R.I. Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist is totally on the money. The carnival sideshow that was 50 adults taking a sample New England Common Assessment Program test was more than silly. It damages the efforts – and progress – that Ms. Gist has been making with regard to the quality of the state’s educational efforts. more

Fallout from the 38 Studios LLC debacle has followed a predictable pattern whenever people try to avoid responsibility. more

After reading “Rhode Island Health and Human Services Waste and Fraud Project,” it is clear that the report needs to be passed on to federal authorities for further investigation. more

With its six-month progress report on Make It Happen RI, The Rhode Island Foundation shows that interesting, transformative things can happen here, if you have people willing to take leadership roles. more

The federal sequester’s required across-the-board cuts of $85 billion in the remainder of the federal government’s fiscal year is forcing a number of federal agencies to plan for furloughing employees in order to trim expenses by up to 20 percent. more

Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah A. Gist is taking a bit of unwarranted heat these days. more

Social media is all the buzz … for consumers. But a Social Media & Marketing Summit presented by Providence Business News last week made clear that social media provide tools unparalleled in their ability to connect with customers. more

In yet another sign that Rhode Island has driven itself into a ditch, three more members of the board of directors of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation have begged off serving on the board anymore, leaving the 13-member board temporarily with five members, plus the nonvoting Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee. more

Another week and, it seems, another report. Fourth Economy Consulting delivered a report to the R.I. Economic Development Corporation last week based on the goal of building a more vibrant and sustainable economy. more

When Italy-based Lottomatica Group SpA bought GTECH Corp. in 2006, there were worries hereabouts that the Rhode Island-born-and-bred, lottery-game maker would soon find a way to leave the Ocean State and take with it the jobs and community presence associated with a corporate headquarters. more