Misguided optimism in Providence schools

Dan McGowan:

We tell kids that if they don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Here’s a modest proposal for Providence schools Superintendent Javier Montañez: With test scores as dismal as those his district reported last week, maybe don’t go around waving pom-poms about student performance.

You’d think Montañez would be in witness protection after the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) test results showed that just 15 percent of students in Grades 3 through 8 are reading at grade level, and a disheartening 13 percent are proficient in math. Instead, he issued a statement that just didn’t track.