Latest news with #Infante-Green
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Providence teachers to vote on new contract
It is expected to carry the union through the 2026-2027 school year. The state is widely expected to turn control of the district back over to Mayor The bigger picture: One of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green's top goals when she led the state takeover was to Advertisement That never happened. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the gubernatorial transition from Gina Raimondo to Dan McKee, priorities (and strategies) changed. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The state lost its desire to have a prolonged battle with the union, and the union (even through its own leadership changes) held firm. The contract saw minor tweaks during the takeover, but nothing close to what Infante-Green promised (or threatened) back in 2019 and 2020. The negotiations for the deal that will be voted on next week moved slowly in part because both sides knew there wouldn't be very much extra money since pandemic-era federal funding has dried up. What's next: The teachers' union vote is scheduled for June 9. Getting a deal done now is beneficial to Infante-Green and McKee, who won't have to worry about a contentious contract battle as he seeks reelection next year. Advertisement Mayor Brett Smiley and the City Council have not been involved in the negotiations, but if the school system returns to their control next year, they'll have a major say over the next contract. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Too many absences? RI students may be held back under new policy
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Students in Rhode Island who miss too many days of school or aren't testing at grade level could be at risk of being held back under a new policy. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green announced the new policy in an effort to combat chronic absenteeism in the state. Infante-Green emphasized that students who are chronically absent tend to score about 20% lower on state assessments and are more likely to drop out. TARGET 12: RI students missing school at record-high levels, sometimes for months For years, the Rhode Island Department of Education has pushed the message: Attendance Matters. But despite efforts to incentivize showing up for school, the problem still persists. Starting next year, students who miss 18 or more days of school and do not meet grade-level benchmarks may not be allowed to move on to the next grade. 'Learning matters': State leaders recognize decline in chronic absences 'Sending a kid to third grade that hasn't mastered what happens in second grade … that child will always be behind,' Infante-Green said. 'It's very unlikely that they will catch up.' However, some parents and educators believe the policy is prioritizing the wrong issue. Instead, they believe the state should be looking at why students are missing school in the first place, not just what happens when they do. 'I think the policy is too harsh because there's things that happen in life. There's people that are dying. There's homelessness. There's shelters,' Kim Jemmott told 12 News. 'There's a lot of things that happen in life that we can't control.' Infante-Green clarified that the decision to hold a student back would be made on a case-by-case basis, and only used as a last resort. 'This is not about penalizing. This is about ensuring that our students get what they need, and there will be countless supports at the school,' she said. 'I think that when we have kids that reach the 8th grade and can't read on grade level, we're doing an injustice to our students.' By implementing this policy, Infante-Green expects to boost test scores and graduation rates. NEXT: 10 takeaways from this year's RI Kids Count factbook Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RI education commissioner speaks out against proposed federal cuts
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green was among a panel of education officials who spoke out against recommended funding cuts to the Department of Education by the Trump administration. 'As we saw in the budget, there are some areas that are completely gone,' Infante-Green said to U.S. senators at the hearing Tuesday evening, which included Sen. Jack Reed. The proposal is what President Donald Trump is calling the 'skinny budget,' which aims to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the Department of Education in Fiscal Year 2026. One way the administration hopes to achieve this is by combining 18 K-12 grant programs into one and consolidating seven Individuals with Disability Education Act programs. 'We have to preserve the teachers, the education system, the rights that our students have because when I started teaching, those kids were in the basement,' Infante-Green said. RELATED: Trump orders plan to dismantle Education Department while keeping some core functions The Trump administration said the goal is to move funding to the states, empower parents and stop so-called 'woke programs.' 'Children will be taught civic values for schools that want federal, taxpayer funding,' White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently said to reporters about the plan. 'So, as we close the Department of Education and we provide funding to states, we are going to make sure these funds are not being used to promote communist ideology.' Meanwhile, Infante-Green says Rhode Island has had academic recovery since the pandemic, but could flatten if there are federal funding cuts. She explained that funding makes up 'over 15%' of the state's education budget and is 'irreplaceable.' ALSO READ: Trump administration says Harvard will receive no new grants until it meets White House demands In a statement, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Trump's proposed budget 'puts students and parents above the bureaucracy.' 'It reflects the historic mandate I have been given to serve as the final Secretary of Education,' McMahon's statement added. The budget proposal had one area in education that avoided cuts: Charter schools. The proposal asked for $60 million in more funding for charters. NEXT: JWU laying off 91 employees to address $34 million budget deficit Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Providence School Board to discuss ending state takeover of schools
