Wednesday, October 26, 2016

RIDE schedules 5 community forums on Every Student Succeeds Act

From: Commissioner's Memo to Friends of Education
October 26, 2016

As we prepare to transition to the new federal law - the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - RIDE will hold community forums next month to collect public feedback and input about how we can fulfill our vision for every student. Students, parents, teachers, community members, and community leaders across the state: You are invited to share experiences to help inform the ESSA implementation plan for Rhode Island.

We will hold five forums at locations across Rhode Island:

  • Providence Area: Wednesday, November 2, at Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, 182 Thurbers Ave., Providence  (Spanish language interpretation services are available.)
  • Northern Rhode Island: Wednesday, November 9, at Lincoln Middle School, 152 Jenckes Hill Rd.
  • West Bay: Monday, November 14, at Coventry High School, 40 Reservoir Rd.
  • East Bay: Thursday, November 17, at Portsmouth High School, 120 Education Lane
  • Southern Rhode Island: Monday, November 21 at South Kingstown High School, 215 Columbia St., Wakefield 

All forums will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

These forums will be open to everyone. All are welcome, but to reserve a spot at any of the forums you can use this link:

www.ride.ri.gov/ESSA-Forum

Come lend your voice to advance Rhode Island schools!

Printable and shareable flyers about these forums can be found at www.ride.ri.gov/ESSA. For more information about these community forums, please contact Felicia.Brown@ride.ri.gov or 222-8182.

New Stories on the Tiverton Casino Referendum

GoLocal Providence has posted 2 new stories on the Tiverton casino (see Question 1 blog entry)


WPRI: 12 key things to know about Providence’s proposed firefighter deal

By Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter
Published: October 19, 2016, 3:40 pm  Updated: October 19, 2016, 7:08 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The dispute between Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the city’s firefighters’ union is finally nearing a resolution as the two sides have signed off on a tentative agreement for a new contract.

So what exactly is included in the proposed five-year contract?

Here’s an overview.

Monday, October 24, 2016

State Referendum Question 7: HOUSING OPPORTUNITY BONDS – $50,000,000

For affordable housing, urban revitalization, and blight remediation, to be allocated as follows:
 (a) Affordable Housing Development $40,000,000
 (b) Urban Revitalization and Blight Remediation $10,000,000


In Support:
Vote Yes On 7!
For Homes. For Jobs. For Rhode Island.

Editorial: Vote yes on Question 7
Providence Journal
Posted Nov 1, 2016 at 6:10 PM
Updated Nov 1, 2016 at 6:10 PM

Opposed: RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity
REJECT QUESTIONS #4-7 over Debt Concerns


Related Story:
R.I. Housing projects don’t come cheap
TOM WARD
The Valley Breeze

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Question 5. PORT INFRASTRUCTURE BONDS – $70,000,000

For port infrastructure projects, to be allocated as follows:
 (a) Port of Davisville Infrastructure at Quonset $50,000,000
 (b) Port of Providence Infrastructure $20,000,000

Articles concerning:
Providence Journal: 
Question 5: Should state borrow $70 million to expand Davisville, ProvPort?
By Patrick Anderson
Journal Staff Writer

Political Scene: Waves of contributions rolling in for R.I. ports expansion
Posted Sep 4, 2016 at 5:04 PM 
Updated Sep 4, 2016 at 5:04 PM

In support:
R.I. Ports Coalition

Vote yes on Question 5
EDITORIAL THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD

Opposed:
RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity
REJECT QUESTIONS #4-7 over Debt Concerns

Vote NO on Rhode Island Ballot Question #5, MINDSETTER™ Ken Block
Friday, November 04, 2016
Ken Block, MINDSETTER™

EDITORIAL: Question #5, It Smells Like Low Tide
Sunday, November 06, 2016
EDITORIAL GoLocalProv

Question 4: LEVERAGING HIGHER EDUCATION TO CREATE 21ST CENTURY JOBS BONDS – $45,500,000

To make capital investments in higher education related projects, to be allocated as follows:
(a) University of Rhode Island College of Engineering $25,500,000
(b) University of Rhode Island Affiliated Innovation Campus Program $20,000,000

In support:
Friends of Question 4
Vote Yes on Question 4
Approving Question 4 will attract businesses and create the high-paying, high-skilled jobs Rhode Island needs by authorizing $45.5 million in bonds to expand the University of Rhode Island's College of Engineering and create a URI-affiliated innovation campus program that will pair cutting edge research with private sector investments to create the jobs of the future.

Providence Journal Editorial: Vote yes on Question 4
Posted Oct 21, 2016 at 5:53 PM 
Updated Oct 21, 2016 at 5:53 PM

Opposed:
RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity
REJECT QUESTIONS #4-7 over Debt Concerns

Question 3: VETERANS HOME BONDS – $27,000,000

For the construction of a new Veterans Home and renovations of existing facilities.

Stories concerning the Veterans Home Bonds

Question 3 seeks $27 million for RI Veterans Home
by MATT REED, NBC 10 NEWS|
Friday, October 14th 2016

The Herald News, Fall River, MA
R.I. Question 3 seeks funds to complete veterans home
By G. Wayne Miller The Providence Journal
Posted Oct 3, 2016 at 9:59 AM 
Updated Oct 3, 2016 at 10:03 AM