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Parents and staff push back as school administration shifts ALP toward flexible scheduling
Summary
The school administration proposed restructuring the Alternative Learning Program (ALP) at Rogers High School to make ALP sections part of regular teacher schedules rather than dedicated staff; ALP teachers and community members warned that the change risks weakening wraparound supports and attendance-driven interventions.
At the Newport School Committee meeting, Director Andre outlined a restructuring of the Rogers High School Alternative Learning Program that would treat ALP as schedulable sections teachers could include on their regular schedules rather than maintaining a separate, dedicated ALP staff. The administration said the change would provide scheduling flexibility and allow guided professional learning for staff who will support ALP students.
"It just allows more flexibility for the programming but still provides the programming that students need," Director Andre said as he described a model where ALP would appear on a teacher’s schedule in the same way as AP or honors sections.
Committee members and ALP staff pushed back during discussion and public comment. ALP educator Gene Mclofflin, who has worked in ALP for 11 years, told the committee the program is more than a course: "The program that is being offered is no longer a program. It's a course," he said, arguing that dedicated staff, deep program knowledge and cross-disciplinary teamwork have helped students graduate who would otherwise not have graduated.
Administrators said 25 students are currently enrolled in ALP and that some functions (credit recovery, guided learning centers, community partnerships) will continue, with proposed professional learning and coaching funded by rollover project-aware funds. Committee members requested monthly enrollment reports and suggested exploring regional co-op options to sustain capacity and offset costs.
What’s next: Staff agreed to provide more detailed enrollment and outcome data and to schedule follow-up conversations with ALP teachers and community partners before implementation decisions are finalized.
