South Kingstown Election Profile: Paula Whitford

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Paula Whitford is running for the South Kingstown School Committee. The 55-year-old Democrat is a newcomer to elected office.

Whitford is a mother of three, grandmother of seven and is raising four grandchildren, ages 9, 10, 11 and 12. She went to school in South Kingstown, earned her GED and is working towards a Human Services certificate at the Community College of Rhode Island, working as a case manager and house manager at the Welcome House of South County. She eight years' experience in case management.

Campaign website

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am currently raising four of my grandchildren and guiding their journey through the SK schools. This is my third time traveling through our school system, since I attended myself and raised three children in town. My family has been in the South Kingstown area--literally from the beginning — as a part of the Narragansett tribe. I deeply love SK.

My vision is Equity, Inclusion, and Engagement in Education. What that means to me is that we give all children the tools they need to succeed regardless of their background or personal circumstance; that we move beyond “diversity” to a true uplifting of all cultures in our schools and curriculum; and that by creating a new culture in the schools we can improve community and family engagement across the board. Throughout our town families are asking for better communication from the school system; one of my goals will be to diversify communication in ways that allow our entire school community to work more collaboratively and increase family involvement. The combination of this year’s experience guiding one grandchild through her virtual learning IEP and my ongoing work on education policy with the Peace Dale Leadership Council convinced me that my experience and perspective are necessary on the School Committee, particularly at this moment in time.

What do you believe should be done to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do to lessen its economic impacts?

We must continue to stay focused. In the schools and in the broader community we need to keep following the guidance of infectious disease experts, and especially the RI Department of Health. As businesses, schools, and other parts of the economy open up, we must ensure that all those circulating in the community have adequate access to PPE, testing and quick turnaround of test results. The economy will be further affected if the reopening happens without safeguards to prevent future spikes of illness.

Do you believe systemic racism is a problem in America generally and Rhode Island specifically, and if so, what would you do to combat it?

Yes, systemic racism is well documented at this point — nationally and locally — and we need to focus on solutions. Locally, for example, Peace Dale is identified as a Health Equity Zone in our State. That means there are such significant disparities in this more racially and economically diverse part of town that the State of Rhode Island is funding initiatives to address them. As a member of the Peace Dale Leadership Council I have been working on a joint project with the South Kingstown School District and the Center for Leadership and Educational Equity to address education disparities in our low-income neighborhoods. Now, as the School Committee is starting to make real changes and the wider community is becoming engaged, it is more important than ever to have someone with both policy awareness and lived experience at the decision-making table. I bring a voice and perspective that has been noticeably missing from the school committee.

Should the words "Providence Plantations" be removed from the state's name?

Yes

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am running because I care deeply about our community and feel strongly that we need to do things differently to successfully educate SK students with diverse learning needs and life experiences. That requires having School Committee members with diverse backgrounds and experiences. I am raising four of my grandchildren and see that many of the challenges facing people of color and low income students that existed a generation ago remain. Fixing these issues that affect our entire school community is my core motivation.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

As I mentioned above, I’m running because I think we have not come far enough over the last two years and over the last decades. I am a candidate of change. Our schools have not been responsive enough to the needs of students of color and those from low income families. I strongly believe that adding my voice to the School Committee will help push the changes needed in our school system.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

These are my four priority areas that need significant attention: 1) We need to rethink the early years of education, including thinking about greater access to Pre-K and re-assessing how we teach Kindergarten that should include more integrated learning through play. 2) We need to not only pass new regulations to improve anti-racism in our schools but also to change the culture to a true uplifting of all. 3) We must improve communication between families and schools; we need to increase the range of communication approaches and take a hard look at the timing of our first parent/guardian and teacher conversation. Too often these are very late in the year. 4) We also need to rethink how we measure success. We spend an enormous amount of time measuring our kids throughout their school years and tracking college admissions. Ultimately our schools are there to help create successful adults and that comes in many forms. SK should use the available state data to track overall success and gaps post-schooling, asking: How successful are all our students when they move on from the SK School Department?

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In addition to advocacy roles with Head Start, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Peace Dale Leadership Council, I feel my experience of overcoming addiction has helped me become a stronger person and a better communicator. Although working on the School Committee is a demanding position, I have faced much greater challenges and have the fortitude needed to serve our community well. My sobriety demands that I am deeply honest with myself and others; real change requires openness to critical self-examination and the courage to move forward. As I have been increasingly involved in policy work, being able to face difficult topics with empathy and frankness has helped bring about change. We need that now more than ever on the School Committee.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Remember that your value as a person is much more than your outward success.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I want voters to know that I am running for office because our children need passionate, creative advocates from many backgrounds to promote their needs and ensure we are honoring every student’s experience. I also want voters to know that I am open to working with any member of the community who shares my vision for South Kingstown Schools. To successfully reach the goals of equity, inclusion, and engagement in education we will have to work harder than ever, but always together.