Community Schools — Always Learning 

Alongside student education, the Community Schools model supports families’ well-being and promotes employment opportunities for students and their families. By adopting this comprehensive approach, we can create a supportive and enriching environment for our entire community. Community schools serve as hubs where students and their families can better access a wide range of services, including healthcare programs, counseling, and job training programs, leading to the creation of a stronger, more resilient community.

By partnering with local colleges, vocational schools, and community organizations, we can promote continuous learning for our community beyond the K-12 model.  This collaboration will extend learning opportunities beyond the K-12 system, allowing our students to benefit from the rich resources within our entire community.

Additionally, I will advocate for hiring more multilingual staff to bridge language gaps, ensuring that all families and students have the support they need. Through focusing on the comprehensive needs of students and their families, we can break down barriers to academic success and create a thriving educational ecosystem. 

Key components of the Community School initiative include:

• Integrated Support Services: Increasing the accessibility of healthcare programs, mental health services, and family support programs within the school setting.

• Community Partnerships: Collaborating with local organizations, businesses, and higher education institutions to enhance educational and employment opportunities.

• Family Engagement: Actively involving families in the educational process and decision-making to ensure their needs and perspectives are addressed.

By moving towards a community schools model, we can promote continuous learning, not only for our students, but for everyone. This approach allows community leaders to serve as role models and strengthens the connection between Providence students and the broader community. Providence students are not just part of our school system, but our community at-large. By making our schools a resource for all of our community, we can uplift the entire Providence community, ensuring that every student and their family have the resources and support they need to succeed.

Lifting Student Voices

“Student outcome focused governance is an idea  in John Dewey's theory of pragmatism, which essentially asserts that the primary purpose of democratic governance (beyond the guarantee of individual rights to participate in shared governance) is to identify and solve public problems. So, we should be looking at democratic governance as not an end but a means to societal improvement. For me, that societal improvement flows through the extent to which we can identify and remove barriers to student learning and academic achievement. “ - Jonathan Collins 

As the Board Chair and Co-Founder of Time To Advocate, an organization dedicated to teaching students how to use their voice, I believe in the need to amplify students’ voices, within our schools and our community. In 2022, I co-founded Time To Advocate to make civic education more accessible, engaging, and exciting for young Rhode Islanders. In that vein, I am committed to providing more opportunities for Providence students to advocate for themselves.

Students often feel disempowered within their public education. If students are able to utilize their education and learned skills to change and affect their surrounding communities, I believe that students will feel more engaged and excited about their education. It is important that we show students not only how to perform well academically, but how to utilize those skills to positively engage with the wider community. 

To strengthen student voices, I plan to support student advocacy efforts including the creation of Student Advisory Councils at every school. In addition, through collaboration with the Providence Public School District and Rhode Island Department of Education, we can pilot anonymous surveys that can collect student feedback on various aspects of their educational experience including preferred teaching methods, school climate, and needed support services. These survey results could be used to inform policy decisions and identify areas for improvement so that we can better serve our students and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. 

Beyond that, student-led initiatives and projects which address important issues such as mental health, social justice, and environmental sustainability are crucial to empowering our students and showing them the possible impact of their hard work, and they are often at the forefront of students’ minds. By providing resources and mentorship to help students plan, execute, and evaluate these projects, they’ll learn important job skills for the future. It’s important that we give students the opportunity to influence their own education. When we recognize and celebrate student contributions through highlighting their achievements and stories through school newsletters, social media, and public events, we encourage our students to take pride in their work. By making these changes, we aim to create an inclusive and responsive educational environment that values and empowers every student.

Returning Our Schools to Local Control  

To create a smooth transition from state control to local governance, it is important that we prioritize program co-enrollment and continued financial support from both the state and city. By taking advantage of under-utilized programs, we can conserve resources. These resources can then be used with the input of students so that they can have the opportunity to advocate for their education and have a voice in where funds might be spent. Expanded community engagement will ensure that our transition plan reflects both the needs and priorities of the community. The shift back to local governance can be a difficult and stressful time for students, teachers, and parents, which is why it’s crucial that we create the strong relationships necessary to provide a supportive and stable environment.

