Phongsavanh Campaigns For Second Term

Incumbent
 Woonsocket 
School 
Committeewoman
 Vimala 
Phongsavanh
 formally 
announced 
her 
campaign 
for 
a 
second 
term
 on the
 Woonsocket 
School 
Committee 
this week. Phongsavanh believes her 
track 
record 
of working 
for 
positive 
changes 
in 
Woonsocket 
Public 
Schools, combined with her recognized leadership and vision for city education, make her a strong candidate for the five member school board in the Nov. 8 municipal election.

"Woonsocket’s
 schools 
have
 seen
 many 
positive 
changes 
in 
the 
past 
two
 years,
 despite 
the 
historic 
economic 
recession," Phongsavanh
 said.
 "I 
am 
grateful 
that 
the 
community 
has 
been 
very 
supportive 
of 
policies 
that 
I 
worked 
hard
 to 
implement 
and hope 
for 
their 
continued 
support.”

Among 
other 
accomplishments, 
Phongsavanh oversaw
 the 
realization 
of 
the 
Expanded 
Learning Opportunities
 (ELO)
 program, 
an 
innovative 
system
 of 
alternative 
paths 
to 
academic
 success 
which 
is 
now
 serving 
as 
a model 
for 
school 
districts 
around
 the 
region. 
She 
also 
took 
a 
stand 
against 
rising 
teen 
pregnancy 
and 
sexually transmitted
 disease 
rates 
among 
Woonsocket’s 
youth 
by 
championing 
the 
 on site 
at Woonsocket 
High 
School.

Moving
 forward,
 Phongsavanh
 aims
 to 
make 
system‐level
 changes
 when 
it 
comes 
to 
transparency 
and 
accountability, 
and 
to 
set and 
maintain 
a 
culture 
of 
professionalism
 among
 those 
involved 
in 
the 
education 
of 
Woonsocket’s 
youth.

“It’s 
not 
only important
 that
 the 
School 
Committee,
 educators,
 city 
officials, 
parents,
 and
 youth 
work 
together,” 
she
 explains. 
“It’s essential
 that
 we 
do 
so 
professionally, 
openly, 
and 
in 
accordance 
to 
policy.”

The committeewoman has 
been 
recognized
 as 
a 
Rising 
Star 
and
 nationally 
by 
the 
New
 Leaders 
Council 
as 
a 
member of
 their 
prestigious
 .

In
 addition 
to 
serving 
Woonsocket 
as 
a 
School 
Committeewoman, 
she 
also 
serves 
on 
the 
state 
level 
on
 the 
advisory board
 for 
the 
Rhode 
Island 
After School
 Plus 
Alliance
 (RIASPA), 
the 
Univocal
 Legislative 
Minority 
Advisory 
Coalition (ULMAC),
 and
 the
 recently
 established 
Rhode
 Island 
chapter 
of 
New 
Leaders 
Council 
(NLC.) 
Locally, 
she 
is 
a 
board member
 for 
 (FRCA)
 and
 served 
on 
the
 .

In her work as Program 
Director 
at 
the
 Socio‐Economic 
Development 
Center 
for 
Southeast 
Asians, Phongsavanh has demonstrated a committment to 
environments
 of 
equality. She was also 
involved 
in 
planning 
for 
the 
YWCA 
of 
Northern
 Rhode 
Island’s , 
and
 organizing 
of 
NeighborWorks
 Blackstone 
River 
Valley’s 
2011
 .

Above 
all, 
Phonsavanh said she 
believes
 that 
“citizens 
of 
Woonsocket 
deserve 
a 
quality 
education 
system
 that
 values 
and
 engages 
the community 
and 
life
long
 learning.”

A 
fundraiser 
for 
Phongsavanh’s 
campaign will
 be 
held
 at 
6 p.m. 
on 
Sunday, 
October 
9 
at 
the 
. For more information on the committeewoman, visit her website at 
http://www.vimalaforschools.com/.