A War of Words: Despite Positive Overtures From the Smiley Administration, the Rhode Island Department of Education “Won’t Back Down” (Apologies to Tom Petty)
The release of a comprehensive plan for the return of Providence Public Schools to local control appears to have reignited a war of words surrounding a turf battle that exhibits no sign of relenting.
The theme and tone of the Rhode Island Department of Education’s response, in a formal statement issued by Providence Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez, to Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s “Providence’s Plan for Our Schools”, appears to channel RIDE’s inner Charlton Heston … Conjuring up the image of, an un repentant Commission Infante Green uttering “You will pry the Providence Public Schools from my cold dead hands … ”
And while there was no shortage of barbs both in his presentation, or written plan, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley had appeared to offer an olive branch to Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez
Curiously, Dr. Montañez shares letterhead with Commissioner Infante Green. One has to wonder just how much letterhead is “in stock”.
Statement from Dr. Javier Montañez, Providence Superintendent of Schools:
Javier Response to Mayors Plan
Meanwhile, an email attributed to Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green is making the rounds of City Hall and points beyond:
Addressed to the RIDE K-12 Council:
“The City of Providence today released a report that will inform the public about their preparation for PPSD’s return to local control. In it, the City acknowledges that the District has made progress in several areas. Further still, the report affirms the District’s work to improve student achievement post-pandemic and offer greater access to 21st century buildings. It notes that efforts have been made to expand support and professional learning for teachers and offer more high-quality Pre-K-12 programs. As you all know from the recent accountability results, more PPSD students are learning in higher performing schools today than there were before the intervention. We have great momentum, and this underscores the need for a strong transition plan to prevent the district from backsliding.
While we appreciate the City’s acknowledgement of improvements made possible with the support of RIDE, this report is incomplete and lacks sufficient detail and substance that will facilitate a successful transition to local control.
The report was created in a silo by City staff and meets neither the Council’s directions nor our collective expectations for a robust, collaborative plan that explains how local leaders will both sustain and continue the progress we have achieved. (Our Emphasis) When the Council voted to extend the intervention, each of you as members, were clear that local stakeholders including the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, the PPSD School Board, the PPSD leadership, and RIDE needed to work jointly – but unfortunately, RIDE and PPSD were not engaged in the design of the City’s latest report. We were only allowed to provide feedback once, after the report had already been crafted, and informed City leaders of several concerns with elements that conflicted with state law and did not adequately address actionable steps the City would take to ensure continued progress.
This is an incomplete product that does not reflect the Council’s action or your requests as members. Frankly, many questions around how the City will better support the operations, structures, and systems of PPSD for long-term success remain unanswered or were not fully addressed. I have real concerns that the City may implement redundant, burdensome processes and practices of the past that the Johns Hopkins report said stifled progress in PPSD for more than 30 years. It is evident more preparation is needed by local stakeholders and more work remains to craft a comprehensive plan that will continue to move Providence Public Schools forward well after the state intervention ends.
Please see the attached report for your reference. And as always, please let me know if you have any questions.
In partnership,
Commissioner Infante-Green ”
Sources at Providence City Hall have responded:
“To be clear, this is the City’s report to outline our steps to successfully transition governance to local control. The Mayor knew when he took office that the City needed to begin preparations in 2023 in order to be ready. As the Commissioner began communicating her priorities in the fall of 2024, the City incorporated her areas of focus and next steps in the plan.
In addition to a high-level briefing and an in-depth meeting with both RIDE and PPSD, the City made direct changes to this report to align with RIDE’s feedback.
Moreover, as Mayor Smiley stated earlier today, this plan is a step in the process to outline the City’s plan to integrate systems and operations but it is not the last step. The next step is to establish a comprehensive plan in collaboration with all stakeholders to be presented to the K-12 Council in June of this year. This comprehensive plan was requested well after the City embarked on this robust process over the last year.”
What. Say. You? Is it time to return local control to Providence? In your opinion, is RIDE’s death grip on Providence Schools a control issue? Is it all about the money?
Currently, the City of Providence must pay for a school system for which they exert no management controls … How long should this last?
Mayor Brett Smiley: Providence’s Plan For Our Schools
Building A Brighter Future
A Multi-Pronged Plan For Returning Providence Public Schools To Local Control
