The Providence schools need an infusion of energy and expertise. Business owners and leaders are being asked to commit staff and financial resources to that effort, which at least initially will involve physical improvements to the schools.
Angélica Infante-Green, the state’s new education commissioner, said in a recent interview that she’s asked businesses to participate in a campaign to fix shared spaces in schools, such as libraries and auditoriums.
The effort would be modeled after the Robin Hood Foundation, of New York, a nonprofit focused on anti-poverty measures that recently coordinated the repair of elementary school libraries across the city.
“We want to have something like that to say to the kids and the teachers, this is important,” Infante-Green said. “Where you go to school is important.”
How can businesses help all Rhode Island schools improve?
The question is getting batted around by business leaders, who months after the release of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy report on Providence schools say that K-12 education quality is among the state’s most pressing problems.
Infante-Green met recently with the leaders of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, to solicit help for all of the state’s schools.
Christopher D. Graham, the office managing partner at Locke Lord LLP in Providence, and a member of the Chamber board, said financial contributions from businesses were among the issues raised. But not all members think that’s the only way forward. “There is a natural hesitation to just writing a check. Because one wonders whether it’s really going to be an effective use of what we have to offer,” he said.
‘There is a natural hesitation to just writing a check.’
CHRISTOPHER D. GRAHAM, Locke Lord LLP office managing partner
Graham said the commissioner explained the need for physical improvements to the schools, and the establishment of something akin to Habitat for Humanity but for the public schools. The audience included representatives of Gilbane Building Co. and Dimeo Construction Co.
Businesses, both large and small, do see the need to get involved, Graham said. Among business leaders, education quality has emerged as the top priority in the state.
“It impacts very significantly the talent force, the workforce, that a business can hope to hire from,” Graham said. “Businesses tend to be more focused on short-term, profit-oriented issues. But businesses in the state have seen a deterioration in the whole system, the educational system. They see the impact on the workforce coming up to them and applying for jobs. … They view it as a kind of deterrent for economic development in the state, when your schools can’t educate the population.”
Jon Duffy, president of Providence-based Duffy & Shanley Inc., said he’d like to see more hands-on connection with schools. That has to go beyond the initial efforts that many businesses sponsor, such as fill-a-backpack drives for needy students.
“Money is the most important thing,” he said. “Setting up a foundation where real money can go into is the most important thing. In addition, businesses need to connect more with schools. … I’d like to see businesses adopt a school.”
Such an effort could include having employees mentor students, and work on physical changes. “You’d have your employees go and help clean, paint, do whatever maintenance that’s not getting done,” Duffy said.
The real connectivity would inspire ownership, he said. And why is money so important? “Because they’re so grossly underfunded for [anything] beyond the operational things they need,” Duffy said.
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DOING HIS PART: Stephen Cronin, a sales executive with Signature Printing in East Providence, has been volunteering at Hope High School in Providence for the past 16 years. He says students want to learn, but they need relevant content to be hirable upon graduation or to move forward in life. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI[/caption]
Stephen Cronin, a sales executive with Signature Printing Inc. in East Providence, and the former owner of a print company, started volunteering at Hope High School 16 years ago.
He teaches an elective class called Hope Life Skills, including interpersonal and research skills desired by employers. His 11th graders learn practical skills such as using spreadsheets and designing their own business cards. Cronin teaches analytical skills, and he makes the introductions that can lead to summer paid internships and, potentially, full-time jobs.
There is so much that business leaders can bring to students, he said, and it doesn’t have to involve money.
“The business community can make a significant contribution to the schools,” he said. “And I’m not talking about financial. I’m talking about, first of all, an honest discussion about the school curriculum.”
Students want to learn, Cronin said. What they need is relevant content to be hirable upon graduation or to move forward in life.
“What are we teaching students in high school today that is relevant to the competition they’ll be facing in the marketplace?” Cronin said. “Are we teaching relevant skills and behaviors … that will be beneficial once they get out of high school?”
All Rhode Island schools, not just those in Providence, need comprehensive support, according to Neil D. Steinberg, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Foundation. Businesses are an essential part of that, he said, but it can’t only be on the business community’s shoulders.
The foundation is preparing to release its 10-year planning focus in December, and a world-class education is among the top priorities.
“It’s the broader community. Everybody needs to step up. The business community is a part of that,” Steinberg said.
Engagement needs to expand beyond the traditional mold. “Not to downplay what’s been done in the past, but simply painting the gym and reading to a classroom once a year is not as comprehensive as we need,” he said.
Businesses can provide internships, direct finances and can back the commissioner when she needs support. “This is high standards and stay the course,” Steinberg said. “That also includes funding. It can be funding of specific programs that the commissioner lays out, [such as] professional development. It can be supporting initiatives on technical development.”
The bottom line is the state’s economy is dependent on public school education, he noted. And business leaders have a role in reinforcing what the workforce needs.
“The public education system is part of growing our economy,” Steinberg said. “They are inextricably linked.”
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
