Back in December the Rhode Island Department of Education announced it was closing three schools: Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School at Broad Street, Carl G. Lauro Elementary School, and Gilbert Stuart Middle School. Democratic State Rep. Enrique Sanchez has introduced a resolution in the General Assembly to keep the schools open. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with Sanchez about his proposal, and what happens next.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Luis Hernandez: Tell us about your resolution. What is it exactly that you are trying to accomplish? Is it about keeping the schools open permanently, or at least keeping them open for the foreseeable future? What do you want to do?
Enrique Sanchez: Well, this resolution is a message within the General Assembly, particularly within the House of Representatives, that we are in disagreement with the way that RIDE has announced this school closure. This ultimately comes down to RIDE’s decision to reverse, or the governor’s decision to be able to intervene and stop this themselves directly. But, you know, this is something that I had to do, that at least I could have done in order just to stand with the students, with the parents, with teachers. And I have seen how much, you know, firsthand they’ve been affected by it.
Hernandez: So what do you think about the fact that, again, as you hear from parents, there are even school board members who’ve said, I don’t know what’s going on? That there seems to be a lack of communication between, again, the district and the state and everybody else? What do you make of that?
Sanchez: We’re all thrown in the confusion circle – elected officials, teachers, students, school board members. We’re not hearing anything on our, on our end. And things have been like this the last few years. RIDE and PPSD has not been communicative, you know, with anyone else besides themselves. And it’s, it’s a disrespect, because we need to be as communicative with each other as much as we can. And I think we are all we all have a say in the way that Providence schools have moved forward, or are continuing to move forward, right? But it’s a disrespect. And I wish and I hope that they change their process of handling things.
Hernandez: What do you think about the fact that you just touched on, that a few years ago RIDE took over the Providence schools because the schools were failing, that they were struggling? Do you think that they’re doing a better job? Are they actually improving the schools?
Sanchez: There have been some instances in which one can see that they’re improving on some things, but I’d say that the bad outweighs the good still. And that is particularly in which this pandemic has, has also been a roadblock for their agenda, for the way that they’ve handled the schools. But this like driving out and pushing out teachers from the Providence schools, the attendance rates which are extremely low, the lack of involvement from parents and the school, you know, the school communities – we’re still not delivering. And it doesn’t benefit anyone that we’re not all on the same page, when we should all be on the same page. These decisions should be, come to the table, everyone’s perspective.
Hernandez: You talk about these schools being landmarks, but that’s one of their arguments. They’ve said that enrollment is down and the schools are old, and they want to build new campuses and replace old buildings. What’s your take on that?
Sanchez: I want to see us build new schools before we operate it, and then we can tear down the schools. I think we can also implement, you know, funds into remodeling a lot of these schools. Why do we have to bring down schools that have been part of our community? We can make major improvements before we tear down these schools.
Hernandez: What happens now? Just remind us, what happens now with your resolution?
Sanchez: So now this is going to be heard in the Committee and the House and … I’m still waiting on a set date for that hearing, committee hearing.
Hernandez: Let me finish with this. If you had the opportunity to speak with, you know, Angelica Infante-Green or the superintendent of Providence schools, what would you tell them? If you had them right now, what would you say?
Sanchez: Let’s go to these schools and talk to the parents and students and teachers directly. And let’s have dialogue with them. And then we can see what decisions you want to make moving forward.
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