of the process, and the hiring process that school boards follow is publicly reported.

The courtesy of confidentiality extended to candidates, even if it is common practice, may have less merit than the benefits of transparency that would accrue if this process were more public. I expected that at this stage, final candidates would be public and we--the public--would have more information about the possible directions in which the district might head. I wish we understood the options. Wait, scratch that. I wish we had an opportunity have meaningful input into the outcome of this process. Given that meaningful public conversation around district leadership doesn't seem to be happening, I hope that the search committee and school board pay close attention to what stakeholders want. Pay attention to the comments that people submitted in response to the committee's request for public input (thanks to the Mayor's office for sharing these), which, along with two brief forums, represented the only opportunity for public engagement in this process.

Finally, pay careful attention to what the outcome of this process should be. If you want a strong, unified public school district (a big if, given the direction in which Philadelphia, Detroit, New Orleans and other busted up, privatized districts have headed), please hire Sue Lusi permanently for the position. Sue is building systems that will see the district through the long haul. She's stabilized the district's relationship with the union. She takes teaching and learning seriously. I can attest that she communicates with parents and families confidently, compassionately, thoughtfully, and competently. Her experience and expertise are very well suited for Providence.

If you agree, speak out. You may want to sign a petition that just got started on Change.org to indicate your interest in Dr. Lusi's continued work in Providence; if so, here it is:
http://www.change.org/petitions/providence-mayor-angel-taveras-hire-dr-susan-lusi-as-the-superintendent-of-providence-public-schools

American School Board Journal's take on charter school expansion

I am not fully done reading the February 2012 issue of the American School Board Journal but am suggesting now that if charter schools interest you - whether you're pro, con, or conflicted - this issue, which focuses on the role of school boards in managing and regulating charter school expansion, is full of good reads. "Follow the Money" suggests that school board members be clear about where charter school funding comes from and offers the National School Board Association's view on charter schools:

The National School Boards Association takes the position that charters can have a role in sparking innovation, as an alternative education setting for families wanting something different, or even as an escape from a difficult local situation. But NSBA also argues there should be some ground rules: Charters should abide by the same regulations as traditional public schools, and they should be held accountable to the same degree. 

Finally, NSBA believes local school boards should retain authority over charters, retaining their role as the public trustees overseeing education services within their communities.

Emphasis mine. Very different from what's happening in Rhode Island now.

"Plan for the Best" offers perspectives on facilities and program planning that will bolster districts' public district systems, thus mitigating charter school promoters' opportunism; its author, Kelley D. Carey, offers a  perspective that doesn't map fully with the concerns or realities of many urban districts, including Providence, but his point that what parents are looking for is a well run, credible, effective school system and that the best way to preserve strong district systems is for school board to provide that is inarguably good advice for all.

Providence Superintendent Search Launched

Yesterday's ProJo reports that the Providence School Board has launched a search for a new superintendent:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The School Board is launching a national search for a new school superintendent. 

Interim Supt. Susan Lusi has been running the 22,000-student district since July and she plans to apply for the job. Former Supt. Tom Brady announced his resignation in late March after it became clear that there were differences between his leadership approach and that of newly elected Mayor Angel Taveras. 

Neil D. Steinberg, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, will lead an advisory search committee that will help the school board. The committee will be composed of business, non-profit and community leaders along with parents and educators. 

The school board will not use a search firm.

I wonder whether the advisory search committee has been selected and by whom it will be selected. While it will be interesting to see who else applies for the position and what they might bring to the role, I am happy that Sue Lusi is committed for the long haul. I would very much like to see her continue in the role.

Providence School Board candidates public forum 12/14 6-8pm

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday, 12/14) from 6:00-8:00pm, in the Providence Career and Technical Academy auditorium, 41 Fricker Street, candidates for Providence School Board vacancies, of which there are three, will appear at a public forum so that interested community members can meet and ask questions of the candidates. The forum will occur from 6-8PM.

I wonder if this different from past such forums, during which the audience didn't direct participate but listened to questions posed to the candidates by members of the School Board Nominating Commission. This seems more like a general Q and A. I can't go but would love a report from anyone who can and does attend.

The full announcement from the Mayor's office about the search for Providence School Board candidates and related activities, including this forum, is here.

