Cicilline offers to meet with Hope teachers, students

Published May 14, 2010 at 6:36 p.m.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A day after more than 200 Hope High School students walked out of class and marched on the School Department and City Hall to protest the loss of block scheduling, which they credit with supporting significant improvements at the school, Providence Mayor David Cicilline has offered to facilitate a meeting with students and teachers.

According to Cicilline spokeswoman Karen Southern, the mayor said he would be willing to "make a meeting happen" with some of the students who object to a change from four 90-minute periods a day to six periods, a schedule that has already been adopted by the other high schools.

Southern didn't know whether a date had been set for the meeting.

More than 200 students walked out of school Thursday and marched to school headquarters and the mayor's office. Although they have been protesting the changes since March, the students wanted to share their concerns with a wider audience.
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No one from the School Department or City Hall spoke to students during their morning-long protest. Supt. Tom Brady, however, did offer to meet with students earlier this week, but they turned him down, because he wanted a list of who would attend...

Southern said that a couple of Brown students turned up at a recent "my time with the mayor" event, in which the public is invited to chat informally with Cicilline. Several students from Brown have helped organize the youth at Hope. Students have also turned out in force at two recent School Board meetings, where they presented their opposition to a change in their class schedule.

Students are waiting to hear what their punishment will be for leaving school without permission...

Extra: Watch video of the protest

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