As a student journalist at Brown University, I covered David Cicilline’s 2002 run for mayor of Providence, a city he hoped to lead out of its Buddy Cianci-induced fever dream of drama and corruption. In some ways Cicilline was a classic Rhode Island politician: half-Italian, a graduate of Brown, and a friend of the Kennedys'. But in others, he was unconventional: His other half is Jewish, and he’s openly gay in the most Catholic state in the nation -- the first openly gay mayor of a major American city.
Yesterday I ran into Cicilline at a Democrats for Education Reform Event, where he was taking notes on the words of his counterparts in D.C. and Newark, Adrian Fenty and Cory Booker. Teachers’ unions were the topic of the day, roundly criticized by most of the panelists. In Providence, Cicilline has reduced crime but hasn’t quite gotten the traction of other mayors in reforming the schools. In May, he appointed a new superintendent -- one recommended to him by the Broad Foundation, a leading group in the constellation of pro-charter public education reform efforts. Here’s what Cicilline had to say.
Why did you come to this event today? And what is your education-reform goal for Providence?
Well, as far as I'm concerned, there is no more important issue, there is no greater responsibility I have as mayor of the city of Providence, than public education. So to see my colleagues like Mayor Booker and Mayor Fenty, it's about coming and learning, and hearing additional ideas and strategies. It's really to reinforce the notion that this is our single greatest responsibility, to ensure our kids can compete in the 21st century. If we don't get this right, than nothing else matters.
Do you feel a lot of pushback from teachers' unions in Providence?
Well I think it changes. We're in the middle of negotiations now, and we have been talking for a number of months about differentiated pay, changing the school day, and meaningful evaluation of teachers. Those are things that are very difficult to enact. But the examples we heard here, I think, can really be a framework for other cities to follow.
Tell me about mayoral control in Providence.
I prefer to think of it as mayoral responsibility. I appoint my school board, and I'm responsible for presenting the school budget.
--Dana Goldstein
