Gorbea Has Nothing to Say About Plight of Providence Schools, Her Children Attend $40K Prep School

Gorbea Has Nothing to Say About Plight of Providence Schools, Her Children Attend $40K Prep School

The plight of Providence Public Schools is now one of the biggest battles in Rhode Island -- and Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, who is fundraising for the 2022 gubernatorial race, has interesting things to say when asked about the issue.

Both Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and nominated Lt. Governor Sabina Matos strongly support the state’s takeover of the Providence schools.

Providence Teachers Union head Maribeth Calabro has called on the legislature to intervene and reverse the decision by the Rhode Island Board of Education in 2019 to allowing the state to take control of the Providence schools.

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Last week, GoLocal asked Providence Mayoral candidates their position on the issue.

In June of 2019, Johns Hopkins University conducted a comprehensive study of Providence Public Schools and reported that the system was one of the worst-performing in the country. The Wall Street Journal called Providence schools an "education horror show."

The nation's leading business publication wrote:

“Very little visible student learning was going on in the majority of classrooms and schools we visited—most especially in the middle and high schools,” the report says. “Our review teams encountered many teachers and students who do not feel safe in school. There is widespread agreement that bullying, demeaning, and even physical violence are occurring within the school walls at very high levels.”

 

While a National Embarrassment, Gorbea Says Schools Outside Her "Purview"

When asking Gorbea if she supported the effort to transform the schools, her spokesperson said that she does not weigh in on issues outside her role as Secretary of State.

Gorbea, who is term-limited, has not formally announced a run for governor, but is fundraising relentlessly. In the 4th quarter of 2021 -- the most recent reporting period -- Gorbea raised the second-highest total behind Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, among potential gubernatorial candidates. She raised $103,422 for the quarter.

“She is very much aware of the situation [in Providence Schools]. But it does not fall under the purview of her office, so weighing in from the peanut gallery would just be using a serious issue as a political sounding board,” said Nick  Domings, spokesperson for Gorbea.

“The Providence Public Schools situation is complex and tense enough without outsiders chiming in. Secretary Gorbea feels it would be counterproductive to comment publicly without having conversations with all stakeholders involved," Domings added. "She hopes all parties will stay focused on the goal of improving the quality of education for students in Providence.”

Her claim that she does not weigh in on other issues proves false. GoLocal reviewed her social media as well as news interviews, and Gorbea has made comments about former President Donald Trump’s failure to provide aid to Puerto Rico. She posted to Facebook political endorsements of union leaders who are running for office, and she has spoken out about issues ranging from gun control and other educational issues like literacy, among numerous other examples.

 

Gorbea Has All Her Children at One Exclusive Prep School — Tuition Upward of $40,000 a Year

Hundreds of Black and Brown parents have become very active on educational issues in recent weeks.

Approximately 300 parents signed up to testify before the Rhode Island General Assembly to oppose the legislation placing a moratorium on the expansion of public charter schools.

Even Governor McKee took the unusual role of testifying before the House Finance Committee opposing the legislation that would have in part blocked 5,800 new charter school seats. Last year, there were over 10,000 children on charter school waiting lists across the state.

As a policy, GoLocal does not report on candidates or elected official's children unless they have included their children in campaign ads — Gorbea has repeatedly.

While Gorbea refuses to speak about the plight of Providence school children — she has made a decision about education for her own family. Her daughters attend the Lincoln School, an exclusive prep school on Providence’s East Side.  The cost for day students exceeds $40,000 for tuition and fees. All three of Gorbea’s daughters attend the school, according to her office.

“The Secretary and her husband send their daughters to the Lincoln School because they value the all-girls environment and the challenges there. You are asking the Secretary of State’s office to provide an opinion on the situation in the Providence Public Schools. That serious and complex situation does not involve the duties of this office whatsoever,” added Domings.

The Lincoln School promoted that it helps its students through the college admissions process — the school states, “As they move through the Upper School, students work with the college counselor to develop a list of schools that will fully engage their interests and preferences. Whether a student chooses a large research institution in the South, an art school across the country, a small liberal arts college closer to home, or a university abroad, she will leave Lincoln confident in her ability to thrive in her chosen environment.”

In contrast, the Johns Hopkins report on Providence Schools found, "The great majority of students are not learning on, or even near, grade level. With rare exceptions, teachers are demoralized and feel unsupported. Most parents feel shut out of their children’s education."