Battle Heats Up Between Parents, School Dept. on Providence Pre-K
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Parents in Providence are continuing to take the Providence Public School Department to task on the announcement that the Pre-K program at Vartan Gregorian Elementary in Fox Point will be moved, and now additional City Council candidates.
Following the revelation by the PPSD earlier this month that the program would be moved to Asa Messer on the West Side, leaving the East Side with no public Pre-K, now City Council members as well as Mayoral candidates are voicing their concerns for the situation alongside parents.
The Office of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, who this week testified in Washington before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on the Strong Start for American's Chidren Act, did not respond to request for comment.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"My son will have to change schools three times before 1st grade," said parent Hollybeth Runco. "Vartan to Asa messer to Pleasant View then back to Vartan. Is this how the district prioritizes special needs? I'm shocked. There's no other word for it. We're treating our special needs students not with care but as cattle to be shifted around as other agendas are prioritized over them."
The School Deparment, which initially issued a first set of talking points supporting the move, subsequently issued a second set following continued pressure from parents, which has prompted strong reaction from the school community.
"With the recent history of a public school bussing issue in Providence, I find it exceedingly disappointing that this administration continues to make these short-sighted decisions, without the voice of the student or family at it's core -- or even represented," said parent Kira Greene. "Closing the VG Pre-K will cause a large number of our youngest students from surrounding areas, who are now geographically closer to this program, to be shipped across town to a centralized clustering of programs."
The school department did return request for comment.
City Council Members, Mayoral Candidates, Voice Concerns
On April 1st, City Councilman Seth Yurdin issued a letter urging the PPSD to maintain the program. This week, City Councilman Sam Zurier sent a three page letter to Superintendent Susan Lusi, along with maps illustrating the proposed geographic layout -- and concentration -- of Pre-K programs in the city.
"The starting point for this discussion is a consensus that the current program at Greogrian is the most popular one in the district (even for families who live at the other end of the city), and the School Department holds it in high regard," wrote Zurier. "As a result, there is not an educational reason to change the current pre-kindergarten program, an instead the decision to move it is based on the convenience of the students -- and budgetary impacts."
The Providence Mayoral candidates shared their views on the situation.
"I think it is inexcusable the parents were not informed about this in a personal meeting during the ongoing decision process," said GOP candidate Dr. Daniel Harrop. "I understand, because of the collapsing city finances, that the school administration is under tremendous pressure to make cuts (even though independent reviewers feel we have six of the eight worst high schools in the state in Providence), but not to keep the parents in the loop is not justifiable."
"The students that benefit from Vartan Gregorian's Pre-K program, many of whom are developmentally disabled, rely on the program and value stability and predictability as much as the program itself," said Democratic candidate Brett Smiley. "The Providence Public School Department's ill-advised decision to pull the rug out from under them is counterproductive to their development, and in a city that already has chronic busing and registration problems, eliminating the only public Pre-K option on the East Side places an unnecessary burden on the students and parents in these neighborhoods."
A common theme among the candidates was the need to involve parents -- and the community -- in the decision making process.
"As a resident of Fox Point, I'm proud to see the passion my neighborhood has for our city schools," said Lorne Adrain. "Our parents should be an integral part of the process, and major school decisions made with respect to that. I hope in the future parents, teachers, and the district can come together - only together will we reach our full potential."
City Council President and mayoral candidate Michael Solomon said, "Parent and community involvement has to be part of the plan when there are changes, moves, closures or expansions of school programs or buildings. Parental involvement is a major factor in having a successful educational system and we need to empower our communities to be part of the decisions that directly impact their children."
"While I fully support bringing public pre-K to Asa Messer, a school that could greatly benefit from those services, our focus needs to be on working together to bring opportunity to every neighborhood in our City," said Jorge Elorza. "I believe we are One Providence, and to me, that means involving parents, students, and city officials in the decision-making process and ensuring that every child has the right to access high-quality education, regardless of ability or neighborhood."
Parents Continue to Push for Neighborhood Pre-K
Vartan Gregorian Parent Susan Teeden-Cielo addressed a number of the PPSD's talking points -- including the following.
Pre-kindergarten programs have traditionally been placed in buildings where there was available space and are barrier free. Over the last few years, the District has moved to cluster pre-kindergarten classrooms in buildings in order to provide the families, children and staff the support required to provide a high quality program. The Special Education Department have three Special Education Intervention Specialists which provide embedded professional development, training, and coaching to our four sites.
"How is closing three pre-k classrooms on the Greater East Side and leaving an entire area void of a pre-k program, in the best interest of our children?," said Teeden-Cieloe. "Your message is very clear that you are not interested in protecting the best interests of our children, only your THREE "Specialists".
Teeden-Cielo, who had one child successfully go through the program at VG, further expressed her concerns about the program being moved.
"Now, one of our two year old twins also has dyspraxia and we will once again need to rely on the amazing services that we know PPSD can offer- only we now have to send our (developmentally aged) one year olds on a bus across the city to a school where we know not one person, not one child on that bus, or in that community," Teeden-Cielo asked. "Would you feel comfortable sending your two year old on a bus, across the city to a giant elementary school?"
Greene addressed the use of zip code as a determining factor by the PPSD for the change.
"The use of "zip code" data by the Providence School Dept to justify this closure, is completely without merit. The district has never placed students by zip code, as it is a number, not an indication on what school is closest to your child's residence," said Greene. "What matters to families and children is proximity to schools and from a budgetary standpoint this decision will cost tax payers by increasing bussing and travel times, not to mention the stress and hardship it will cause for families of special needs Pre-K children."
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