Mothers Are Calling Out Legislators for Blocking Quality Public Education for Black & Brown Children
GoLocalProv News Team
Mothers Are Calling Out Legislators for Blocking Quality Public Education for Black & Brown Children
Providence schools were ranked by Johns Hopkins University among the very worst in America. But, Central Falls and Pawtucket schools test as poorly as Providence schools. SEE TEST RESULTS BELOW
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTNow, a group of parents is fighting against legislators who are trying to block the expansion of public charter schools for families who want out of the broken system -- one that has failed students for decades.
On Monday, Janie Seguí Rodríguez, the founder of Stop the Wait RI, said on GoLocal LIVE the efforts to block the expansion of charter school seats are unfair to Black and Brown children in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island State Senators Maryellen Goodwin, Ryan Pearson, Sandra Cano, and Ana Quezada have been leading the effort to reverse the decision by the Rhode Island Board of Education to expand public charter schools.
“I would say is this equitable if the people who are screaming as loud as they can -- parents of color who are directly affected by this bill -- are the ones who are calling attention to it and saying that we don't actually need a moratorium. We need these seats open for our children now so that they can thrive and have a future,” said Seguí Rodríguez.
Cano and Quezada wrote in an opinion piece that their moratorium was critical, "We are now asking for respite and a three-year pause to ensure the expansion of charter schools does not come at the expense of every other child left behind in a public school classroom." The moratorium legislation has passed the Senate and is now pending in the House.
But, Seguí Rodríguez rebuffed the Senators' call.
She said when announcing the group’s formation “A moratorium on public charter schools deliberately traps thousands of children like Nyrsalee [her daughter] in failing schools," Seguí Rodríguez. "As the world wakes up to systemic racism across America, the moratorium bill would protect the status quo that forces Black and Brown families into failing classrooms. It targets us to actively deny our communities access to better schools is exactly what structural racism looks like. It’s by design.”
“We should be centered on those voices and doing whatever we can to make it work especially in a year where we will never see more funding than we will now because of the extra federal dollars that are coming our way,” she added.
With more than 10,000 children on last year’s waiting list for just 1,800 charter school slots, the Rhode Island Board of Education approved the expansion of 5,800 public charter school seats, but the effort by the legislature is to block that expansion and disallow any expansion for three years.
Seguí Rodríguez said during the interview, “These schools have already secured buildings -- they've hired staff, lotteries are happening in two weeks and are we going to rescind those acceptance letters for kids who have been waiting for years parents who have been applying year after year after year for their child to be part of a high functioning school.”
Stop The Wait RI’s board of directors in addition to Seguí Rodriquez includes Monique Halliday, Woonsocket Parent, Board Secretary; Shikenya L. Gough, Providence Parent, Board Treasurer; Shayna Debrito, Pawtucket Parent, Board Member; and Crystal Jones, Providence Parent, Board Member.
Rhode Island's Worst Performing Middle Schools - July 1, 2019
Johnston
Nicholas Feri Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 27% Math 22%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 54% Math 61%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 18% Math 16%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA 1 Math <1
Cranston
Hugh Bain Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 37% Math 38%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 52% Math 54%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 11% Math 8%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math <1
Woonsocket
Woonsocket Middle School - Hamlet
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 45% Math 45%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 46% Math 48%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 8% Math 7%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1% Math 0
Woonsocket
Woonsocket Middle School - Villa Nova
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 41% Math 40%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 49% Math 54%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 10% Math 7%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1% Math 0
Providence
Roger Williams Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 60% Math 56%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 36% Math 41%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 4% Math 2%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA 0 Math 0
Pawtucket
Samuel Slater Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 48% Math 40%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 44% Math 53%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 6% Math 7%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math <1
Pawtucket
Joseph Jenks Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 44% Math 37%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 47% Math 56%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 8% Math 6%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math <1
Central Falls
Dr. Earl E. Calcutt Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 55% Math 59%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 38% Math 37%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 6% Math 4%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math 0
Has been under state management for approximately 20+ years
Providence
Esek Hopkins Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 49% Math 45%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 43% Math 51%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 8% Math 4%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math 0
Providence
Gilbert Stuart Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 60% Math 56%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 36% Math 41%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 3% Math 3%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA 0 Math 0
Providence
Governor Chris DelSesto Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 64% Math 56%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 33% Math 41%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 3% Math 3%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math 0
Providence
Nathan Bishop Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 51% Math 50%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 35% Math 40%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 13% Math 10%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA 1 Math <1
Providence
West Broadway Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 52% Math 52%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 42% Math 42%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 6% Math 6%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math <1
Charter
Paul Cuffie
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 23% Math 22%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 59% Math 59%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 17% Math 19%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math 1
Test results are for the entire school, not just the middle school
Newport
Frank E. Thompson Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 30% Math 28%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 47% Math 53%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 21% Math 19%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA 1 Math <1
West Warwick
John F. Deering Middle School
Not Meeting Expectation: ELA 23% Math 27%
Partially Meeting Expectations: ELA 55% Math 57%
Meeting Expectation: ELA 22% Math 16%
Exceeding Expectations: ELA <1 Math <1
