BREAKING: Regents Votes Down Achievement First Application
Thursday, September 01, 2011
The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education has voted down the application of Achievement First, the charter management organization that was hoping to open in Cranston in 2012.
The Regents voted down the application after Chairman George Caruolo read a letter from Governor Lincoln Chafee, which stated support more potentially opening a Mayoral Academy in Providence.
The letter was delivered to Caruolo just hours before the board was set to vote on the application, to Governor Chafee said he would support the organization if it were to build the schools in Providence instead.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut the Governor stopped short of throwing his complete support of Achievement First, which has raised test scores in schools in Connecticut and New York.
He called on the Regents to keep in mind the opposition from the Cranston School Committee and said he would be willing to tour an Achievement First School in New Haven with Commissioner Deborah Gist to learn more about school.
Last week, Providence City Council President Michael Solomon, long a supporter of Achievement First, said he would like to see the Mayoral Academies built in Providence.
