Questions Emerge About State’s Ability to Manage Providence Schools

Questions Emerge About State’s Ability to Manage Providence Schools

According to the Chair of the Providence School Committee, Barbara Cottam, the State of Rhode Island’s Chair of the Board of Education has never visited a Providence School other than for “maybe a press conference.”

Cottam, a long-time Democratic staffer and close personal ally to Governor Gina Raimondo was appointed by Raimondo in February of 2015. She refused to respond to a series of questions about her involvement with Providence schools during her four-plus years as chair of the Board. Today, she serves as a top communications executive for Citizens Bank.

Nick Hemond says that in the three-and-a-half years that he has chaired the Providence School Committee Board, he and Cottam have only met one time — two years ago.

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Hemond while appearing on GoLocal LIVE on Monday said, “We met one time and it was in response to talk of this sort of thing -- two years ago under Ken Wagner [former RI Commissioner of Education] and you know we pushed back at that time to say listen, all of our winds are together.”

According to minutes of meetings of the Board of Education, it has never held a meeting at a Providence School.  Neither Hemond nor other schools officials remember Cottam visiting a Providence school in her tenure as chair.

Providence's school system is the largest in the state with 24,000 students and 41 schools.

In 2016, according to RIDE, Cottam appeared at a press event at the Paul Cuffee School, a charter school located in Providence to award a teacher of the year award.

Cuffee, according to Department of Education data has test scores similar to the underperforming Providence Schools. Cuffee is one of a number of schools in Rhode Island whose performance tracks Providence in test results.  According to RICAS scores released last month, 82% of Cuffee students did not meet or only partially met expectations for English Language Arts and for Math 81% of the school's students do not meet or only partially meet expectations.

Former Director of Administration for the State of Rhode Island and now head of the Hassenfeld Institute at Bryant University says that the Board of Education needs to be led by a top-tier leader in the business community.

“It's really easy to give it the office...and so they put up $75,000 for this study. No, they need to put up their time. You know Governor Raimondo needs to pick out whoever she wants to -- it doesn't much matter you know, but pick out one of those business leaders and say no, I don't want your $75,000,” said Sasse on GoLocal LIVE.

Sasse's reference to $75,000 was roughly the amount that the Partnership for Rhode Island donated to pay for the Johns Hopkins University report on Providence Schools and public relations support. The group is comprised of CEOs of some of Rhode Island's largest companies including Hasbro, IGT and Citizens Bank.

“I want your leadership and I want your time and you are now chairman of the State Board of Education and I expect you to be an advocate and ride heard, and keep me informed and keep the public informed. That's what business leadership is about -- it's not issuing statements,” added Sasse of what the Governor should expect who she picks.

On Tuesday night, the Board of Education’s Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, is expected to adopt a recommendation that, “the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, pursuant to its powers under R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-60-6 and, specifically, its power to assign the Commissioner certain duties, delegate to the Commissioner the Council’s power and authority to take actions consistent with, and in furtherance of, RIDE’s intervention in and support of the Providence Public School District, which would include, but not be limited to, assuming control of the District, the reconstitution of the Providence Public Schools and any other power (at law and in equity) available to the Council as may be authorized by law and as may be determined to be necessary and appropriate by the Commissioner.”

In other words, the Rhode Island Department of Education is seizing control of Providence schools — as it did 25 years earlier in Central Falls — the only school district with lower test scores. Central Falls RICAS scores are more than 30% lower than Providence's scores.

Cottam’s Legacy

"I welcome this opportunity to serve on behalf of our students," said Cottam when appointed. "A strong Rhode Island economy requires an educational system that prepares students for tomorrow's jobs. I look forward to working with Governor Raimondo, the Board, parents, teachers, educators and students in ensuring every child and young adult receives a quality education and achieves his or her potential."

While Cottam headed the board, her children were attending private school at La Salle Academy.

As GoLocal wrote in 2015 naming Cottam 15 to Watch in 2015:

Her experience in government going back to the 1980s for then-Providence Mayor Joe Paolino to her work as head of communication for Governor Bruce Sundlun gives her the experience of working for leaders who were accomplished at “getting things done.”

For more than 20 years at Citizens Bank, she handled communications a range of corporate mergers and restructuring.

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