SUPPORTING PUBLIC

EDUCATION

Investing in the Youth of Providence 

Our Providence Public Schools deserve intentional investments that will support our students. For years, our schools have been understaffed, teachers have been overworked, and families have felt disconnected.

Following seven years of a state takeover and an imminent return to local control, David is committed to partnering with families, students, teachers and the Providence School Board to address concerns related to service gaps, academic progress, building conditions, and family engagement.

By introducing a city budget that accounts for the needs of families and prioritizes staffing gaps in our schools, Providence will be on track to guarantee high-quality instruction, mental health services, improved staffing support, and a school community where every child feels supported. 

Staffing Support for Our

Students and Families

  • Students today are navigating unprecedented challenges, from social media and cyberbullying to housing instability, community violence, and the lingering impacts of the pandemic. Schools must be more than places of academic instruction. They must be spaces where our young people feel safe, supported, and are able to access necessary behavioral and mental health services. Yet too many Providence schools lack the staffing needed to meet these growing needs.

    Many elementary schools are operating with only one counselor, while social workers at the high school level are often forced to handle overwhelming caseloads.  

    David believes student mental health is foundational to academic achievement. Too many Providence students are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health challenges without adequate support, while teachers are increasingly expected to serve as informal counselors, crisis responders, and social workers despite lacking the training or capacity to do so. This approach is unsustainable for educators and fails to meet the needs of students. 

    To address this gap, the Morales Administration will prioritize investments in school-based mental health staffing with the goal of bringing Providence Public Schools closer to nationally recommended student-to-support staff ratios (e.g., student-to-social-worker ratio of 1:250). In coordination with the Providence School Board and educators, combined with feedback from students and families, David will work with PPSD to help design a district budget that appropriates additional funding towards the hiring of school counselors, social workers, and community specialists. These investments will expand access to counseling, crisis intervention, behavioral health supports, family engagement services, and individualized interventions for students facing mental health challenges. 

    Furthermore, the Morales Administration will encourage PPSD to strengthen and expand campus partnerships with community behavioral health providers, such as Family Services of RI, the Providence Center, and Tides Family Services, many of whom are eligible to bill Medicaid for the services they deliver to students. By better integrating community providers into our Providence schools, there would be reduced wait times for counseling and evaluations, earlier intervention for students experiencing mental health challenges, improved attendance, and opportunities for families to pursue wraparound services. 

    The Morales Administration will coordinate with PPSD and engage with families to identify opportunities for co-located services, school-based behavioral health programs, and expanded partnerships in schools with the highest levels of need, ensuring students can access support where they already spend much of their time.

    By increasing access to school-based mental health services, Providence Public Schools will be on track to improve attendance rates, reduce disciplinary incidents, improve academic outcomes, and create learning environments where students feel supported and prepared to succeed. At the same time, these investments will allow teachers to focus on instruction while ensuring students receive specialized support from trained professionals. Every student deserves to attend a school where their mental health is treated with the same urgency as their academic achievement. The Morales Administration is committed to building a public school system where students are not only taught but also supported socially and emotionally.

  • Multilingual education not only helps students maintain a connection to their identity and heritage, but has also been shown to strengthen academic achievement, improve cognitive development, and expand long-term educational and career opportunities. Every student deserves to learn in an environment where their multilingualism is embraced. 

    Building on the success of programs at Leviton Dual Language School, William D’Abate Elementary School, and Roger Williams Middle School, the Morales Administration will coordinate with the Providence School Board and PPSD to prioritize the expansion of dual language pathways. This expansion will focus on increasing access to dual language classrooms and strategic investments towards educator recruitment, certification attainment, and retention. Expanding access to high-quality multilingual education can help improve reading proficiency by helping our students develop strong literacy foundations in both their home language and English. 

    With over 35% of Providence students identified as multilingual learners, the Morales Administration in coordination with the School Board and PPSD will pursue a workforce training agreement with Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island so Providence educators can pursue certifications in Bilingual Dual Language (BDL) at a reduced cost through a scholarship-obligation model. By removing financial barriers for educators seeking these critical credentials, we can grow a stronger pipeline of bilingual educators equipped to support our students and foster deeper relationships with the families they serve.

  • Too many students in Providence who need evaluations, specialized support, or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are forced to wait because our schools lack enough school psychologists and support staff to meet demand. Delays in evaluations and services can have lasting impacts on a student’s academic progress, emotional wellbeing, and long-term outcomes. Students with disabilities deserve timely assessments and are legally entitled to the resources they need to succeed. 

    The Morales Administration will coordinate with PPSD and the School Board to identify staffing gaps across our schools and collaborate on targeted recruitment and retention strategies for special education teachers, teaching assistants in special education classrooms, school psychologists, and speech pathologists. Providence is home to many talented PPSD alumni and adults who are underemployed, but if equipped with the resources and support, can help fill in these staffing gaps. In partnership with PPSD and the Providence School Board, the Morales Administration will prioritize workforce training agreements with the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College to help Providence residents pursue careers in special education. 

