David Morales responds to RIDE’s announcement to return Providence Public Schools back to local control

PROVIDENCE, RI – In response to RIDE’s announcement to return Providence Public Schools back to local control, mayoral candidate Rep. David Morales issued the following statement:

“Every child in Providence deserves a quality education that helps them grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Our schools transitioning back to local control represents a meaningful opportunity to improve family engagement and support for our 19,000-plus students in the Providence Public School Department. 

As our next Mayor, I’m committed to working in partnership with families, students, educators, school board members, and PPSD to intentionally invest in our schools and improve staffing conditions so we can accelerate the gradual gains in academic proficiency and attendance from the last several years.

Our students have complex needs that go well beyond academics. Since I first ran for state legislature in 2020, I have heard repeatedly from parents, educators, and students about the urgent need for staffing that supports these diverse needs. My administration will prioritize adding more multilingual educators to our classrooms, improving IEP services so all our students receive the attention and care they deserve, and increasing the availability of social and emotional support staff in every school across the city. Every student deserves the attention and care they need to thrive.

Our schools should not be treated as some sort of political prize for the Mayor and Governor who are both facing stiff primary challenges. Mayor Smiley has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of engagement with our teachers, families, students, and school board members. Having already handled a difficult state takeover, I trust our frontline educators and Providence School Board members to navigate this transition back to local control. My administration will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure they have the resources they need to support our students.

I am grateful that Providence Public Schools are returning to local control and, as they do, I am committed to pushing for more state aid, smaller class sizes, and additional staff to meet the real needs of all our students. As the next Mayor of Providence, I will continue this advocacy and always put the needs of our students first.” 

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