Dear Neighbors:
Next school year will mark the return to full local control for the Providence Public School District (PPSD). This presents both risks and opportunities. I will be voting for Mayor Smiley to return to office because I believe he is best able to ensure a successful transition. For the past year, he and his staff met with PPSD to exchange ideas and build working relationships. I also believe his education plan offers a promising vision for how the Mayor’s office can support and enhance our City’s public education program both in the coming year and going forward.
The plan recognizes the School Board’s primary role in developing education policy, i.e., what our children learn in school during school hours on school days. The City can support our children’s education (1) before they are old enough to attend kindergarten, (2) after school on school days and (3) during the summer. The Mayor’s plan addresses all these areas, while also supporting PPSD programming in ways they have requested. We consider each in turn:
1. Pre-school
Mayor Smiley plans to expand our City’s current Pre-K program (which provides access to 79% of our children) with the goal of providing full-day Pre-K to all Providence 4-year-old children by 2030. This ambitious goal is now possible because of the City’s collaboration with PPSD’s construction program that will include space for pre-K in our school buildings.
2. After school programs
Mayor Smiley’s plan includes increased support for Providence After School Alliance (PASA) programming both in PPSD facilities and in a “neighborhood campus” model that will coordinate with the City’s community centers, public libraries and other resources. A good example is an after school math program for Pleasant View Elementary School students that opened last school year at Vincent Brown Community Center.
During the past four years, the City enrolled in the State’s Learn 365 Program to obtain $16 million to fund renovations to the Davey Lopes Community Center, Elmwood Community Center and Joslin Community Center that will house learning centers to contribute to the education of children attending schools in their neighborhoods. Going forward, Mayor Smiley’s plan calls for improving coordination between PPSD and programming at nearby “campus” community resources.
3. Summer programming
During the past four years, Providence expanded its Eat Play Learn program to provide summer recreational and educational programming for Providence children. Going forward, Mayor Smiley’s plan will build upon it One Providence for Youth program, which this summer funded summer employment and enrichment and career development opportunities for 131 young Providence residents at AS220, the Boys and Girls Clubs, College Visions and Providence Public Schools career and technical programs.
4. Supporting PPSD
At PPSD’s suggestion and request, Mayor Smiley is making use of his relationships with City businesses and organizations to provide programming for the benefit of Providence students. For example, the Mayor assisted Central High School to develop a curriculum to train fire fighters, some of whose graduates now serve in our Fire Department. Mayor Smiley is now working with Providence Public Schools to facilitate other internships and training programs for Rhode Island businesses.
5. Building Internal Capacity
To help him implement this plan, the second Smiley administration will hire a full-time professional educator to serve as advisor.
6. Conclusion
A successful transition of our public schools to local control will require a combination of continuity of essential functions and the introduction of new initiatives. I believe Brett Smiley is the candidate best able to support continuity along with a plan for effective improvements. That is why I will be casting my vote for him in the upcoming Democratic mayoral primary, and I encourage you to join me.
Thank you for your consideration.