Leaders Call Out Elorza for Claiming Credit for Upcoming Providence Schools Takeover

Leaders Call Out Elorza for Claiming Credit for Upcoming Providence Schools Takeover

Jorge Elorza got the official call this week from RI Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green that the state will be taking over Providence schools.

The takeover seems to be a surprise to no one -- except Providence’s Mayor. In April, GoLocal first reported that the Providence schools were likely to be taken over after a state review process.

Elorza on Friday morning is holding a press conference calling for a state takeover — a decision which was, de facto made months ago by Governor Gina Raimondo’s administration. The Rhode Island Board of Education is expected to unveil the takeover plan at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Teachers, Council President Call Out Preemptive Press Conference

Providence Teachers Union President (PTU) Maribeth Calabro called Elorza's announcement of Friday's event "confusing."

"While the PTU fully expects and expected that there would be state intervention of some kind, we believed that we would be informed on Tuesday at RIDE as to what that might look like," said Calabro. "[Thursday] evening, the Mayor’s announcement has left us confused, as we thought that was already established that this was happening, and with his announcement, we don’t understand what the level of communication and transparency there is between the state and the city."

"It is the hope of the PTU membership that their message is cohesive and aligned so that the focus on working together to plan and move onto implementation for the opening of school," said Calabro. 

City Council President Sabina Matos said that she had a previously scheduled engagement Friday morning, but that even if she was available, she would not attend the event. 

"I think the press event is premature -- we have to see what RIDE is going to say," said Matos. "I was invited but I declined to be there. Even if I was around, I wouldn't have gone -- we have to see what the Commissioner is going to present."

Matos confirmed she had spoken with the Commissioner this week, but only said that she would defer to what Infante-Green announces next week. 

"I don't think the city should be 'calling' for anything until we hear what the proposal is that the Commissioner is going to be putting forth," said Matos. 

Over the past few months, Johns Hopkins University conducted a study which found Providence Schools to be the worst in the country. Elorza missed a number of the "community" meetings on education when he traveled to Hawaii with his family for a mayors' convention.

The Wall Street Journal has named Providence “an education horror show — a case study in public school failure and lack of accountability.”

Elorza is on record giving the Providence schools a grade of “C.”