Mary Ann Snider is the deputy commissioner of education overseeing teaching and learning for the R.I. Department of Education. Snider has been part of the RIDE team for 25 years, having previously worked as a special-education teacher, assessment specialist and policy analyst.
PBN: As the state prepares for the back-to-school season, what are R.I. Department of Education’s top priorities for the 2017-2018 academic year?
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SNIDER: As the state education agency, I see our role as setting the conditions that allow great teaching and learning to happen. A lot of it goes back to creating opportunities. On the educator side, for example, we launched the LeadRI Partnership, an exciting initiative with the Partnership for Rhode Island on executive leadership development for principals and superintendents. For students, we’re focused on creating pathways that are aligned to their interests and future careers. Our Advanced Coursework Network, P-TECH, expanded career education, CS4RI and the new diploma pathway endorsements are all ways we can make learning more relevant.
PBN: How concerned are you over the potential loss of up to $45 million to local schools if the state does not approve the fiscal 2018 budget?
SNIDER: It’s a significant challenge for our partners in the field, especially the longer we go without a budget. We’ve instructed superintendents and charter leaders to operate under the assumption that funding will not be provided retroactively, so they’re having very difficult conversations with their school communities about what those reductions are going to mean for students.
PBN: Can you provide any more detail about which communities will be hardest hit, those which face losing more than $1 million in educational aid?
SNIDER: There are nine communities that are looking at reductions over $1 million, including our urban communities, [such as] Woonsocket and Pawtucket. At more than $12 million, Providence is facing the most significant reduction.
PBN: Do these cuts mean there will be fewer teachers contracted for the upcoming year, or potential strikes in the next weeks?
SNIDER: How these reductions are going to manifest is really a question for the districts and charter leaders as they examine their budgets and work with their union partners to identify how they’re going to make up the difference. It isn’t an easy fix, and we’re here to support them however we can.
PBN: You’ve been involved in the development of the Rhode Island State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal education law to replace No Child Left Behind, which the department aims to submit in September. What does this policy entail for the state’s education system?
SNIDER: Our ESSA State Plan touches upon a lot of things, from school improvement, to support for English learners, to accountability and gives the framework through which we can continue to implement and enhance our Strategic Plan. It’s an exciting time because ESSA really represents a shift in education policy from compliant accountability to shared responsibility. We all have a role to play in supporting students, and ESSA helps define our goals, priorities and strategies for fostering a high-quality, relevant and equitable system of public education.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a PBN staff writer. Email her at Gowdey-Backus@PBN.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey.
