Protests defend public eduction, support March 4 national action

Attacks on public education in Rhode Island are coming one after another. Gov. Donald Carcieri proposed $125 million in cuts to education and services this year and proposes to cut $162 million next year. Providence, with the state’s largest school system, has lost $5.8 million in state funding for its 24,000 students in the last two years and will lose $7.1 million next year.

High school student tells 200 supporters he wants his school kept open. WW photo: Bill Bateman

The Providence School Department unveiled a proposal to close seven schools. In a series of six public forums in January and February, 500 parents, students, teachers and concerned community members turned out. One hundred people took the microphone and spoke to oppose the school closings. Not one person supported the idea.

Hope High School’s turnaround and progress since being put into receivership in 2005 — through hiring more teachers and advisors, and going to 90-minute class blocks — are now in jeopardy of being reversed.

The closure plan is seen as a way to keep students packed into oversized classes. Teachers from various schools explained that more students per school will also deprive students of the spaces needed for physical education and the special areas needed for quality music and art classes.

The Rhode Island Unemployed Council pointed out that Providence has an official unemployment rate of 14 percent, and that some of the 11,000 unemployed should be put to work fixing the schools. It said that federal stimulus money is explicitly targeted for repairing schools and hiring more teachers.

The school superintendent of the city of Central Falls presented an ultimatum list of six demands to the teachers union. The teachers said they were willing to sit down and talk but they would not be forced into anything by bullying tactics. The superintendent then said all teachers and staff would receive layoff notices and only 50 percent would have a chance of being rehired next year.

In response to these attacks, the S.O.S. — Save Our Schools — Coalition was formed. Its goal is to defend public education in Rhode Island and fight for safe, secure buildings, up-to-date books, quality resources and equipment, smaller class sizes, and appropriate and specific spaces for art, music, science, etc.

On March 4 — the National Day of Action to Defend Education — the S.O.S. Coalition together with the Rhode Island Unemployed Council will march for jobs and education. A rally will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Providence School Department headquarters at 797 Westminster Ave. A march downtown will start at 4 p.m. and end with a rally at 5 p.m. at Providence City Hall.