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This article, written by Ian Donnis, appeared on Rhode Island Public Radio.
The following paragraph appeared as number 11 on a list of political things to know in Rhode Island this week:
…Rhode Island’s battle over charter schools is heating up anew. Providence Councilor Sam Zurier contends that expanding the Achievement First charter school would cripple the city’s conventional public schools. “Weighing fiscal impact is not a simple math calculation,” responded Bill Fischer, spokesman for the Rhode Island Campaign for Achievement Now. “How do you put a cost on a majority of kids who aren’t reading at grade level? How do you put a cost on the community benefit of having 3,000 kids prepped and ready for college and what that means for their earning potential?” Looking ahead, the state Department of Education is expected to vote December 20 on a series of new charters and charter expansions. (State Education Commissioner Ken Wagner is backing the Achievement First expansion, but recommending denial for several others.)