Last week we reported that education activists plan to attend Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting to protest new graduation requirements tied to high stakes testing. Today, the Providence Journal reports that “If those rules were already in place, 44 percent of this year’s seniors would be in jeopardy of not receiving a diploma, based on their poor math performance last year on the [NECAPs].”
Proponents of the change say it will help raise the level of education in the Ocean State, while opponents, according to ProJo education writer Jennifer Jordan “say education officials are forcing students to bear the consequences of a failed education system — with disastrous consequences. Without a diploma, young people cannot join the Army, participate in programs such as City Year, or apply to college.”
Speaking of high stakes testing, the Journal also runs this AP story about the El Paso, Texas school district that “was trying to push out hundreds of low-performing sophomores to prevent them from taking accountability tests.”
More WPRI poll results: Gov. Chafee is still unpopular but his approval rating is improving, while Angel Taveras and Gina Raimondo are deadlocked each with 58 percent approval ratings … it’s gonna be an interesting gubernatorial campaign in 2014!!
Did you know conservative pundit Ann Coulter uses Rhode Island as an example when she advocates for voter ID laws. According to Politifact, she told “The View” on Thursday, “One of the first states in the union to pass voter-ID bills was Rhode Island, 85 percent Democratic legislature,” she said. “And who pushed it? A black Democrat in the House, a black Democrat in the Senate. That’s a fact.” It’s true our voter ID law was supported by minority legislators in both chambers but it’s not true that our law was among the first in the country.
Even the gas is better in Massachusetts, or at least cheaper.
I mentioned Patch in yesterday’s Progress Report and it attracted some interesting comments. It’s true that Patch is slashing editorial budgets while increasing the workload on the local editors. It’s also true that many of the local editors don’t place a high value on hard news. One Patch editor told me they don’t even cover their local school committee!! Cranston Patch, on the other hand, does a great job doing real journalism on the community it covers.
Best correction of the day: “The tortoise won its race with the hare in Aesop’s fable about those animals. A clue in Sunday’s crossword puzzle inaccurately described the race’s outcome.”
The first presidential debate is tonight … here’s how the candidates will try to dodge the tough questions.
Today in 1967, the legendary Woodie Guthrie died.