PROVIDENCE – The public schools district for the city on Tuesday announced that it will move all instruction online from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, just before the Christmas break.
The district, which is currently under state control, announced its plans a day after the R.I. Department of Education put forth a modified schedule where students will return to school in January on a staggered basis.
In that same announcement, RIDE said school districts will also have the option to move to distance learning from Dec. 21-23. The Providence district said it will follow the state’s modified schedule when school returns to session.
The decision also comes after several school districts, including East Providence, Cranston, Warwick and Newport, have switched to remote learning at least through the end of the calendar year due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in the state. In recent months during her weekly COVID-19 press conferences, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, who has pushed since the summer to have in-person learning at all schools across the state, criticized various districts for choosing to have remote learning in lieu of in-person classes.
Additionally, the National Education Association of Rhode Island’s executive committee voted unanimously to ask the governor to have online learning across the state by Dec. 11 through the end of Christmas break on Jan. 4, 2021.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette
