The attorneys general of Rhode Island and Massachusetts are among the plaintiffs charging that a Trump administration freeze on more than $6 billion in education funding is illegal. Without a detailed explanation, the U.S. Education Department on July 1 blocked the release of $6.8 billion in education grants for states. Twenty-three attorneys general and the […]
Education
Posted inEducation, Health, Local
Rhode Island to require Narcan in college dorms
Rhode Island colleges will be required to stock the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, in all dormitories and college-run housing starting Sept. 1. The measure, which Gov. Dan McKee signed into law June 26, also mandates that all resident assistants in campus housing be trained in how to recognize […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Education, Politics, The Weekly Catch
Behind the bills: Rhode Island’s new gun control law and student cell phone ban
On today’s show we look at two significant bills signed into law this week by Gov. Dan McKee. First, a ban on the sale and manufacture of assault-style weapons. How effective are bans like this at actually tackling the problem of gun violence? A national expert breaks it down. Also: Rhode Island has joined the growing number of states banning cell phone use in schools. We’ll hear from a Providence teacher who says she hopes it will reverse some of the learning losses that have happened over the past decade. And we remember George Kent, the founding musical director of the Chorus of Westerly, who died recently at the age of 88. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inEducation, Health, Local
Union workers at Rhode Island Hospital, Hasbro Children’s vote to authorize strike
The union representing roughly 2,500 nurses and other health care workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital on Tuesday voted to authorize a strike, though the union stopped short of filing the mandatory 10-day strike notice. The United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5098 has been negotiating with the hospitals’ operator, Brown University […]
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Rhode Island lawmakers pass legislation to ban cell phones in schools
The Rhode Island House of Representatives on Monday unanimously approved a bill that would ban student use of cell phones during school hours. The state Senate passed an identical bill in May, leaving Gov. Dan McKee’s signature as the final hurdle for the policy. Under the legislation, Rhode Island school districts would have to craft […]
Posted inEducation, Local, Politics
On Capitol Hill, Brown student blasts ‘Ivy League bloat’
A rising junior at Brown University who has been sharply critical of his elite college took his case to Capitol Hill Wednesday, testifying before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. Alex Shieh told lawmakers, “I’m not here to glorify the Ivy League, I’m here to warn you.” Shieh claimed Brown and other elite universities […]
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Proposed URI medical school could fill doctor shortage, boost economy, draft report finds
Creating a medical school at the University of Rhode Island would help to address the shortage of primary care doctors in the state, boost the economy and offer other benefits, according to a draft version of a consultant’s report. The draft said that between 200,000 and 400,000 Rhode Islanders lack access to primary care services, […]
Posted inEducation, Local
College enrollment is declining. How is Johnson & Wales preparing for the ‘demographic cliff’?
The number of college students in Rhode Island has been falling for many years, and the declining birth rate since the Great Recession is about to make that problem worse, with enrollment numbers expected to drop significantly over the next decade. Many colleges and universities are scrambling to figure out how to survive with fewer […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Education, Politics, The Weekly Catch
RIC program cuts, warning signs about the Washington Bridge, and more
Rhode Island College recently announced it will cut 20 degree programs this fall, mostly in the humanities. We’ll hear from a professor and student at RIC who say the cuts are short-sighted, and were done with little input from faculty or students. And did the Rhode Island Department of Transportation miss the warning signs about the Washington Bridge? Our reporters talked with engineers who say that critical components deserved special attention years before the closure. Also, Newport Art Museum’s latest show features a 28-foot-long painting of a plaid whale. Plus: A look back on the week in Rhode Island politics, and a few tips on what to do this week.
Posted inEducation, Local
What will be the impact of program cuts at Rhode Island College?
Rhode Island College has announced its intention to suspend 20 degree programs as of this fall, including Gender and Women’s Studies, Latin American Studies, and education and masters level degrees in Art, Early Childhood Education and Music. Here to talk more about the potential implications of the cuts is Dr. Leslie Schuster, professor of History […]
