Pearson Elected RI Senate Majority Leader - Opposed Expansion of Highly Successful Charter Schools
Thursday, November 10, 2022
The Rhode Island Senate Democrats caucused at the Providence Marriott Thursday night and elected Senator Ryan W. Pearson as the next Senate Majority Leader. Pearson represents District 19 (Cumberland).
He replaces Michael McCaffrey, who represented Warwick and did not run for reelection.
The caucus also endorsed Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio as the nominee for a new term as President of the Senate.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe vote for President of the Senate will be taken by all members of the chamber on the first day of the 2023-2024 session in January.
“I am proud that today, more than ever before, this chamber truly reflects the communities we serve. It is younger and more diverse than at any point in our history, filled with new energy and fresh perspectives as we meet the many challenges of this moment,” Pearson said. “Together, driven by that energy and diversity, we accomplished great things for Rhode Island during the 2021-2022 Senate session. As we prepare for 2023 and 2024, we can again take action to transform our state for the better.”
Pearson Opposed Expansion of Charter Schools
In 2021, Pearson came under fire for his effort to block the expansion of highly successful charter schools.
Pearson had proclaimed himself the General Assembly's leading expert on education in Rhode Island. In an interview earlier in 2021 with GoLocal, he admitted he had never visited any of the schools in the state's largest school district -- Providence.
According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University released in June of 2019, researchers found that Providence schools were among the worst in the United States.
Parent groups targeted him, and in a mailer to Pearson’s district, said, “As the Chair of the powerful Finance Committee, he is in a position to help those who need it the most, but that isn’t what he’s doing. Instead, he sponsored legislation that hurts Black and Latino kids by placing a moratorium on high-quality public charter schools. Sadly, Ryan has a long history of attacking charter schools and their funding... forcing Black and Latino parents to go to the State House year after year to protect their children’s right to a good education."
Ruggerio Looks Forward
“We set bold and transformative goals during our last session, and working together, we accomplished so many of them,” Ruggerio said. “I hope that in our next term, we can continue to build on that work and set a collaborative, service-oriented example of what government can and should be.”
Ruggerio and Pearson addressed the caucus to outline their priorities for the coming session, identifying education – including the "continued expansion of pre-K, reversing learning loss, providing mental health supports for students and educators, and more – as a top area of focus. They also cited action on health and human services, renewable energy, housing, and economic development as key priorities."
“Rhode Island is at a point in time where we have so much opportunity,” said Pearson. “The entire global economy is reshaping itself post-COVID and during a period of great uncertainty abroad. Businesses are looking for stable places to produce their goods, and the war for talent is hotter than ever. Rhode Island has a seat at the table and it will be our job to improve our fundamentals while finding areas to differentiate our state. Through this work, we will attract people, businesses and their investment, ensuring opportunity for all here in Rhode Island.”
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