With early childhood education centers closing due to federal government shutdown, local leaders scramble to find funding to keep Head Start programs serving 700,000+ low-income children nationwide. Centers provide free preschool, health screenings, parent resources and meals, but funding exhaustion forces closures, creating difficult choices for vulnerable families including migrant farmworkers.
Discovery Education CEO Brian Shaw discusses findings from Education Insights 2025-2026 report showing 90%+ of educators recognize engagement as critical predictor of student success, but educators disagree on defining and measuring it. Students report higher engagement levels than teachers perceive, with significant gaps between what teachers observe (questioning behavior) versus what administrators prioritize (assessment performance).
Brown Initiative for Policy team argues Rhode Island must urgently address multilingual education crisis. State experienced nation's highest growth of multilingual learners (MLLs) 2010-2020, with enrollment doubling statewide and some districts seeing 400%+ increases. Despite 13% MLL enrollment (5th highest nationally), RI ranks 28th in spending, with persistent funding gaps, teacher shortages, and bureaucratic barriers threatening quality education for Latino, Cape Verdean and other multilingual communities.
Smithfield Schools Superintendent Dawn Bartz placed on paid administrative leave pending legal review of her handling of alleged antisemitic hazing incident involving football players. School Committee hired outside investigators after Sept. 30 locker room incident where Jewish freshman was allegedly locked in bathroom, sprayed with Lysol, and taunted with slurs. Controversy stems from Bartz's decision to reinstate five suspended senior players after their appeal, drawing criticism from Jewish community leaders and Rhode Island Attorney General's civil investigation.
Independent court monitor determines Providence Public School District achieved substantial compliance with August 2023 settlement agreement, closing federal class action lawsuit over special education services for preschoolers. Settlement required timely evaluations and placement in IEPs for 3-to-5-year-olds with disabilities, hiring additional evaluation teams, and allowing parents to seek outside evaluations at district expense. ACLU and RI Center for Justice brought suit after investigation revealed hundreds of students were denied or delayed special education services guaranteed under federal IDEA law.
Providence police charged juvenile student with disorderly conduct after Friday incident at A-Venture Academy where student allegedly punched teacher. PPSD spokesperson said student "pushed" teacher with no injuries reported, and school conducted restorative circle between teacher and student. Marks latest violence incident at Providence schools this year involving both students and staff, following October assaults on two middle school teachers.
Researchers from OpenAI and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative argue that AI-powered education tools lack proper evaluation infrastructure to assess instructional quality. They developed automated evaluators with partners including Student Achievement Partners and Achievement Network to help educators assess key dimensions like text complexity, ensuring AI tools truly enhance education rather than providing unvetted content that could slow student development. Source: the74million.org
The Rhode Island Foundation's Arts in Academics Fund offers grants of $500 to $1,000 for K-12 public school teachers, artists, and nonprofit organizations to support educational projects that integrate art disciplines into core academic subjects. Funded by retired Rhode Island art educator Karel Greenblatt Gertsacov, the program supports collaborations between artists and educators that promote arts as an integral part of the learning process. Source: youthtoday.org
Five candidates are competing in Providence City Council Ward 2 special election with early voting already underway. A public candidate forum was held on October 28 at Temple Beth-El, featuring discussions on local issues including education, housing, public safety, and community involvement. The Democratic primary is scheduled for November 4, with the general election on December 2. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com
The Providence School Board says it's on track to complete professional development training required to regain control of city schools by next year, but the Rhode Island Department of Education insists more work is needed. The state took over Providence schools in 2019, with the takeover extended through 2027, though it could end sooner if specific conditions are met. Tensions remain over budget gaps, governance issues, and the timeline for returning local control. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com
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