Emotions run high in Providence over charter school expansion

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Achievement First supporters faced off against their most vehement critics Tuesday in the last public forum before the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education decides on the charter school's future in Providence.

Achievement First, which operates two elementary schools in the city, wants to expand from 720 students to more than 3,000 over the next 10 years. The Rhode Island charter schools are part of a network of 32 such schools in Connecticut and New York.

State Education Commissioner Ken Wagner last week strongly endorsed the charter school's application, concluding that the proposal is both academically and fiscally sound and will result in high-quality academic opportunities for Rhode Island's students. His recommendation is at odds with the Providence City Council, the American Federation of Teachers and, to some extent, Mayor Jorge Elorza, who supports a more limited expansion.

Tuesday night, 300 teachers, parents and elected officials piled into an auditorium at the Rhode Island Department of Education to express their views. Supporters of the expansion, many of them first-generation college-goers with high hopes for their children, described a school that holds students to the highest standards.

They also described a faculty that is caring, deeply committed to their children's success and welcoming to families, inviting them to be partners in their children's education.

"So many children have been left behind," said Yaneli Amonte, a parent. "I was one of those parents. Achievement First is changing the path of education in my community."

But opponents, including many Providence teachers and several elected leaders, said if the charter school grows to nearly 10 percent of the district's student enrollment, it will devastate the 15,000 traditional public school students left behind. By state law, per-pupil spending follows the child from the traditional public school to the charter. 

"We public school teachers love our kids," said teacher Joanne Spaziano. "I call their families. I give them lunch money. I stay after school. I serve all my kids."    

"We can't ethically approve this expansion," said Mark Santow, a Providence School Board member. "This is a high-risk experiment ... that siphons money away from the district schools to create a second, less accountable one."

But Wagner, in his brief to the council, said Providence cannot afford to leave 15,000 students stranded in chronically low-performing schools. Although RIDE's analysis estimates that Providence schools will lose $35 million a year once AF reaches full enrollment, Wagner said the expansion will create almost 2,000 new "high-quality educational opportunities" for district students.

"When considering the fiscal impact," he wrote, "the most important factor is the economic value of providing thousands more students with a high-quality education that equips them for success in college, career and life."

The mayoral charter schools have drawn harsh criticism from the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, one of state's two teachers' unions, which objects to a system that hires non-union staff at less than the prevailing wage. Mayoral charters are chaired by a mayor of one of the sending school districts, in this case, Providence.  

Maribeth Calabro, president of the Providence Teachers Union, said she expects the council's decision, due Dec. 20, to be a "done deal."

"The fix has been in from the beginning," she said. "Providence has been sold to the highest bidder."

But Chris Ireland, an Achievement First parent, said, "It's not about the unions. It's not about tenure or retirement funds. Let's give kids a choice."

— lborg@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7823

On Twitter: @lborgprojocom

Council members