Keep Hardacker

As of recently, the students of Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School have been informed that one of their favorite teachers, Norman Hardacker, will not be returning next year due to district budgeting reasons. This decision is a huge mistake and must be overturned for various reasons.

First and foremost, Norman Hardacker has been an inspiration to all students at Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School and has had a massive impact on every student. Hardacker has been at Alvarez for eight years and while he is a P.E teacher, he also plays various other roles as well. Norman Hardaker is the head coach for the Mt. Pleasant Track and field Team. For those who are not aware, Alvarez is a relatively new high school in Providence and as a result, Alvarez students do not have access to an official sports program and must partner with Mt. Pleasant high school to participate in sports. With his help, the participation from Alvarez athletes has skyrocketed and more Alvarez students are moving and becoming involved with athletics. His hard work has helped bridge the massive chasm between Alvarez and sports. Hardacker’s dedication to Alvarez has helped create amazing relationships that have traveled well beyond schools grounds and have truly bettered the Alvarez community.

Secondly, a decision that is affecting over five hundred students should not be made independently of the students and also, should not be based on an economic budgeting issue. Do the economic advantages of making this decision really outweigh the ethical disadvantages? The fact of the matter is that decisions like this one can have a devastating impact on a school community and, therefore, should not be made solely based on a budget. According to the Rhode Island Department of Education, a staggering 7068 students in Providence will not graduate in four years. This mind-boggling fact demonstrates that the District is not, by any definition, doing well. Rash decisions like this one are what is precisely hindering the progression of Providence schools.The public school system should consider the educational effects of their decisions and not just the economic results.

Removing successful teachers is not by any means a good idea and the PPSD should seriously consider the implications of their actions. The mission statement of the district claims, “The Providence Public School District will prepare all students to succeed in the nation’s colleges and universities, and in their chosen professions.”. The truth is that careless and insensitive moves like this one are actually pushing Providence away from this goal instead of towards it.

As a recent graduate, I am grateful to what the PPSD has done for me and my peers but, I truly believe that this decision is a mistake and should be reconsidered.