ALN (Alliance for a Livable Newport) Public Forum, Thursday July 22, 2010 in Newport. Place to be confirmed.
Ms. Deborah A. Gist will provide an overview of the significant progress her Department’s made since she began her tenure as the Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education just a year ago.
Earlier this month, the Commissioner submitted Rhode Island's Phase Two Race to the Top application for $75 million in additional school funding. Later this summer, we will learn how our application fared.
Rhode Island’s Phase One Race to the Top application came in 8th out of the 41 states that applied. The “Great Teachers and Leaders” section of our application received the 2nd highest points in the country. Additionally, RI received almost perfect scores for our state standards, our assessment system, our interventions in the lowest-achieving schools, and our new educator evaluation standards that are based on evidence of student growth.
As Commissioner Gist states, “Rhode Island has made progress in improving its education system, yet we all can agree that we must do much more to improve performance for all of our students. In particular, we must address our achievement gaps. If we want great schools across Rhode Island — the best in the world — then we are responsible for creating that greatness – all of us. I am ready to link arms with educators, leaders, and residents throughout the state to bring a true education renaissance to Rhode Island.”
Won’t you join us for what promises to be an enlightening evening?
1 comment:
An "education renaissance"? Is that what Ms. Gist thinks she's creating in RI? Well, if it happens in Bristol, it won't be thanks to her new funding formula that slashes the school budget by $8.5 million!
I don't know anyone who supports education in Bristol less than Ms. Gist... Yet there she was at the Bodacious Bee a few weeks ago with Rep. Gablinske (who voted for the funding plan), receiving applause for essentially trying to destroy our schools.
I've got to think most of the civic-minded people at the event, which raised an incredible $22,000 for our district, are simply unaware of the level of damage about to be inflicted upon our community. Otherwise, like me, they would have been booing instead of clapping for Gist.
To look at this situation another way, as successful as the Bodacious Bee was, even if we were to have one per day for the next ten years we still couldn't make up for the nearly 50% cut in state aid to our schools! And, at that rate, we'd run out of words to spell!
Evidently not one for spelling since she doesn't even write her own speeches (thanks to Board of Regents member and, embarrassingly enough, fellow Bristolian Angus Davis), Gist is more politician than Education Commissioner.
Gablinske, meanwhile, was lucky just to beat some kid (and a virual unknown at that) last election. After practically sealing the fate of our district, don't expect him to pull the upset again next time around.
As for the millionaire Davis? With all the money he has for his cronies, I'm sure he'll have a long and promising career in politics.
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