Residents of the West End of Providence were startled to discover that a charter school was moving into a community facility–the John Hope Settlement House–without advance notice.
Providence City Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris said the petition was started after a community meeting on Friday at John Hope regarding the interest from the Wangari Maathai Community School to be housed there prompted more questions from the community about the potential arrangement….
“Make no mistake — the founders and promoters of this proposed new charter school did not reach out to the community and alumni of John Hope,” states the petition, which is calling for a community meeting with the board of John Hope.
The Department of Environmental Management gave the community 30 days to respond before renovations begin in their community center.
“If you had to dig to find this information [about the meeting], we wouldn’t have had that little bit to have public input,” said Harris of GoLocal’s reporting of the DEM meeting at John Hope on Friday, March 29. “We know we won’t be able to see what the contract is. How many years is it for? And if there’s an extension? And what happens to the services for seniors, the food pantry?”
“The community walked away wanting to know who this school is for. Our kids haven’t been given the opportunity because the lottery was done — why are we being left out?” said Harris.
Perhaps the new charter was given the go-ahead by Governor Gina Raimondo, who is part of a charter-friendly privatizer, certainly one of her appointees.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I think “GOP” was supposed to mean Grand Old Party, but today all it stands for is corruption, fraud, lies, racism, segregation, and misleading the American people.
“The Atlantic” even ran a piece about this: “The Corruption of the Republican Party”
“Why has the Republican Party become so thoroughly corrupt? The reason is historical—it goes back many decades—and, in a way, philosophical. The party is best understood as an insurgency that carried the seeds of its own corruption from the start. … ”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/how-did-republican-party-get-so-corrupt/578095/
Since Reagan, GOP really means GREEDY OPPRESSIVE PR***S.
How about “Greedy Oppressive Prigs”” Then we don’t have to leave out any letters.
Prigs was listed as a synonym for the word “assholes” along with the other “P” word.
There is also “pilgarlic” as in wretch.
Of course we have the usual issue: local test scores low? Never mind improving the schools, just start opening charters!
That aside, everything about the location looks right: a community facility that advertises space available for long & short-term rental – & is operating in the red so could use the income – & currently used for daycare/ preK, youth sports et al youth-oriented activities – is accessible to all public transportation. It’s downtown/ not residential, but lottery applicants are drawn from the immediately surrounding zip codes. The glaring omission: no discussion w/ current users of space re: this plan until it’s already sewn up. WHY?
Wondering if gentrification is the subtext.
in many cases gentrification is the only goal which matters to those holding power right above district leaders, the investors and planners who are actually pulling the educational policy strings