Alexandra Leslie and Eli Sherman
2 hours ago
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence public school days are getting 30 minutes shorter again, as a teachers union contract and COVID-19 relief funds are both poised to expire.
As part of a one-year agreement reached last year between the district and the Providence Teachers Union, student learning time was extended by 30 minutes and professional development time for educators expanded 90 minutes.
The federal relief funds the district used to pay for the extra time is expiring in September and so far they’ve decided not to find the money elsewhere to continue paying. Meanwhile, the union agreement to teach the extra 30 minutes is slated to sunset on Aug. 31.
R.I. Department of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, who led a state takeover of the Providence school district in 2019, previously estimated the extra 30 minutes amounts to about 15 extra school days per year. And state leaders heralded the idea when it was unveiled last year.
“Because we are trying to recuperate that time and we’re trying to get into a place where our kids have that opportunity,” Infante-Green told 12 News at the time. “Thirty minutes is a big impact. Anything less than that we wouldn’t really see the impact of that.”
The Boston Globe was the first to report the shortened school day, which has since spurred criticism from some people who are expressing concern about students spending less time in the classroom in one of the worst-performing districts in New England.
“With school days in Providence being reduced by 30 minutes this upcoming school year, students will be the ones experiencing the consequences,” Providence Rep. David Morales wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
Former state Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, who’s an educator, echoed his concern, saying she disagreed with people who argue the extra 30 minutes doesn’t matter.
“It always comes down to taking away from the children who need it the most,” she wrote on X. “Do you all know how important 30 mins is to kids whose only connection is to their school.”
Boston Globe columnist Dan McGowan lambasted the decision, calling it a “new low in the state takeover of Providence schools.” He chastised the state, district and union for not even trying to find a solution.
“So much for caring about the kids,” he wrote, adding “The leaders are always around to claim victories, but never held accountable when they bungle the basics.”
The Providence Teachers Union has pushed back, with leaders arguing on X, “We are not cutting the school day, we are reverting to our previous hours.”
PPSD spokesperson Jay Wegimont said the move to add extra time to the school day was an effort “to bolster academic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.” Yet while student scores did improve slightly last year in Providence, Wegimont acknowledged they don’t have enough data after one year to know whether the extra 30 minutes had any effect.
Wegimont also underscored that Providence was the only Rhode Island school district to have used COVID relief funds to extend school days.
“This is notable even if the funds that supported this work are expiring,” Wegimont said.
Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.
Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook.