Rhode Island needs a well-educated workforce to strengthen small businesses, the backbone of our economy. We need a strong, stable public education system to attract new businesses and new people, and to train future corporate executives. We need prepared and informed residents to fill the pipeline of civic and community leaders well into the future.
The recent release of Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System results for third- through eighth-graders in Rhode Island drew bright lines around something we already knew to be true. We aren’t educating future workers to the best of our ability, or theirs.
One of our three strategic priorities, as the state’s community foundation, is educational success. That means that we focus a significant amount of our grant-making and civic-leadership efforts on improvements to the public education system.
Over the years we’ve participated in important policy conversations related to prekindergarten through grade 12 public education – such as the statewide funding formula and the recent Rhode Island School Buildings Task Force. We were an early funder of programs such as Teach for America and City Year here in Rhode Island, and continue to support their efforts. We also directly support professional development for teachers and school administrators in districts across the state. We’re encouraged by what we are able to fund, and by the places where we see progress.
At the same time, we’ve grown frustrated with the lack of consistency and coordination across the sector. And, we’ve grown even more frustrated with the lack of a sense of ownership – and sense of urgency – for improving the quality of public education in our state.
We know that students, parents and caregivers, and educators can make improvements, and that they want to. However, it isn’t their responsibility alone to see to it that Rhode Island’s children are provided the best public education – it is our collective responsibility.
Here’s an example from our neighbor to the north: Massachusetts has arguably the best student performance in the country. They set a course, with leadership from the state’s business community, and passed legislation to implement improvements throughout their public education system two decades ago. They have stayed the course – improving opportunities, outcomes and their economy.
We can do the same, starting from where we are at this moment. The Rhode Island Foundation has convened a group of local stakeholders to work with us to create a long-term vision and plan for public education in Rhode Island. But we’ve been around long enough to know that what will differentiate this effort is sustained commitment and the public will to make it a reality. Both will require much more engagement from the business community. With an example set by the Partnership for Rhode Island – a group of corporate leaders that are engaged in and helping to fund this effort – the time is now for businesses of all sizes in Rhode Island to be champions for a strong, stable public education system for our state. It’s time to step up, speak up and show up.
As a former banker, I saw firsthand the rewards my customers and colleagues reaped from having rigorous, fulfilling educational experiences. And I saw the value businesses of all sizes in Rhode Island glean from employing well-educated, well-rounded workers. I see it now in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector as well. A strong public school system supports a strong economy. A strong economy supports household prosperity.
At the Rhode Island Foundation, we are heavily invested in educational success, so too are our state’s public school educators, students and education advocates. As part of the long-term planning effort we’ve embarked on, we will engage them and we’ll offer opportunities for the broader public to engage in the process. What we also need is for the business community to be as heavily invested, and engaged, as well. Join us!
Neil D. Steinberg is president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation.
I can understand the RI business community reluctance to commit scare resources to this vexing system problem where no one entity is accountable. Now with voters having passed the $250M school bond, school committees will naturally focus on planning new buildings vs doing deep dives into the depressing RICAS data.
Here in Newport, you can hear the giddiness from Rogers High School alumnus who want $180M to rebuild atop the same 1950s footprint. Long overdue reforms might come sooner and become more sustainable if all RI politicians had the luxury of four year terms and could be limited to two or three terms in office.