Reducing Chronic Absenteeism

Reducing chronic absenteeism often requires focusing on addressing the underlying causes of student absences. Chronic absenteeism often signals deeper issues that require a comprehensive and compassionate approach. Through engaging families and the community to understand and address the factors contributing to absenteeism, we can provide resources such as tailored support, transportation assistance, after-school programs, and mentoring to address common causes of absenteeism. Fostering a positive and inclusive school environment is essential to the success of our students and teachers, and community which is why it is crucial that we implement programs that promote strong relationships between students, teachers, and staff. We can encourage student attendance through developing personalized learning plans that cater to each student's strengths and interests to keep students engaged and motivated.

Additionally, systems which use data-driven methods to track student attendance patterns can identify students at risk of chronic absenteeism early and connect them to the resources that they need. This ensures that every student has the support they need to attend school regularly and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Raising Revenue

To raise revenues and ensure long-term financial stability for our schools, we will establish a Providence Public School District Endowment Fund. This endowment, similar to those used by private universities and other public school systems, will be designed to generate sustainable income through investments, providing a reliable source of funding for educational programs, infrastructure improvements, and student support services. Contributions from alumni, local businesses, philanthropic organizations, and community members will support the success of our students. The endowment fund will be managed by a board of financial experts, educators, and community leaders to ensure transparency and responsible stewardship of the funds. By creating this endowment, we aim to supplement public funding, reduce the financial burden on taxpayers, and invest in the future of our students, providing them with the resources they need to thrive.

Teacher Recruitment

Teachers are crucial to the success of our students which is why we need to provide our students with the resources they need to succeed. I am committed to supporting our teachers by advocating for higher wages for the lowest-paid educators in Providence and advocating for wage increases for teachers who lost money promised in their pensions, ensuring they receive the compensation they deserve for their dedication and hard work. We will not only recognize the value of our teachers but also improve teacher retention and morale. By investing in our teachers, we can create a stable, high-quality educational environment where both educators and students thrive. By implementing targeted recruitment campaigns, offering competitive salaries and benefits, and providing professional development opportunities to attract and retain top talent, we can attract new teachers to build a robust and diverse workforce within our school system, reducing the district's over-reliance on substitutes. 

Supporting Students With Different Abilities  

Supporting students with different abilities is critical to ensuring an equitable environment that provides for the growth of all students. I will work to make the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process more transparent, clear, and fair, ensuring that every student who requires an IEP receives the appropriate support and accommodations. This includes streamlining procedures to ensure that parents, educators, and students are well-informed and actively involved in the development of IEPs. Additionally, I will advocate for the implementation of sensory rooms within schools. Sensory rooms can help students who experience sensory overload to refocus, ultimately aiding in their emotional regulation and academic engagement. By focusing on these initiatives, we can create an inclusive educational environment where all students can thrive.

Modernizing Education For The Digital Age

I currently serve on the Providence School Board Artificial Intelligence Committee, analyzing how artificial intelligence intersects with our students’ educations. As we prepare our students for the future, it is essential that our schools adapt to the changing landscape brought about by advancements in artificial intelligence. Recent developments in artificial intelligence have highlighted the differences that still exist between human abilities and those of machines, which is why our curriculum must prioritize comprehension, critical thinking, and creativity to equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Recognizing and nurturing various forms of intelligence, including emotional, social, and creative intelligence, alongside traditional academic skills, will be central to our students’ education. By emphasizing a curriculum that incorporates arts, music, physical education, and emotional and social skills, we can provide a comprehensive education that values and enhances all aspects of a student's development. By incorporating project-based learning and real-world problem-solving activities, students can use their knowledge in practical contexts and develop skills that cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence. 

Implementing Trauma Informed Schools

I am committed to addressing the significant impact trauma can have on students' educational experiences and well-being by proposing a comprehensive plan to implement trauma-informed practices within our schools.  This approach will ensure that our schools are equipped to understand, recognize, and respond to the effects of trauma in a supportive and compassionate manner. This includes advocating for additional professional development for educators, administrators, and support staff to equip them with the skills to recognize and respond to trauma. Beyond initial training, I will push for ongoing workshops and refresher courses to ensure that staff are up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in trauma-informed education.

Incorporating a mental health curriculum will help students develop emotional regulation, coping strategies, and an understanding of the importance of seeking help.

By integrating mental health resources, creating safe and inclusive learning environments, and fostering strong relationships between students and staff, we can help mitigate the effects of trauma and promote resilience.