Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. --- Despite many objections, the School Committee now requires residents who wish to speak at its meetings to sign up a week before the date and specify the topic they want to address.

The public previously could talk at the end of the meeting about anything, but school officials were not allowed to engage in a dialogue with them or answer their questions.

"For me, anything is better that what is here now," member Shannon Barbosa said prior to Monday night's approval. Barbosa, member Steven Santos and Chairman Anthony Carcieri voted for the change while Luisa Abatecola and Robert Faria dissented. "... I think it is a step in the right direction."

The board members and administrators in support of it say the new policy, which will be in effect at the next meeting April 21, improves communication between the district and public because it gives school officials a chance to research the topic beforehand and respond.

Yet most in the audience disagreed, stating the change is worse than the old policy, and have been wholeheartedly against the new regulation since it was first proposed last month.

Roberta Brady, a teacher and past president of the local teachers union, said she was "furious" her elected officials are stripping the public's right to freedom of speech. Last month she told the board members they needed a civics lesson.

"Vote every one of these people out," she yelled. "Vote them out."

The East Providence Democratic City Committee held a news conference minutes before Monday's meeting to decry the upcoming vote. More than 40 residents, members of local and state parent teacher associations, parents, teachers and past elected officials crammed into the City Hall lobby to ditto the Democrats' concerns.

"It's wrong to stop them from speaking," committee Chairman John Faria said. "It's a long established practice that you can talk at meetings."

The group started a petition that asks the board to reverse its decision. They plan to present it at the next meeting.

 Tags  East Providence RI education

Comments

Uncle Sam said:

Ah, Democracy alive and well!!!!!

Link | April 7, 2009 8:36 PM
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