Release: Phongsavanh Outlines Three-Point Plan for School Committee

As a graduate of Woonsocket’s public schools, incumbent Vimala Phongsavanh feels a close connection to her community and the Woonsocket school system. She understands the hard work required to steer the School Committee in the right direction.

“What we’ve done over and over again is put patches on every problem that comes up, making us very inefficient. What we need to do is get to the root of the problem. We need to have those hard conversations about why we fail our youth and find realistic solutions, together,” said Phongsavanh.

The candidate laid out her plan in three groups: transparency and accountability, professionalism, and community partnerships.

Transparency and Accountability

1.     Make School Committee voting records accessible online to better inform the community.

2.     Reorganize how the School Committee functions by changing the foundation of the School Committee so policies can be made efficiently and effectively.

3.     Condense current subcommittees to possibly include: Accountability, Vision, Standards and Assessment.

Professionalism

1.     Require School Committee members to attend professional development opportunities, so School Committee members are educated in best practices for their roles and responsibilities.

2.     Create and encourage more professional development opportunities for teachers, especially in the field of cultural competency.

Community Partnerships

1.     Work with community based organizations to expand and create new high quality youth programs in Woonsocket.

2.     Assess all resources available for families and youth and work collaboratively to reassess how funds are currently used.

3.     Create a strategic plan for community collaborations with clear outcomes and responsibilities among all partners.