Rhode Island
The outlook for Rhode Island’s charter schools – The Boston Globe
The charter school movement has mostly flown under the radar in Rhode Island politics in recent years, and that’s just how they like it. But 2025 could be an interesting year as one mayoral academy seeks to make a big change, other schools consider unionizing, and a potential new school goes back to the drawing board.
Here’s a look at the lay of the land.
A big change at RISE Prep
There are two kinds of charter schools in Rhode Island: Most are considered independents, but some are mayoral academies, which require a municipal chief executive to serve as chair of the board. Mayoral academies were spearheaded by Governor Dan McKee when he was mayor of Cumberland, and they have historically faced stronger push back from teachers’ unions because some of them are part of larger national or regional networks of charter schools (like Achievement First).
RISE Prep, a 3-star mayoral academy that admits students from Woonsocket, North Smithfield, and Burrillville, has been given the go-ahead to switch from a mayoral academy to an independent school. In its proposal, the school said the change “will mitigate instability and unpredictability,” both financially and politically.
We know that teachers at Highlander Charter School and Paul Cuffee voted to unionize in 2024, and the state’s two teachers’ unions are engaged in conversations with other charter school teachers about joining, too. One big question is whether the incoming Trump administration will seek to roll back some of the rules set by President Joe Biden’s administration that made it easier to unionize.
The other key question is what kind of contracts the teachers at Highlander and Cuffee will get during negotiations this year. Highlander joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2323, and Cuffee’s teachers are now members of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals. If the unions can win favorable terms for their new members, other charter schools could follow.
New England Tech’s plans
The New England Institute of Technology was hoping to open a high school focused on career and technical education in September, but it faced resistance from organized labor and decided to pump the brakes on the proposal. The idea still has support at both the university and from Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, but it could be difficult to open a new charter school that is opposed by labor in 2026 because it’s an election year.
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 e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.
The Rhode Island Blood Center is asking for donations after the fatal shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Several donor centers have extended hours available as they respond to the emergency.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Anyone interested can sign up for an appointment on the organization’s website.
PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Blood Center’s blood supply was low before Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University, and it is immediately stepping up blood drives to meet the need, an official said Sunday.
“We were definitely dealing with some issues with inventory going into the incident,” Executive Director of Blood Operations Nicole Pineault said.
The supply was especially low for Type 0 positive and negative, which are often needed for mass casualty incidents, she said. Type 0 negative is considered the “universal” red blood donor, because it can be safely given to patients of any blood type.
Pineault attributed the low supply to weather, illness, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. With more people working from home, blood drives at office buildings are smaller, and young people — including college students — are not donating blood at the same rate as they did in the past, she said.
“There are a lot challenges,” she said.
But people can help by donating blood this week, Pineault said, suggesting they go to ribc.org or contact the Rhode Island Blood Center at (401) 453-8383 or (800) 283-8385.
The donor room at 405 Promenade St. in Providence is open seven days a week, Pineault said. Blood drives were already scheduled for this week at South Street Landing in Providence and at Brown Physicians, and the blood center is looking to add more blood drives in the Providence area this week, she said.
“It breaks my heart,” Pineault said of the shooting. “It’s a terrible tragedy. We run blood dives regularly on the Brown campus. Our heart goes out to all of the victims and the staff. We want to work with them to get the victims what they need.”
She said she cannot recall a similar mass shooting in Rhode Island.
“In moments of tragedy, it’s a reminder to the community how important the blood supply really is,” Pineault said. “It’s an easy way to give back, to help your neighbors, and be ready in unfortunate situations like this.”
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Middletown, Narragansett, and Woonsocket, and it has mobile blood drives, she noted.
On Sunday, the center’s website said “Donors urgently needed. Hours extended at some donor centers, 12/14.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Authorities said two people were killed and eight more were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University, an Ivy League school in Rhode Island. Authorities said students were on campus for the second day of final exams.
Posted
Lions no longer control own destiny to postseason after loss to Rams
San Francisco honors legendary photographer Jim Marshall with street named in his memory
Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers is just getting started
Free December events in Boston: Hanukkah celebrations, new play readings, and more – The Boston Globe
Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Stance on Epstein Testimony Nov. 3
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
Analysis: Trump’s policies set to widen EU-US innovation gap
With federal relief on the horizon, Black farmers worry it won’t come soon enough
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington6 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Iowa2 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World1 week ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
