[Summit] advice on east side public schools

Tue Mar 25 04:24:07 UTC 2008

I'm glad to hear more good things about ICS.  It 
sounds like an impressive program.  I'll add that 
King and Gregorian also offer our children a 
solid education in an environment where students 
from different backgrounds learn together; it's 
one of the great things about public education.

My own child went through the Greene program, and 
got an excellent education in a diverse school. 
With few exceptions, the teachers were excellent, 
and she was well-prepared for Classical, where 
she is doing well.  I would recommend it to 
anyone.

While I understand Carol's concerns about the 
Greene program, I would certainly stop far short 
of the term "apartheid", which conjures up some 
disturbing images. The school "tracks" students 
into the Advanced Academic Program or the regular 
program, and students from the two groups only 
mix in art, gym and lunch. It does create a 
certain amount of division, though the AAP is 
certainly very diverse!  The program also has the 
consequence that you're either "in" or "out" of 
the program, and there's nothing in-between, 
which is unnecessarily restrictive.

That's one reason why the Nathan Bishop Committee 
recommended that the new Nathan Bishop NOT track 
students into two groups.  Instead, students 
doing advanced work in one subject can do that, 
though they might not be in advanced classes in 
other subjects.  It's an "ala carte" program that 
allows each student to work to their highest 
level in each subject.

Tom

At 11:35 PM -0400 3/24/08, <ccancro at cox.net> wrote:
>Our daughter will be entering Greene this fall, 
>after having completed fifth grade at the 
>International Charter School (ICS) in Pawtucket. 
>I can find fault with anything, but cannot 
>recommend ICS highly enough.
>
>In terms of sacrificing your daughter on the 
>altar of your politics, I can assure you we 
>haven't done anything of the sort.  However, 
>we've managed to raise a socially conscious 
>child with friends of all colors, races, SES's, 
>and achievement levels.
>
>In fact, I'm more than a little concerned about 
>her starting the Advanced Academic Program at 
>Greene, which seems to revel in its apartheid 
>system.  But we have friends who sent their son 
>to this program, and he's a great kid.  (He's 
>currently juggling college acceptances in his 
>senior year at Classical.)
>
>If there's anything we've learned about watching 
>our friends and their kids in charter, public, 
>and private schools; it's that the children go 
>in great and come out great, regardless of the 
>setting.  Years from now, you won't believe how 
>much time you spent obsessing about these 
>choices.
>
>Good luck and feel free to look me up if you 
>want any further information about ICS.  I'm 
>sure things will work out well, no matter what 
>you decide.
>
>Carol C.
>
>
>---- "Thomas A. Schmeling" <tschmeling at ric.edu> wrote:
>>  Dear Mark,
>>
>>  Our family didn't enter the Providence public
>>  schools after 5th grade, but I can connect you
>>  with a bunch of helpful people through the East
>>  Side Public Education Coalition.  Give me a  call
>>  at 277-0655.
>>
>>  Meanwhile (and advertising this is the reason for
>>  sending a public message) check out our website
>>  at <http://www.EastSideEd.org>www.EastSideEd.org
>>  and especially our blog at
>>  <http://espec.wordpress.com>http://espec.wordpress.com.
>>  Use the search box for more info on King and
>>  Gregorian, and join our mailing list while you're
>>  there!
>>
>>  There are a number of people involved in the
>>  realizing the hope you express.  Please join us!
>>
>>  best,
>>  Tom
>>
>>  At 3:19 PM -0400 3/24/08, Dr. Mark Santow, 
>>Assistant Professor, History wrote:
>>  >Hi neighbors:
>>  >
>>  >i realize i risk an avalanche of responses on this important and perhaps
>>  >sensitive issue, but so be it.
>>  >
>>  >my daughter will be going to kindergarten starting in september, to an
>>  >as-yet-undetermined school.  she has been attending a Montessori school
>  > >for the past couple of years, but for financial as well as civic reasons
>>  >(largely the former), we are seriously considering sending her to public
>>  >school.
>>  >
>>  >We are considering Gregorian, and King.  we visited both schools, and came
>>  >away quite impressed (particularly with the Principal at King).  however,
>>  >we haven't lived here long enough to actually know any parents with
>>  >first-hand knowledge or experience of either school.  both of them have
>>  >excellent PTO's with very active and helpful parents running them.  but it
>>  >would be helpful to get impressions and advice beyond that.
>>  >
>>  >is there anyone here with personal experience (as parents) that might help
>>  >us?  can anyone give me a sense of the trajectory of these two schools?
>>  >my sense is that both are on the upswing, but such things are of course so
>>  >hard to measure.  test scores tell us some things, but are inherently
>>  >limited.  as an urbanist, a citizen and a parent, it is my hope that the
>>  >East Side's educated middle class returns to the public schools.  we of
>>  >course would be part of that return.  on the flip side, i have no desire
>>  >to use my own daughter to further or demonstrate my own civic preferences.
>>  >
>>  >if you are willing to offer thoughts and advice 'off the air,' i would
>>  >really appreciate it.
>>  >
>>  >thanks
>>  >Mark Santow (msantow at umassd.edu)
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >Our newly released book "Social Security and the Middle-Class Squeeze Fact
>>  >and Fiction About Americaís Entitlement Programs," by Drs. Mark and
>>  >Leonard Santow, can be found at
>>  >http://www.greenwood.com/books/bookdetail.asp?sku=C8881
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >ìSkepticism, contrary to widespread error, makes
>>  >everything possible again: ethics, morality, knowledge,faith, society, and
>>  >criticism, but differently ñ a few sizes smaller, more tentative, more
>>  >revisable and more capable of learning and thus more curious, more open to
>>  >the unexpected.î
>>  >
>>  >Ulrich Beck, Democracy Without Enemies (1998)
>>  >
>>  >ìBetter the occasional faults of a Government
>>  >  that lives in a spirit of charity, than the consistent omissions of a
>>  >Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.î
>>  >
>>  >Franklin Roosevelt, Speech at Philadelphiaís Franklin Field (1936)
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >_______________________________________________
>>  >Summit mailing list
>>  >Summit at sna.providence.ri.us
>>  >http://mail.sna.providence.ri.us/mailman/listinfo/summit_sna.providence.ri.us
>>  >SNA Website: http://sna.providence.ri.us/
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  Thomas A. Schmeling, Ph.D.
>>  Associate Professor of Political Science
>>  Rhode Island College
>>  (401) 456-8722
>>  "All my favorite songs have had lyrics I didn't quite understand" -Brian Eno

-- 
Thomas A. Schmeling, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Rhode Island College
(401) 456-8722
"All my favorite songs have had lyrics I didn't quite understand" -Brian Eno
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