Infante-Green appointed new commissioner

PROVIDENCE — Angélica Infante-Green was appointed as the new commissioner of elementary and secondary education Tuesday night, but not before she delivered some sobering statistics on how Rhode Island students, especially English language learners, perform.

Only one English learner met the college-ready standard on the math SAT, she told the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education that appointed her unanimously Tuesday night.  

Less than 6 percent of this population met the standard on the math and English sections of the Rhode Island Common Assessment System. Students with special needs fared even worse on the standardized tests.

"The data isn't new," Infante-Green said. "But it's pretty startling on paper. This is the work I live for. This is the work I've done."

Infante-Green comes to Rhode Island from the New York Department of Education, where she is considered a champion for English learners, creating the first dual language program for children with autism. Her son has autism and she created the program when she learned there was nothing like that for him in New York City.

The daughter of immigrants, she is the first Latina commissioner in Rhode Island and the first to be fluent in Spanish and English.

She said Commissioner Ken Wagner, who leaves in late April, has built a strong foundation that combined high standards with a demanding state test. And she promised not to tear up the work he and the council have done to get here.

Asked to describe her five-year plan, Infante-Green said she wants nearly every school to feel welcoming.

"I want kids to be leaning more than one language...," she told the council and the Rhode Island Board of Education, which includes the post-secondary council. "I'm talking about kids who feel like they have ownership in their schools, kids that can talk about their learning. I'm talking about teachers who are in leadership roles. I'm talking about test scores that will look different."

Asked how she would define "rigor," Infante-Green said she expects students will not only meet academic standards but exceed them. 

And she made it clear that she is not OK with "my child getting less of an education" because he has special needs.

Asked how she would bring people together, Infante-Green said she plans to visit every school district and ask what teachers need. But she also said that she can't do the hard work of reform alone.

"We need parents' voice, and teachers' voice and the communities' voice," she said. "This is a life-or-death issue for many of our kids."

Infante-Green plans to move with her husband and two children to Rhode Island. Her first day at work in Rhode Island is tentatively scheduled for April 29.

—lborg@providencejournal.com

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