Notes from Commissioner Infante-Green
ANGELICA
Prepare to Be Flexible
August marks another milestone on our journey to safely reopen our schools this fall. After incorporating feedback from the RIDE team, our LEAs — districts, charters, and state-run schools — are posting their reopening plans to their websites. I am impressed by the level of detail and responsiveness to community concerns that characterize these plans, and I am grateful for all the work that has gone into them.
These plans are not final, of course. They will continue to change in the weeks to come, as we learn more about the public health situation and which scenario is appropriate for us on August 31. We need good plans to prepare for all options, and we need to remain flexible in how we adjust to meet the constantly changing reality of life in 2020.
The Governor and I outlined the key metrics we will be using to decide what makes sense for the first day of school. These factors include a balanced mix of public health monitoring, procedures to test students and staff, and the operational readiness of our school communities. We will continue to track all these factors over the coming weeks, and we will keep you all updated on where Rhode Island stands. You can find the LEA websites, the new metrics, and a host of other resources at our new website,
I have said it a lot, but it bears repeating: This is an unprecedented public health crisis, and the work we are doing now has never been done before. We are all learning, together, every day. I especially want to thank all the parents, teachers, students, and others who are voicing their views on all these issues. This is a time for communicating productively and challenging one another to get everything as right as we can. We won’t be perfect, but we will constantly try to improve and keep learning — just what we ask of our students.
Angélica
RIDE Launches Back2SchoolRI Website
RIDE has launched Back2SchoolRI, a website dedicated to all things related to a safe school reopening for all schools this fall. The website will provide our state with constant updates from Commissioner Infante-Green and the RIDE team, answers to the most frequently asked questions, event and engagement updates, and much more.
The site also has direct links to all district and charter school websites. These websites will showcase the LEA reopening plans as they are posted starting July 31. This site will be continuously updated as we navigate our way towards a safe reopening of schools on August 31.
Rhode Island Awarded $10.9 Million Federal Education Grant
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has been awarded a $10.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) to support the state’s efforts to rethink education to better serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants support states’ efforts to create new, innovative ways for students to continue learning in ways that meet their needs. Rhode Island was one of 11 states to receive an award, joining Maine as the only New England states on the list.
Grant funds will be used to:
Expand significantly the number of free courses available on RIDE’s popular Advanced Course Network (ACN), which allows Rhode Island students to earn college credit or an industry-recognized credential. Thousands of additional students will now benefit from the program.
Add high-quality instructional materials in core subject areas to the ACN so tens of thousands of students can access them entirely online, and expand RIDE’s Readiness courses to address student skill gaps in Mathematics and ELA.
Embed more school counselors in schools that serve communities with high levels of poverty, to help students navigate these new course opportunities and connect them to their Individual Learning Plans.
Hire part-time parent and student “ambassadors” to reach out to their peers to help more families access these programs. This builds on the successful PrepareRI Ambassador program.
Help build a user-friendly online platform that will serve as a one-stop-shop for families seeking to access any of RIDE’s statewide course options.
View the full press release here.