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Providence School Board plans to formally discuss Mayor Brett Smiley's proposed plan for returning the state-run Providence Public School District back to local control at its meeting on Wednesday. Smiley unveiled his report earlier this month and said he hoped the roughly 60-page plan would advance the conversation and 'make the case' that the city is ready to regain control on July 1. R.I. Department of Education Commissioner Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green called the report a good 'first step,' but told 12 News she wasn't ready to hand the keys back to the school district just yet. 'It's a report, it's not a plan,' Infante-Green said on April 10. 'It would be irresponsible on our part to move forward on something that is incomplete.' ENGLISH: Providence Public Schools Transition Plan OTHER LANGUAGES: Spanish, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmer and Portuguese School Board leadership wrote a letter to Smiley, Infante-Green, City Council President Rachel Miller, and Superintendent Javier Montañez the day after the report was released. 'Building on this momentum, we believe the time is right to co-develop a formal action plan — what we are calling a RhodeMap — to guide the return to local control,' board leadership said in the April 11 letter. 'This RhodeMap should be a shared vision, developed with educators, families, governing bodies directly connected to PPSD, community stakeholders, and all those committed to ensuring the long-term success of our public schools.' Board leadership said they were 'ready and eager' for the schools to return to local governance, but said 'it must happen under the right conditions.' 'That means establishing a system that is accountable, well-structured, equitable, and built to last,' board leaders said. 'A successful transition requires not just a timeline, but a solid foundation to ensure long-term stability and student success.' School Board President Ty'Relle Stephens told 12 News that the board will likely refer the city's plan to its policy committee for further review on Wednesday. RELATED: Lawmakers poised to consider Providence tax levy, ending school takeover Also on Wednesday, the House Committee on Education is set to hear a bill that, if passed, would effectively end the state takeover, putting the city back in control of the schools for the first time since 2019. Last year, the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education voted to extend the takeover for up to three additional years, through October 2027. As it's written now, the bill would rescind the recommendation as of July 1. Stephens said a proposed resolution could be introduced by the board in the coming weeks that might recommend amendments to the bill, or to support adopting alternative legislation. Stephens said school board members want a 'clear and collaborative start' to the process that would return the district to local control, restoration of full board policy oversight and its authority to review and approve all administrative hires, plus a timeline that guarantees the return of the schools no later than July 1, 2026. 'As President, I remain hopeful that a bill will be passed before the current legislative session concludes — providing the clarity and authority needed to move this transition forward in a timely and coordinated manner,' Stephens told 12 News. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rhode Island schools should heed state's nondiscrimination laws, say state officials
Angélica Infante-Green, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, speaks at a press event on Feb. 10, 2025, at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Providence. Infante-Green, along with the state's Attorney General, is advising schools to hold off on adopting federal directives regarding LGBTQ+ and DEI policies. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Rhode Island's Attorney General and K-12 education commissioner have teamed up once again, urging schools to think carefully before changing LGBTQ+ and diversity-related policies following recent executive orders by President Donald Trump. 'The children of Rhode Island's public schools deserve a safe and inclusive learning environment — no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from,' Attorney General Peter Neronha and state education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green wrote in their guidance to schools. The 10-page document arrived Friday morning, the same day as a federal deadline to eliminate diversity, equity or inclusion-related school programming or possibly lose federal funding, as originally outlined in a Feb. 14 letter from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR). This the second time the attorney general and education commissioner have co-authored guidance for schools, following a Jan. 27 letter regarding concerns on deportation or detainment by federal immigration officials. The federal education department's letter, Neronha and Infante-Green wrote, 'is not by itself an enforcement mechanism,' and along with recent executive orders that target DEI and LGBTQ+ policies, 'infringe upon the authority of state and local governments over the education of children.' The guidance also discusses four executive orders President Donald Trump issued between Jan. 20 and Jan. 29, that target DEI spending, gender identity and racial politics in schools. Among the orders discussed specifically is 'Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government' issued on Jan. 20 during Trump's first day back in office. The gender order asserts that federal law will only recognize two sexes, and commands agencies to restructure laws and policies accordingly. Neronha and Infante-Green emphasized that, even with these federal changes, Rhode Island laws and protections remain unchanged. They reassured schools that they are not legally required to alter existing policies right now, especially as some of the education department's letter and some of the executive orders face court challenges. 'While the courts continue to rule on the legal effect of the Administration's actions, any attempt by state or local officials to comply with important aspects of these Executive Orders or the OCR Letter would be premature and potentially contrary to state and federal law,' the guidance reads. The guidance noted that Rhode Island's LGBTQ+ regulations in public schools are instituted by the Rhode Island education commissioner and 'have the force and effect of law. … Until a court holds otherwise, these state laws and regulation continue to govern.' In 2001, Rhode Island was the second state to include transgender people in its nondiscrimination laws, which prohibits discrimination in public spaces. The guidance noted that restrooms, including those in public schools, are public places protected by anti-discrimination laws. The guidance will be updated as legal challenges to the federal directives unfold, the attorney general and commissioner wrote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
