Providence Parents Frustrated With Repeated School Department Delays
Friday, April 03, 2015
Parents in the City of Providence are taking the school department to task for not providing information about the public school lotteries for neighborhood schools, after being told the lotteries were supposed to take place in February -- and the latest information on the Providence Public School Department (PPSD) website as of Thursday stating the lotteries were to occur the week of March 23.
"We are frustrated that after opening registration in November 2014 (at least a month earlier than last year), with the intention to give families their school assignments in coordination with other school acceptances across the city, the process came to a total standstill and at April 2, we still have heard radio silence about our kindergartner's school assignment," said Providence parent Danielle Kachapis.
A Facebook group called "PVD Kindergarten Countdown" was formed, where parents have been voicing their frustrations.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"We're hearing many parents lose faith in the Providence public school and in frustration opt out. If this is their first introduction into the system, it leaves a terrible first impression. Our friends feel that this is sign of incompetence and a broken system that they are wary of entering into with their small children as guinea pigs," said Kachapis. "I personally feel that the public school system is weakened when so many middle class families leave the city for better performing schools elsewhere. This is a much longer conversation."
During his campaign, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza touted "investing in 21st century data and technology systems that move Providence out of the age of file cabinets, improve our ability to efficiently and equitably manage school registration, assignment, transportation, and finances, and better position our students to compete in a global society."
School Board President Keith Oliveira said that he has spoken with school officials, and the lotteries will be be taking place next week, after the department has been working through new software.
"I believe that's going to be happening next week. The lottery is going to be done through our new software Skyward. They were anticipating kinks, so they want to make sure that it's in place as best as can be," said Oliveira. "Perhaps it could have been better communicated, I just don't know how they have -- or haven't -- been communicating with parents. It will be next week, and hopefully it will go as best at can. And if it goes as well, a lot of concerns will be alleviated."
Delay Impacts on School Decisions
The school department weighed in on its communications with families.
"Email notification has proven unreliable as an official means of communication," said Christine O'Reilly. "While we do offer regular email newsletters, PPSD relies on systems like our ParentLink mass calling system, our website, school-to-home flyers and letters, and social media to reach parents."
Parents, however, said the lack of information -- and certainty -- over the lotteries for schools had them concerned.
"In a nutshell, I'm really frustrated," said Providence parent Leela Sami. "The lotteries were supposed to be announced in the first week of March, it's really been delayed. I assume my child will get in somewhere, I'm not sure where. The policy is 80% neighborhood, I'm nervous about where she'll go. We applied to a number of charters, but we didn't get into the one that we wanted. She's at a private pre-K, and if we don't hear soon, we might go with that. I just wish they would give us a deadline and tell us what's happening. Transparency is an issue here."
Parents who said they are considering whether to send their children private school said the delay in the process was forcing them to make decisions without information from the city.
"I'm slightly frustrated," said Providence parent Josh Taub. "We signed up the first week back in November, to be fair, it was for the most part, it was easy and efficient without the hassles you'd expect."
"In the meantime, we applied to Henry Barnard, where by daughter was accepted. We had to pay a non-refundable $500 deposit two months ago...this is a month before the charter school lotteries came along later, and as it turns out, two months before the regular public school system," said Taub. "All of these schools should be in sync. Luckily, our daughter got into the charter school that was tops on our list. Had she not, we would probably have had to chose Barnard, being in the dark about our other public options. It would be nice for some coordination."
Kachapis noted she didn't see the criticism as political.
"This isn't political -- this was a broken system before, and I know the Mayor has been auditing it, maybe why that's why it was delayed," said Kachapis. "But we're a month behind, and it's unfortunate people had to make decisions with little information."
Related Slideshow: Rhode Island School Superintendent Salaries
Below are the salaries of school superintendents in Rhode Island, starting with the lowest paid. Data is for 2013 and was provided by the state Division of Municipal Finance. Where relevant, longevity pay is also listed. All school superintendents are listed except those in the independent school districts in Foster and Glocester. The combined Foster-Glocester district is included. In order to provide a more informed basis for comparing superintendents from one community to another, the annual student enrollment and total expenditures are also listed. (The data is for fiscal year 2012, the latest available from the state Department of Education.)
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