To the Editor,

In the January 18, 2024 issue of the Cranston Herald, Mr. Steven Stycos shared his opinion about the Apprenticeship Exploration School and its value, in his letter to the editor entitled “Charter Charting.” According to Mr. Stycos, the school is not worth the investment, due to what he believes is an “unbelievably miserable education.” He compared the school to the traditional high schools, Cranston East and Cranston West. While we are very proud of both of our larger high schools, for some students a different high school experience is necessary.

The Apprenticeship Exploration School is not a traditional high school. It is by far one of the most unique high school experiences available to students in our state, and there is only one other such school like it in the country.

There are many students whose traditional, college preparatory high schools are not suited for their learning needs. They are very smart, very capable students who struggle in a typical classroom, and thrive on hands-on, project-based learning experiences, and thrive in a smaller setting. They may have special education needs, they may be multilingual learners, or they may have a combination of both needs. They may not be successful test-takers. We have many such students at the Apprenticeship Exploration School. They are as deserving of an education in a fully functioning educational facility as any other student in our city. They are doing everything they can to finish high school with their diploma, and to go on to live a prosperous and productive life with a career and economic opportunities. The options for employment in heavy/highway construction or hospitality are plentiful in this state, and we seek to prepare students for those careers. The aging workforce in construction across the country is a concern; this workforce needs to be replenished. The students at AES do not want to drop out of school, and may have faced some challenges before they arrive at the school. They are trying to make the best decisions they can for themselves at a young age, with the best outlook for their future and their future families as possible. The Apprenticeship Exploration School provides opportunities for the students who choose to attend, along with providing a required comprehensive high school education and the traditional assessment measures that go along with it.

The heavy highway construction industry is a difficult profession. The knowledgebase and certifications that are required to be successful in the industry are intense and our students at AES are acquiring this knowledge, these hands-on skills, these certifications, and experiences throughout their four years of high school.

Recently, as the call for more career and technical programs has been heard around the nation, AES has added a tourism and event planning CTE pathways program to their offerings, giving their students another opportunity for career pathway and work based learning experiences.

The school facility, which has been leased for two decades, consists of a building full of “classrooms” that have walls that do not reach the ceiling. The noise level is not conducive to learning, and yet the educators and the students persevere in less than ideal conditions. There is no library, no gymnasium and no auditorium. When one compares our East and West students to our AES students as Mr. Stycos has chosen to do, one should be cognizant of the inequity in their educational facilities.

The AES facility does have a freestanding lab building behind the classroom building. In this building, truly outstanding work takes place. Our students have hands-on experiences with heavy equipment. For example, they build bridges, pour concrete, lay utilities and do demolition. They are instructed by educators who are LIUNA Laborers. It is truly an amazing educational experience. This is not your “traditional” education, and it is not an option offered anywhere else in RI.

 Students who graduate from AES have the opportunity to go to the Laborers’ training facility in Pomfret, CT upon graduation for a six-week program, after which they qualify to be an apprentice in the union. These students, who are approximately 18 years old, are entering an industry that will have work available for them for the rest of their working lives. They will be able to support themselves and provide for their families. They will have a full salary, benefits, and retirement. Some college graduates do not have those opportunities! Their high school diploma isn’t a result of an “unbelievably miserable education,” it is a result of a different approach to supporting our students and preparing them for a lifetime of employability and success.

 The AES graduates may not be National Merit Scholars. They may not have perfect SAT scores or have English as their first language. They are, however, hard workers, they come to us from all over the state, and they have a goal to finish high school just like their peers across the city. They have to take all of the same standardized tests as their peers in traditional high schools in Rhode Island, despite the fact that those same peers would not have any of the skills in heavy highway construction that our students at AES have.

Time and time again, we remind our community that standardized testing does not define our students. We remind our students that they are more than just a number, that they are worthy of the education they are fighting so hard to obtain. We do everything in our power to encourage them to come to school every day, and we remind them not to let others’ perception of their abilities based on standardized test scores, pigeonhole them into feeling they are less than. Our educators at AES are our students’ number one cheerleaders and supporters, and we are grateful to them for not giving up on them as some have done, by stating that their facility is not worthy of upgrades.

We believe that every student in Cranston Public Schools deserves to feel that they are valued and the path they have chosen for their education and their future is worthy of respect and support. We know that when the state or our own city is in need of heavy construction work, our students are going to be the ones who can do this work. Everyday, we see problems arise in our state’s crumbling infrastructure. The men and women whose career it is to fix that infrastructure deserve our respect and support.

We hope that the public will remember these students and how hard they have worked when they decide who is worthy and who is not. We hope that Mr. Stycos will reconsider his opinion of our students at AES, the education they are receiving, and their worth. We know that we believe in every one of our students, we are proud of our educators who do not abandon those with low standardized test scores, those who struggle to get to school and stay in school, and who see beyond the numbers. We will continue to fight for 21st century buildings for each of them.

The Cranston Public Schools Leadership Team