MATT O’BRIEN, Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Gov. Gina Raimondo is taking a page from neighboring Massachusetts as she prepares to introduce a school choice initiative letting parents send their kids to schools in another town or city.
Education Commissioner Ken Wagner plans to detail the proposal Wednesday in an address to the Rhode Island General Assembly.
The Democratic governor’s plan is part of a broader education agenda that has sought to balance between the perspectives of reformists who favor charter schools and more parental choices and traditional school districts already hurt by declining enrollment.
Raimondo has said school choice is one of several factors that helped Massachusetts schools rocket ahead of Rhode Island’s over the past two decades.
Critics say it’s more important to prioritize other investments such as teacher recruitment and early childhood education.
