Deborah Gist has been doing her darnedest to ignore the Providence Student Union as of late. But before her annual “State of Education” speech tomorrow night at the State House, they will be giving the inaugural “State of the Student” speech there as well.
Gist, in her joint session to the House and Senate tomorrow, will no doubt talk about the $75 million in Race to the Top money is helping advance the so-called “education reform” agenda she has proscribed for the Rhode Island. The students from Providence will preempt her by letting everyone know that it hasn’t been working out for them yet.
Here’s their full email:
Okay, what are we talking about?
Every year, the Rhode Island Commissioner of Education gives a “State of Education” address to the General Assembly detailing the Department of Education’s vision for Rhode Island students.
That is all well and good. But members of the Providence Student Union (PSU) feel that these speeches miss an important perspective – namely, the voices of Rhode Island’s students themselves.
Students are the ones who actually experience the “State of Education” every day, so PSU has decided to take this opportunity to share our vision for the schools Rhode Island’s students deserve.
Please join us tomorrow at the First Annual State of the Student Address to hear PSU’s recommendations for the changes our state’s young people need to achieve high standards in high school and beyond, with topics including teaching and learning, curriculum, school repairs, assessment and high-stakes testing. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
PSU’s State of the Student planning committee (Hector, Kelvis, Leexammarie, Cauldierre and Aaron)
P.S. In case you can’t make it tomorrow but still want to participate, we will be offering live-streaming coverage of our Address starting at 4:30 p.m. on our Facebook page.
The Providence Student Union, led by local adults Aaron Regunberg and Zach Mazera, has drawn significant attention to the NECAP graduation requirement, even getting a mention in a Boston Glove editorial. Gist, however, has cautioned local adults not to pay attention or participate in the student’s attempts to criticize the new policy (see statement from the commissioner’s office regarding this characterization).