Providence Schools need a clear, equitable staffing plan

With her permission, I am posting a letter that Providence Public Schools parent Lorraine Lalli sent to Nina Pande, Acting President of the Providence School Board, cc-ed to all school board members and Superintendent Susan Lusi. Lorraine and I have kids who attend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, the school that she describes here.

The problem Lorraine outlines - that PPSD needs clear guidelines for school staffing - applies to all schools within the district. Please read Lorraine's letter and consider adding your own thoughts about ways to use resources as equitably as possible throughout our school system. The professionalism of King's principal, Derrick Ciesla, and the school's staff members go farther than one could ever expect to ensure good conditions for teaching and learning, but without appropriate staffing, the situation at King is precarious, and the situation is likely to repeat at other schools if we do not adopt and adhere to clear staffing guidelines.


Dear Ms. Pande,

I am writing to urge the Providence School Board to implement a staffing plan for Providence Public Schools that indicates clear guidelines about when a school needs the support of a second building administrator. This staffing plan is essential to ensure adequate staffing resources in the District's Elementary Schools.

Currently, my children attend the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School ("King"). This school was greatly impacted by the closing of other District schools at the end of last academic year. As a result, enrollment at King increased by about 25% (120 students) to over 620 pupils for the 2011-2012 academic year. When the School Board voted to close Windmill Elementary, it was explained that approximately 100+ students would be reassigned to King School. The determination of King's ability to service additional students from Windmill Elementary was at all times dependent upon an additional building administrator, namely an Assistant Principal, being assigned to the school to support a larger student body. This additional building administrator was never assigned. Resources saved from the closing of Windmill School failed to follow the impacted students as expected. As a result, King does not have adequate administrative staffing.

While I am sensitive to the budget realities of the Providence School District, I am disappointed by the failure to provide the administrative support necessary to ensure the success of the students at King School. While we currently have an unassigned teacher serving in the role of "Special Assistant to the Principal" this in unacceptable and inadequate support for our students. Highly-qualified professionals should be serving as administrative leaders in our buildings.

At this point in time, it appears that the District leadership is unwilling to make an affirmative statement about when a school should have additional administrative support. That is why I urge the Providence School Board to adopt guidelines for administrative staffing of schools. Best practices from the National Association of Elementary School Principals indicate that an assistant principal should be assigned where enrollment is over 400 students. Past District practice was to assign assistant principals where enrollment was over 500 students (i.e., Veazie Street Elementary). If the District is unwilling to assign administrate support where it is so clearly needed, then the School Board must establish a policy that dictates when an assistant principal is necessary.

The students of King School need the support of highly qualified teachers and administrators. While I have complete confidence in our Principal, Derrick Cielsa, additional administrative support is needed to service a school of our size. This week, I learned that one of our strongest building staff members, Reading Specialist Susan Martin, has been hired as an Assistant Principal at Woods-Young Elementary School. Ms. Martin has been at King for 11 years, providing essential support for the under-resourced King school above and beyond her assigned duties. The loss of Ms. Martin makes the need for additional administrative support at King even more urgent.

Some important factors to consider about King School:

• Our current enrollment is well over 600 students. This includes two self-contained special education classrooms and an inclusion class at each grade level.
• Since last year, we have an additional 120 students, increasing our student population by approximately 25%. Increases were heavier at the higher grades levels, with a doubling in size of the fourth and fifth grades.
• We have 7 new faculty members, with at least one new faculty member in each grade from first to fifth. Our overall faculty size increased by over 10%.
• Although we have met AYP, last year 30% of our students did not meet proficiency in reading and 53% were below proficiency in math. We must continue to make academic improvements and need the full support of the District to continue our progress.
• The latest InfoWorks data indicates that 71% of our students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
• Our school is over 80% diverse. We have the one of the highest (if not the highest) percentage of African-American students, at 40%.

As a parent, I urge the School Board to take a leadership position in defining adequate staffing levels for our elementary schools by adopting a staffing plan for the District's elementary schools.