    Through gradual budget appropriations, the Morales Administration will set a goal of onboarding an additional 10 school psychologists. These investments will help ensure Providence students are evaluated in a timely manner and enrolled in an IEP or 504 plan when needed, creating a more responsive and supportive process for families seeking services for their children. 

    Most importantly, the Morales Administration will listen to frontline educators and teaching assistants to ensure our special education classrooms are equipped to provide high-quality support for students. By soliciting direct feedback from the practitioners and experts that are in our schools each day, PPSD will be encouraged to strengthen professional development opportunities focused on inclusive practices and behavioral supports, while also ensuring that classrooms are equipped with adaptive technology, sensory resources, and specialized learning tools.

    Every student deserves access to the support they need without unnecessary delays. By investing in special education staffing and student support services, the Morales Administration will work to build a public education system where students receive timely interventions, educators have the resources to succeed, and families can trust their children’s needs will be met.

Support for Our Families

  • Our families should be treated as active partners in their child’s education, not only contacted when challenges arise. Strong relationships between our schools and families improve student attendance, academic performance, school culture, and long-term outcomes. Yet too many Providence families, particularly multilingual households and those navigating work, childcare, or transportation barriers, feel disconnected from decision-making within their schools.

    To strengthen family engagement, the Morales Administration will coordinate with the School Board and PPSD’s Office of Family and Community Engagement to prioritize the hiring of part-time Family Engagement Coordinators with a focus on schools serving a high number of multilingual learners and/or students with IEPs. These coordinators will help bridge communication between families and schools, connect households to resources and support services, assist with navigating special education processes, and ensure parents and caregivers are informed partners in their child’s academic experience.

    The Morales Administration will also partner and support the School Board, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) and Parent Teacher Organizations to foster family engagement by hosting school community gatherings, cultural events, and family workshops. These programs will focus on going beyond traditional parent-teacher conferences and creating welcoming spaces where families feel connected to their school community. The Morales Administration believes family engagement should be treated as a core component of student success rather than an afterthought.

  • Over the last several years, major decisions impacting Providence schools, from closures and mergers to demolitions and construction delays, have left families, educators, and community members feeling blindsided. Decisions that shape the future of a school should never happen behind closed doors or be announced only after plans have already been developed. Students, families, teachers, school staff, and surrounding communities deserve meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their schools. 

    Recently, families have expressed frustration over limited communication related to delays to school construction projects and personnel decisions impacting the day-to-day experience of our students. Similarly, when announcements around school closures emerge, many families feel their voices and experiences are disregarded. This lack of transparency has eroded trust and left Providence families feeling disconnected from our schools. 

    The Morales Administration will work in partnership with PPSD’s Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE), the Providence School Board, the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) and Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) to strengthen transparency standards around district and school decisions. These standards would include earlier and more frequent communication with families, expanding multilingual outreach efforts, and regular school-based public hearings/forums designed for community members to ask questions as decisions are made regarding construction projects, proposed closures, personnel decisions, shifts in transportation routes, and policy changes. Furthermore, the Morales Administration will support a more proactive communication strategy that utilizes social media, local radio, text alerts, and other trusted community platforms to keep families informed. 

    By adopting these measures, our families will be further informed, engaged, and empowered to be involved in decisions impacting their child’s education.

Support for Our Educators

  • While Providence teachers are held to a high standard, they must also be provided with the support they need to succeed in the classroom. The Morales administration will encourage PPSD and the Providence Teacher’s Union to establish a peer-to-peer professional development model that allows educators to learn directly from experienced colleagues and share best practices across schools. 

    Since the state takeover, many teachers have reported feeling underwhelmed by district professional development, which has too often relied on out-of-state consultants telling Providence educators how to do their jobs. By adopting a peer-to-peer professional development model, experienced educators will have the opportunity to facilitate specialized workshops focused on multilingualism in the classroom, support models for students with IEPs, middle school math instruction, and other high-need areas identified by teachers themselves. 

    Recognizing the value of educators’ time and expertise, the Morales Administration will work with PPSD and PTU to provide stipends for teachers who design and lead these professional development sessions outside of their regular responsibilities. By compensating educators for sharing their knowledge, we can build a stronger culture of collaboration while ensuring professional development is shaped by the firsthand experiences of the people who know our students best.

  • In consultation with teachers and PPSD, the Morales Administration will revisit a previous PPSD mentorship model to ensure all first- and second-year educators are paired with dedicated mentors who can provide guidance, classroom support, lesson-planning assistance, and ongoing coaching throughout the school year.

    These mentors would serve as trusted, experienced educators who can help newer teachers navigate classroom management challenges, student engagement strategies, curriculum development, family communication, and the day-to-day demands of teaching, with modest stipends provided to recognize the additional time and responsibilities mentors take on. 

