Elisabeth Harrison

Board Votes to Allow Armed Campus Police

Elisabeth Harrison — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:10:38 +0000

Rhode Island has lifted a ban on armed police forces at state colleges, after a Board of Education vote last night. The board’s new policy allows each state institution to make the decision about whether campus police officers will carry guns.

No Decision on Gist Contract

Elisabeth Harrison — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:26:12 +0000

The State Board of Education discussed a contract extension for Education Commissioner Deborah Gist last night but took no action. The conversation took place behind closed doors, which is standard practice for personnel matters.

At least 200 people attended the public portion of the board meeting, some to testify in opposition to Gist and others to speak on a controversial measure to arm state college police. The board passed the measure on campus police, allowing each state university to make its own decision about arming campus police forces.

Rhode Island Lifts Ban on Armed Campus Police

Elisabeth Harrison and John Bender — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:26:09 +0000

State colleges and universities in Rhode Island can now arm campus police after a vote Thursday night at the State Board of Education. Critics said more guns on campus will not make students safer, but supporters, including University of Rhode Island President David Dooley, said campus police should carry guns to do their jobs more effectively.

Dooley said he believes arming police is logical decision for URI.

Meeting the Challenge of Standardized Testing

Elisabeth Harrison — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:04:23 +0000

As Rhode Island grapples with high school diplomas tied to test scores, Massachusetts students have faced a similar requirement for a decade. Rhode Island Public Radio's Elisabeth Harrison visited Attleboro High School to find out how high-stakes testing has changed what’s being taught.

Board of Ed Tackles Guns, Gist and Science

Elisabeth Harrison — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:20 +0000

There’s a meaty agenda on tap this week at the State Board of Education. The group is scheduled to vote Thursday on a controversial proposal to allow police to carry guns on state college campuses. The board is also scheduled to vote on adopting new science standards and consider a contract extension for Education Commissioner Deborah Gist.

A Shorter School Year for RI?

Elisabeth Harrison — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:41 +0000

Legislation up for a vote Tuesday in the State Senate would allow school districts to shorten the school year, if they make the school day longer.

The bill says districts should be able to scrap the current requirement of 180 days as long as they have the equivalent number of hours. Assuming the school day lasts six hours, that works out to 1,080 hours.

School Safety Bills Head to Senate Vote

Elisabeth Harrison — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:24:43 +0000

The full State Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on several bills filed in the aftermath of deadly shootings at Connecticut’s Sandyhook Elementary School.

The bills would require schools to craft safety procedures in conjunction with local law enforcement and have their plans reviewed annually by the state.

Teachers to Sound Off on Education Policy

Elisabeth Harrison — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:23:51 +0000

Rhode Island’s two teachers’ unions are holding a forum for teachers to discuss their dissatisfaction with new policies in the state’s public schools.

Teachers have complained about the pace of changes under State Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, and they are particularly concerned about new annual teacher evaluations, which include test scores as one measure of teacher effectiveness. The teachers have asked the state to slow down implementation of the evaluations, saying they are time consuming and need adjustment.

As RI Rolls Out Common Core, Are New Science Standards Next?

Elisabeth Harrison — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:44:59 +0000

Rhode Island is one of 26 states that have promised to consider new science guidelines known as the Next Generation Science Standards. The standards were developed by the same organization that created the Common Core, a group of national standards many states including Rhode Island are now adopting for Math and English.

Business Supports Gist

Elisabeth Harrison — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:50:10 +0000

Business leaders are coming out in support of Deborah Gist, the state’s controversial education commissioner. The Providence Journal reports that two dozen business organizations have asked the State Board of Education to renew Gist’s contract, which is currently under review.