Leading Prov Mayoral Candidates Support State’s School Takeover, Reject Teachers Union Position

Leading Prov Mayoral Candidates Support State’s School Takeover, Reject Teachers Union Position

The leading candidates for Mayor of Providence support the ongoing state turnaround plan for Providence Public schools.

The state's management came after the Johns Hopkins University report that found that Providence schools were among the worst in the country.

On Monday, Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth Calabro held a press conference and she called for “three main proposals to provide a way forward for Providence Public Schools” — including ending the state takeover. 

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“First, we must end the failed state takeover of Providence public schools; second we must enlist and engage a new school district leadership that actually believes in public schools…and we need to move forward with a new Providence school district,” said Calabro.

She added as the third step that the teachers believe the state needs to step away. 

“We are now asking legislators to end the state takeover as it has been an abject failure. It is time for a new direction and new leadership,” she said. 

 

Mayor Candidates

Providence Mayoral candidate Brett Smiley told GoLocal, “After 30 years of leaving kids behind, it is critical to improving Providence schools. And, I strongly support moving forward with state’s turnaround plan.”

Smiley served as Governor Gina Raimondo’s chief of staff as her administration was developing the plan to transform the largest school district in the state.

Gonzalo Cuervo, the former top staffer to Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and another announced candidate for Mayor said, “Yes, I favor the state’s plan. I want to see things change and change quickly.”

“Good education has basic elements. Longer days, longer school year, and site-based management. In Providence, it requires a takeover,” said Cuervo.

Providence City Council President Sabina Matos is both a potential candidate for Mayor and one of the finalists to serve as Lt. Governor under Governor Dan McKee’s for the remainder of his term -- an office that has been vacant for nearly a month now after McKee ascended to the office of Governor after President Joe Biden appointed former Governor Gina Raimondo to be U.S. Commerce Secretary. 

Matos told GoLocal that she continues to support the state's takeover. In July of 2019, Matos said in a statement:

"In the aftermath of the Providence Public School District Community Forums and on the eve of a state takeover of our public school district, the City Council remains committed to playing a collaborative role in our children’s educational future.

We look forward to the opportunity to work in partnership with RIDE and to help foster solutions that will improve educational outcomes for our kids. Council President Matos and the Council's finance team looks forward to continued dialogue with Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Governor's senior staff to achieve this end.

Despite the Mayor not being communicative or transparent with the Council in these preliminary stages of this process, we remain unwavering in our shared responsibilities to provide students with safer and cleaner school buildings, a more relevant and rigorous curriculum, and a quality of education that sets them up for success. 

Providence Councilor Nirva LaFortune did not respond to request for comment.

 

Hopkins Report

Two years ago,  Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education assessed the Providence school system.

“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,” wrote Johns Hopkins.

Since the report was released in 2019 and the state has taken over the schools, little has happened due to delays in hiring a superintendent, the coronavirus, and now, endless bickering amongst adults.