June 19, 2008
RI House Majority Leader Gordon Fox Supports Mayoral Academies
When the 2009 Rhode Island state budget passed late last night, House Bill H7874 was included under Article 38, thanks in large part to House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox. Representative Fox is a DFER hero for his endorsement of this breakthrough piece of progressive legislation that will allow new charter schools, called Mayoral Academies, to begin operating in the state of Rhode Island. Rep. Fox, who has been serving Rhode Island's District 4 since 1992 and was elected House Majority Leader in 2002, recognizes the problems of the Rhode Island public school system, which received "D's" in the areas of student achievement and teacher quality in a 2008 Education Week poll. He told the Providence Journal that it is "time to think outside of the box."
"Based on their desire to recruit the best teachers, engage parents as partners and put student achievement first, I believe it is important to give [Mayoral Academies] the opportunity to develop their plan for ultimate approval by the Board of Regents," Rep. Fox said.
Mayoral Academies will be a partnership between Rhode Island mayors and proven charter school organizations; the mayors will serve on the Board of Directors of the schools. Under Article 38, these schools will still be open to the public and held accountable just like other public schools.
However, the legislation allows the academies to circumvent strict charter school laws, so they will be able to introduce progressive methods such as merit-based pay for teachers and six-day school weeks. These provisions made the Mayoral Academies bill unpopular with teachers unions and it took strong politicians like Rep. Fox to stand up to the status quo.
Rep. Fox also introduced the Education Equity and Property Tax Relief Act bill in 2004 with State Senator Hannah M. Gallo. The bill called for the creation of a legislative committee to reform education funding and ensure that all students have equal educational opportunities, despite their means.
Thank you, Rep. Fox, for your willingness to serve the needs of students in the state of Rhode Island.
