Challenging Providence school closings
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Students, teachers, parents and community members mobilized March 26 to fight back against the closings of four schools here.
The day began with a raucous march through Providence of 60 people to Classical High School, where the first of three public forums were due to be held. The school department had prepared a Powerpoint presentation for the forums, but there was no dialogue or feedback about this, simply public comment with the school department "taking notes."
At the second forum, there was heated debate and public dismay about the closings, with Mayor Angel Taveras and Providence Public School Department Superintendent Tom Brady called on to accept responsibility. Attendees noted that the closings would never be allowed to happen in an affluent section of Providence--they're only considered because the children attending these schools are from low-income backgrounds.
Several speakers argued for getting rid of tax breaks for corporations, taxing the rich, and taxing the city's universities, as well as Rhode Island Hospital, which is owned by Lifespan--both the hospital and universities have for decades been expanding and taking up valuable land resources from the people who live in the area.
Some of the parents became very emotional at the lack of respect and dialogue from the new school administration. They wondered why thousands of dollars were used to send several certified letters notifying 2,000 teachers of their termination at the end of the school year--leaving the teachers along with custodians, lunchroom personnel, nurses and other school employees wondering how they will pay their mortgages or explain to their students and children why they were fired when they did nothing wrong.
At the final forum, one parent recalled how it was because of the excellent teachers at one of the schools set for closure that her son is able to read, write and do math. Now the child is happy about going to school. Another parent spoke to how children for whom it is already difficult to get to school will now be more resistant when they are asked go to a new school. Other speakers raised the unintended consequences of the school closings, with unemployment rate bound to go up, creating further economic problems.
A teacher from one of the affected schools said the school department was at fault for not keeping up with the maintenance of facilities--thus, the deterioration of the buildings shouldn't be a valid reason for closing schools.
Also, school officials claimed that several schools had low enrollment and should be closed for that reason. But a parent spoke to how a bilingual program had been taken away at the school, so many parents chose other schools to send their children to.
The administration of the Providence schools created this crisis. Students and teachers should not have to pay for it.