    The program model would emphasize regular check-ins, structured observation and feedback opportunities, collaborative problem-solving, and protected time for mentorship activities when feasible. Particular attention would be given to supporting educators working with multilingual learners, special education students, and other high-needs populations common in Providence schools.

  • To improve educator retention, the Morales Administration will encourage PPSD and the Providence School Board to revisit and reform the district’s non-renewal policies, which have contributed to the displacement of many early-career educators who wanted to continue teaching in Providence. At a time when schools across the country are struggling with teacher shortages, Providence cannot afford to lose passionate and capable educators due to processes that many teachers, parents, and students have criticized as inconsistent, unclear, or lacking transparency.

    Rather than relying on a model that can leave educators uncertain about expectations or without meaningful support, non-renewal decisions should require clear, documented justification supported by formal evaluations, consistent feedback, and regular opportunities for coaching and professional growth throughout the school year. Educators should understand where they are succeeding, where improvement is needed, and what supports are available to help them grow before career-altering decisions are made. Our students benefit when talented teachers remain in the classroom, build long-term relationships with families, and develop deep ties to the communities they serve.

Funding These Investments

  • Providence educates the most diverse student body in the state, yet the current formula does not fully account for the staffing, specialized services, wraparound supports, language access programs, and intervention resources necessary to help our students succeed; the Annenberg Institute and the Rhode Island Foundation this year published a report making exactly this case. With insufficient state aid, Providence is left facing difficult budget decisions that negatively impact student outcomes, the classroom experience, and workplace conditions.

    During the 2027 Legislative Session, the Morales Administration will bring together the Providence School Board, City Council, Providence’s House and Senate delegation, PTO groups, community organizations, and the Providence Teachers Union to launch a coordinated advocacy effort focused on reforming Rhode Island’s education funding formula. This broad coalition will work to reform state aid so districts serving a high number of multilingual learners, special education students, and students from lower-income households receive a greater share of resources. 

    Rather than pursuing these reforms through fragmented efforts, the Morales Administration will unite every level of local leadership around a shared agenda and collective advocacy at the State House. By coordinating advocacy across elected officials, educators, labor, and families, Providence will be better positioned to secure the resources our students deserve.

  • Following the latest 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement, Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Johnson & Wales, and Providence College contribute only about 8% of what they would otherwise owe in property taxes. Furthermore, any new property acquired by these institutions is immediately removed from the city’s tax rolls, a significant departure from the previous MOU that provided greater safeguards against the continued erosion of Providence’s tax base through the allowance of transition parcels.

    Although David believes that our private universities provide social and economic value, he also believes that they should be contributing more financially, specifically for our public schools. The Morales Administration will revisit our city’s existing MOU and pursue short-term amendments to increase annual contributions from our private universities. By arguing that Section 7 of the existing MOU should be amended, the Morales Administration will work towards securing additional funding which would be directed into a restricted receipt to improve staffing levels at Providence Public Schools.

    To support these negotiations, the Morales Administration will partner with PPSD, educators, and school leaders to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment across every school and develop an itemized staffing and investment plan. This process will identify critical shortages in areas such as classroom teachers, multilingual learner support, special education services, behavioral health professionals, and other essential positions, ensuring any new revenue is directed toward student needs.

  • The Morales Administration will introduce a city budget that establishes a two-tier commercial tax system to hold major industrial polluters accountable while generating new revenue for Providence Public Schools. Under this proposal, most commercial properties would continue to be taxed at approximately $29 per $1,000 of assessed value, while a higher rate of $35.10 per $1,000 would apply to industrially zoned properties operating near Providence’s waterfront. This approach is made possible through enabling legislation recently approved by the General Assembly, giving Providence the authority to establish differentiated commercial tax rates.

    By reforming the city’s commercial tax structure, the Morales Administration expects to generate additional revenue that would be directed toward Providence Public Schools. To ensure these funds are used as intended, revenue generated through this corporate polluter tax would be placed into restricted PPSD accounts with clear earmarks dedicated to school staffing and student support. Investments would prioritize classroom teachers, multilingual learner services, special education professionals, behavioral health staff, and other student-facing roles, rather than expanding central administration or funding consultancy contracts.

Our vision is to support

Providence Public School
educators and students.

Rooted in Public Investments and Collaboration

These investments are about more than improving staffing levels, they are about improving outcomes for our students.

By increasing access to student support services, expanding multilingual education, and investing in special education, Providence schools will be better equipped to help students read at grade level, perform proficiently in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in higher education and the workforce.

When our families are engaged, educators are supported, and students receive the individualized attention they need, academic achievement improves across the board. By building a stronger foundation of academic support across our elementary, middle, and high schools, we will create more pathways to post-secondary education, the trades, and economic stability for all our Providence Public School students.