State Rep Megan Cotter discusses the personal impact of the federal government shutdown on Rhode Island families, including her own household where her husband works for the federal government. She calls for state-level action to support furloughed workers and criticizes both parties for prioritizing politics over people. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com
Providence City Council Ward 2 special election heats up with five candidates competing as early voting is underway. Democrat Jill Davidson secured a key endorsement from former Ward 2 Councilmember Helen Anthony. A public candidate forum is scheduled for Oct 28 at Temple Beth-El, with the Democratic primary on Nov 4 and general election on Dec 2. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com
While a federal court has temporarily blocked government shutdown layoffs, education policy experts warn that key U.S. Department of Education programs remain at risk, potentially affecting funding and support for schools nationwide including Rhode Island.
A new report from Brown University's Annenberg Institute for School Reform recommends significant changes to professional development and teacher learning programs to improve educational outcomes across Rhode Island's school systems.
Rhode Island state officials and Providence Public School District leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of a major remodeling project at Mount Pleasant High School, marking a significant investment in modernizing educational facilities for Providence students.
A Newport resident and Narragansett High School educator has been named Rhode Island's 2026 Teacher of the Year, recognizing outstanding dedication, innovation, and impact in the classroom serving Ocean State students.
The principal of St. Peter School has been placed on administrative leave following the resignation of multiple teachers, raising questions about school leadership and working conditions at the Rhode Island Catholic school.
The Class Disrupted podcast returns with a new season exploring critical questions about artificial intelligence in education, examining how AI tools are transforming teaching, learning, and student outcomes in schools including those in Rhode Island.
Brown University will eliminate 48 positions and leave 55 vacant jobs unfilled as part of efforts to trim spending by 2.5% and close a $30 million shortfall in fiscal year 2026 operations. The cuts, announced in a September 22 letter from President Christina Paxson and university leadership, come despite an August agreement with the federal government that restored NIH funding in exchange for ideological concessions including binary gender definitions in athletics and housing. Additional cost-cutting measures include consolidating health benefits to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, monetizing real estate holdings, and pausing net-zero carbon emission spending. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com
The ACLU of Rhode Island sent a letter to Brown University President Christina Paxson urging her to "forcefully and publicly reject" a new Trump administration "compact" sent to nine universities that would impose conditions to receive federal funding. The compact would restrict university employees from speaking out on political issues, limit foreign student enrollment, and require the university to deny the existence of transgender students while claiming to promote a "marketplace of ideas" that prohibits anything that would "belittle" conservative ideas. ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown argues Brown's previous capitulation has emboldened the administration to demand more, warning that universities' response may determine higher education autonomy for decades. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com
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