The fence in front of the school building. Photos by Jonathan Howard.
Community Members Tour the Apparently Doomed Gilbert Stuart Middle School Building
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Although some neighbors continue to insist that the massive 95-year-old middle school on Princeton Avenue still could and should be renovated, Tuesday’s early morning small group tour of the long-empty Gilbert Stuart Middle School on Tuesday morning felt like a final farewell. Most windows were [...]

24
Sep
Photo: Dana Schneider
Gilbert Stuart Update: School demo gets pushback at City Council
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On September 4, Councilman Juan Pichardo introduced a resolution that would, if passed, call for a temporary pause in the demolition of the historic Gilbert Stuart Middle School on Princeton Street. His action follows an August 12 meeting Pichardo convened on the demolition plan, as [...]

10
Sep
Councilman Juan Pichardo, Ward 9, organized Tuesday night’s meeting. Photo: Jon Howard
Gilbert Stuart Update
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“The short answer is ‘no.’” Public told they can’t change Gilbert Stuart demolition plan As reported earlier in The Providence Eye, a community meeting on July 21 unearthed a host of unanswered resident questions about the fate of the abandoned Gilbert Stuart Middle School — [...]

13
Aug
Princeton Avenue neighbors loved the massive and historic Gilbert Stuart school until it was abandoned by the City.
Historic Nathan Bishop School Was Saved From Demolition.  Can Gilbert Stuart Middle School Also Be Renovated?
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The monumental, 150,000 square-foot, Gilbert Stuart School Middle School that has been at the heart of Elmwood and the West End neighborhoods for 95 years, may be demolished in a matter of weeks. But the building’s closest neighbors know almost nothing about it. The planned [...]

23
Jul
The only known likeness of Cuffe, an engraving from a silhouette, was made by Dr. John Pole of Bristol, England, in 1812 when Cuffe was in his 50s. The ship is docked in a tropical area, probably referring to his recent activities in Sierra Leone. Courtesy of Westport Historical Society.
Who’s the Paul Cuffee School Named For? The First Person of Color to Enter the White House Through the Front Door*
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According to the Paul Cuffee School website, when their namesake returned to the U.S. in 1812 from voyages to Sierra Leone and then England, he found his ship had been “impounded by the U.S. Revenue Service in Newport. Within six days, at record-breaking speed, Cuffee [...]

16
Jul
Writers-in-the-Schools at AS220. Courtesy of Mary Beth Meehan, 2012.
What Does the Future Hold for Literary Arts in Providence Schools? A Conversation with Tina Cane
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Literary arts can play a crucial role in developing students’ critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, and sense of civic engagement. Tina Cane, former RI Poet Laureate In a city rich with cultural history and a vibrant arts scene, the state of literary arts in Providence [...]

04
Jun
There’s A Teachers Union Election Today — Could the PTU See Change?                  
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Today (5/14), a Providence Teachers Union (PTU) special election will test whether teacher discontent is powerful enough to challenge the current union president’s lock on senior union spots. PVD CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators), a small but vocal and growing group within the [...]

14
May
A photo of Mayor Smiley featured in the recently released plan.
Can the City and the Commissioner Collaborate?
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After 5 years of state management of the city’s schools, Mayor Brett Smiley has released his plan for taking back control from the RI Dept of Education (RIDE). The plan seeks to provide a roadmap for building a better public school system under city control. [...]

23
Apr
Members of the Duggan Academy Teacher Leadership Team shared their experiences of collaborative school governance. (photo: Jonathan Howard)
Springfield’s Empowerment Zone Schools Thrive- A Model for Providence?
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Providence Schools have struggled to show any signs of significant improvement over the last five years of state control. Meanwhile, through state intervention of another kind, a group of public middle and high schools in the very poor urban district of Springfield, have thrived. Since [...]

26
Mar
Marine Corporal Harry Kizirian on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, June 24, 1945.
Harry Kizirian 1925-2002: An Angel Without Wings
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Names on school buildings are often from historical eras long gone, making it difficult to keep the honor alive.  The life of Harry Kizirian, who died in 2002, on the other hand, is well within human memory. Kizirian is remembered in Providence most for his [...]

19
Mar