Education News in Brief

Democrats Slam Plan to Shut Down Hundreds of Schools in Puerto Rico

By Andrew Ujifusa — May 15, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

More than 30 congressional Democrats are calling on Puerto Rico’s governor to put the brakes on plans to close some 280 public schools on the island.

In a letter last week to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, the lawmakers say that closing those schools in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria would hurt 66,000 students and teachers and have a “disastrous impact” on student learning. They also decry concurrent plans to open charter schools on the island and introduce vouchers.

The governor and Puerto Rico Secretary of Education Julia Keleher have said the school closures will help the island get on its feet financially, and that many of the schools have significantly fewer students attending than their actual capacity in the wake of last year’s severe storms.

The U.S. territory closed 179 schools last summer because of declining enrollment and crippling financial woes.

The Democrats say Puerto Rico should first call a halt to its school closure plan, and then conduct a “needs assessment” to properly determine priorities for the island’s students.

A version of this article appeared in the May 16, 2018 edition of Education Week as Democrats Slam Plan to Shut Down Hundreds of Schools in Puerto Rico

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Pave the Path to Excellence in Math
Empower your students' math journey with Sue O'Connell, author of “Math in Practice” and “Navigating Numeracy.”
Content provided by hand2mind
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Combatting Teacher Shortages: Strategies for Classroom Balance and Learning Success
Learn from leaders in education as they share insights and strategies to support teachers and students.
Content provided by DreamBox Learning
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Reading Instruction and AI: New Strategies for the Big Education Challenges of Our Time
Join the conversation as experts in the field explore these instructional pain points and offer game-changing guidance for K-12 leaders and educators.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: September 20, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week
Education Briefly Stated: August 30, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 23, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read