Thank you,

Lorraine Lalli

School Board and City Council education subcommittee meetings this week + more

Week before school starts and it's all PPSD-related meetings meetings meetings. Here are a few that have hit my post-vacation radar:

Tonight - Monday, August 22

Providence School Board Meeting, 6:30pm, 797 Westminster Street, 3rd floor: The School Board will meet to discuss a number of issues including the potential participation of Providence in the Achievement First Mayor Academies being proposed for Providence and Cranston. School board meeting agenda available here. Arrive early to sign up for public comment if you have thoughts on any of the agenda items or if something else PPSD-related is on your mind that you want on the record.

Parents Advisory Council meeting, 6pm, Family Resource Center, 379 Washington Street: The Parents Advisory Council (PAC) is a gathering of representatives from all Providence public schools. If you are interested in joining the PAC to represent your school, please join us! I have been a PAC member for several years and will be representing Nathan Bishop Middle School during the coming year.

Tomorrow night - Tuesday, August 23

City Council Education Subcommittee meeting, 5:30pm, Providence City Hall, 3rd floor: The School Department will report on issues related to the reopening of school, including the length of the instructional day, assignment of children from closed schools and the teacher "match" process.

Wednesday, August 24

Rhode Island Jobs for Justice Cranston parent rally, 5pm (or perhaps 6pm) onward: A series of rallies is planned in Cranston for families in that district to stand up for their schools. May be of interest to Providence folks with an interest in what's happening with the proposed Achievement First Mayoral Academies. More details here at Tuttle SVC.

Thanks, Kathy

The ProJo is reporting that Kathy Crain is resigning from the Providence School Board effective immediately.

"I joined the school board because I believe that education is supposed to level the playing field," Crain said. "But over the past six months under Mayor Taveras's administration, I've come to think differently. Public education is not about children; it's about power and politics."

With tears in her eyes, Crain said that she hopes parents will take control of their children's education because it's clear that the politicians will not.

Big thanks to Kathy for standing up for what's right for kids during an incredibly difficult time. Kathy, I'm looking forward to working with you to make Providence's schools better for all kids in all neighborhoods.

Who remembers and why does it matter?

So, I took a week off there - sorry for not sharing that I would! Welcome back.

Last week, on the East Side Public Education Coalition's blog, Dr. Harlan Rich shared "Reflections on Change and 'Institutional Memory'" in response to ProJo coverage of the exodus (some by budget-cutting position elimination, some by retirement/moving on to new opportunities) of nearly all of PPSD's leadership team. Dr. Rich's thoughts on the largely untapped value of parents as key stakeholders and points of continuity/agents of change can and should be successfully expanded to include students, alumni, and community members as we face a down a new school year starting startlingly soon with a new acting superintendent, extremely strained relations between the Mayor's office and the school board, and--with all of the accompanying opportunities and challenges--without the aforementioned departed leadership team (COO Carleton Jones and acting chief academic officer Paula Shannon excepted).

Dr. Rich makes the point that PPSD has a substantial if inconsistent history of involving parents in decisions about school leadership and other planning. The district needs to stay the course on that and go much further, developing policies and a culture that systematically--across neighborhood, language, and other differences--involves and includes parents/family members, students, and neighborhood stakeholders.

Message from Kathy Crain, PPSD Board President - school shut-down volunteer help needed today/tomorrow

This message is from Kathy Crain, Providence Public Schools Board President, asking for volunteer assistance today and tomorrow with the shut-down of several schools that won't be open next year. Please respond to Kathy at kathleen.crain@ppsd.org if you can lend a hand.

Dear Friends/Supporters of Providence Public Schools,

As you know, many schools have undergone major changes this summer, including the closure and transfer of schools.  Our financial condition prohibits us from hiring outside assistance to catalogue and move supplies and other materials in preparation for next year.  Accordingly, we are asking for volunteers this Monday and Tuesday, June 27th and 28th to help out at the following schools:

BRIDGHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL:     10-20 volunteers
WEST BROADWAY AT DELSESTO:   10-20 volunteers
CARL LAURO:     10-20 volunteers

If you are available to volunteer, please email me back as soon as possible!  Please feel free to pass this email along to anyone that may be willing to help out.  Any all donations of time and labor are greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the Providence Public Schools, and most importantly, our students, in a true time of need.

Best,

Kathy Crain