RI to plead for Race to the Top funds

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island's schools need more money to attract and keep good teachers, to have the most up-to-date teaching tools, and to keep schools and learning spaces in good repair. That's the case a state delegation will be making this Wednesday in the nation's capital, with the hopes of scoring $125 million in the Race to the Top competition.

Among the delegation is Providence's mayor, David Cicilline; the capital city's school superintendent, Thomas Brady; and the president of the Providence Teachers Union, Steven F. Smith. They'll be led by the state's Education Commissioner, Deborah Gist.

Rhode Island was named as a "phase 1 finalist" on March 4. The Department of Education is holding the competition "to better engage and prepare our students for success in a competitive 21st century economy and workplace," according the Department's web site.

Once the application made it through the first round, Rhode Island now gets to make a half-hour presentation to a panel of judges.

Cicilline said in a release Monday winning the grant would help implement reform plans. "I am going to make the case in Washington that our strong partnership with our teachers and the state make Providence and Rhode Island the right investment," the mayor said.

Providence vs. Central Falls

In that partnership, teachers have been working with parents and students to come up with plans over the past several weeks to navigate underperforming schools. Their goals: better test scores and more solid knowledge in the city's graduates -- as well as to have fewer students dropping out.

It's a contrast with the high-profile fight going on in Central Falls, where every teacher at the city's high school was fired just a few weeks ago by the school department's Board of Trustees, because the teachers' union couldn't come to an agreement over certain turnaround plans. That conflict made headlines nationwide, and a mention in a speech by President Barack Obama.

"I am very pleased that labor and management in Providence are working in partnership to improve the persistently lowest-achieving schools and to serve the best interest of students, said Gist in the release from the City of Providence. "[The mayor's] presence will convey the important message that Rhode Islanders are serious about school improvement."

The city's teachers union president echoed the sentiment. "We are committed to ensuring that Providence students receive a top-quality education while providing substantial professional resources for our teachers," Smith said in the release.