Central Falls High School is at a crossroads. Having failed since 2002 to improve its students’ performance in English and math, the school is now going to be “reconstituted.” What that means, in practical terms, we don’t know yet – officials aren’t saying. But based what our reporter Nicole Dionne found, the first thing that needs to change is attitudes.
As Rhode Island’s smallest and poorest city, Central Falls has long been derided by many people, and while the schools face real challenges, they seem most hobbled by a lack of faith in the students’ ability to succeed.
Yet Central Falls is also the hometown of many accomplished Rhode Islanders, including former Gov. Lincoln C. Almond. And more and more immigrants are proving their mettle in our colleges and going on to become successful professionals – one of them, Patricia Martinez, heads the R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Educational research is full of examples of the curse of low expectations. If you treat kids as if they’re doomed to fail, they usually do. If you challenge them – and show you believe in them – they can achieve great things. Central Falls’ young people deserve nothing less.
