Providence School Problems Are Mounting — Poor Academics, Safety Issues, and Labor Unrest
Monday, September 17, 2018
The academic performance of Providence schools is well-known to be among the most underachieving in the state of Rhode Island, but a comprehensive review shows that the scores across almost all measures are disturbingly low.
In some cases, as little as five percent of children in Providence are proficient at the subject of math. The academic performance is just one of the endless and expanding number of issues of concern about the state Providence schools.
From poor academics, to violent crime, to collapsing infrastructure, to labor unrest, and federal lawsuits, Providence schools are facing more serious challenges that at any time in the past.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOn Friday, Providence City Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune of the Third Ward in Providence took to social media to lament the most recent violence, “Today, William Parson, an innocent 15-year-old bystander murdered was laid to rest, and a 16-year-old is behind bars awaiting trial for the crime. We are failing our youth.”
Latest for Providence Schools
The murder of Parsons is just one the significant issues facing Providence schools.
Last year, Providence schools were hit by sexual abuse allegations and then a cover-up by multiple administrators.
James Duffy was charged last June with six counts of second-degree child molestation and a count of simple assault.
Judge James Caruolo convicted Harry Kizirian Elementary School Principal Violet LeMar of a misdemeanor count of failing to report alleged sexual abuse of a child to DCYF within 24 hours under a new state duty-to-report law.
The judge sentenced LeMar to a one-year suspended term with probation. And, he ordered her to perform 150 hours of community service at a shelter for women who had been sexually abused.
Safety Issues
In January, two intruders entered Juanita Sanchez High School when a female student opened the door for them and they pistol-whipped a student at the school.
In the most recent data available by the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Providence students were suspended 5,930 times during the 2014-15 academic year — 43 percent of all the suspensions in Rhode Island public schools. Providence students comprise just 16.8 percent of the state’s public school students.
Chairman of the Providence School Board Nick Hemond told GoLocal, that overall, Providence schools are safe despite the recent high profile incidents.
“Our schools are safe and we continue to make them safer. Obviously, we are all shaken by the horrible tragedy with the killing of William Parsons which reminds us that we have to remain diligent about protecting our kids from violence. We recently received a detailed report in our executive session this past Wednesday that I requested from the Providence Police in response to the incident at Juanita Sanchez last year,” said Hemond.
“From that report we received a series of recommendations from increased cameras, to door alarms to film that can be placed over the windows of the schools. Our operations department is working through those recommendations and what the costs associated with implementation will be so that we can budget these enhancements into our capital improvement plan,” Hemond said.
Academic Performance
Rhode Island schools often rank in the bottom half of the country for academic performance -- and Providence schools rank at the bottom of the state’s rankings.
How poor are Providence schools performing academically? Here is a list of the lowest scores:
- Only 3% of Providence’s 8th-grade students are proficient in math, according to PARCC assessment tests.
- The best test performance was 26% proficient for third-grade math — 50 percent lower than the state average.
- SAT performance for Providence students that take the test, the average math score out of 800 is 413 — the national average is 508.
- The SAT reading score is 412 versus the national average of 494.
Hemond says there is an ongoing concerted effort to improve Providence Schools.
“The urgency is there but we aren’t going to get there overnight. Every day it seems we are correcting some issue that has been ignored for 20 years,” said Hemond.
We are working every day to improve special education, implementing the needed improvements to ELL programs and expanding social and emotional supports so we can help kids with the serious distractions they bring to school with them from what they are dealing with in their lives. Everyone wants the best for kids.
Labor Unrest
Providence schools are facing two major and disruptive labor disputes. The first is an ongoing battle between the Providence teachers union has broken into personal attacks by Mayor Jorge Elorza. The second pertains to transportation.
In May, Elorza told the head of the Providence Teachers Union that Providence teachers should not attend the “All In: Providence Education Summit” because teachers "are not capable of building relationships" with people of color.
“[The Mayor]...he said if he were me, he wouldn't have his people go, because of the community, and that there will be people of color. He said we don't build relationships with people of color. He actually referenced the two students who were quoted at the last all-in summit that they said they can't form relationships with teachers -- I've met with those students,” said Maribeth Calabro, President of the Union in a phone interview.
“So I can't believe he said that. I said, ‘Are you serious right now?’ I can't believe someone in his position would say that there are 95% persons of that color in that district and he doesn't believe we have a relationship with them,” said Calabro.
Presently, the teachers' union is “working to rule” which means very little out of class work with students - anything beyond the scope of contract.
“I think our teachers and administrators have maintained stability in the face of the difficult negotiations to their credit. Prior to the recent standoff at the negotiating table, we had enjoyed 5 years of tremendous labor peace and collaboration. Despite the emotions that we have seen this past year, our teachers continue to work collaboratively with the district on new ideas and programs to try to improve student achievement. I truly hope that both sides are able to reach an agreement soon so that we can have all of the focus on the kids, not the adults,” said Hemond.
On Friday, a school bus strike became more of a reality.
In response to the vote of Teamsters Local 251 to reject a contract offer from the bus company First Student, the company's spokesman Frank McMahon issued a statement, ”First Student is disappointed that Teamsters Local 251 has voted against the very generous contract offer made to our Providence drivers. The contract included increased 401(k) contributions; paying 80 percent -- increasing to 85 percent -- of medical premiums; and paid sick time beyond what is required by state law.”
McMahon went on to say, “Unfortunately, Teamster Local 251 leadership continues to insist that our Providence employees be forced to join the New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension Fund, which is currently underfunded by $3.6 billion with liabilities that have increased by $700 million in just the last two years. The fund has been classified by the U.S. Treasury Department as being in “critical and declining” status due to its serious underfunding. No First Student employee has ever participated in this underfunded plan and it is transparently obvious that the Teamsters negotiating demand is a desperate attempt to obtain new pension funding.”
Cost of Fixing Providence School
Decades of failure to maintain or update Providence Schools, the costs have spiraled to nearly $1 billion according to a state report issued in 2017.
The total replacement cost is estimated to be $ 1,478,716,360. Replacement cost for the antiquated Classical High School is estimated to be in excess of $77 million.
“We [needed] $750,000,000 three years ago, and the problem only gets worse. This is an area where we have been vocal for years and thankfully our city leaders have stepped up,” says Hemond.
“Last week, we approved the first draft of a 5-year plan that can total as high as $400 million. This money will make our schools warm, safe and dry and also includes money for programmatic and academic-related physical improvements. It’s not enough but it is certainly better than the $10 million annual bandaids we have been limited to,” he added.
Civil Rights Violations
In August, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney's Office of Rhode Island announced a settlement with the Providence public school district to provide English language services to the district’s nearly 8,000 English language learners.
Then-Providence mayoral candidate Robert DeRobbio added, “Providence students shouldn’t need a federal investigation to get a good education. Providence teachers shouldn’t need a federal investigation to have access to the resources they need to teach their students. The current administration has done nothing to improve our schools besides empty rhetoric. Instead of solving real problems, the mayor has chosen to pick political fights with our teachers and has forced them to work without a contract for over a year."
In Providence nearly 60% of students come from homes where English is either a second language or is not spoken at all, only 20% of teachers were certified to teach students for whom English was not their primary language. It was only after the federal investigation began that Jorge Elorza’s school department started offering affordable ways for teachers to learn best practices for engaging English Language Learners.
“As a School board, we have to advocate for increased resources, especially around English language learners being funded through the funding formula, and we have to hold our superintendent accountable if we do not see the improvements our students deserve,” said Hemond.
Members of the Providence City Council said they were unaware of the Justice Department’s investigation until the settlement with the City was announced.
