RIDE and Community Design Teams Host Community Day on March 7

Published on Monday, February 24, 2020

PROVIDENCE, RI - The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Community Design Teams, a diverse group of 45 parents, students, teachers, advocates, and community leaders, will host a Community Day on Saturday, March 7, to advance efforts to improve Providence schools. Community Day will be an opportunity for members of the public to come together and give feedback on school improvement strategies that the three design teams have been developing over an 11-week period.  

“The Community Design Teams have been doing deep, meaningful work to both understand the challenges facing Providence schools, and move quickly towards solutions. They have spent hours upon hours of time doing research, discussing and debating strategies, and making sure that turnaround efforts in Providence are successful and sustainable," said Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. "It has been amazing to watch them collaborate and problem solve, and I am honored to be partnering with such a committed group."

Community Design Team members were selected in December 2019 by an advisory panel from a pool of 222 nominations. Members were broken into three content-specific teams: World-Class Talent, Excellence in Learning, and Engaged Communities. Those teams have been meeting regularly to conduct a design thinking process, allowing them to identify problems and develop solutions that will be incorporated into a public Turnaround Plan.  

“In analyzing school turnaround work around the country, your success or failure depends on a high level of community involvement and buy-in. What I see here in Providence takes community engagement to a new level, which is incredibly encouraging. I’m excited to be a part of this new approach to school improvement,” said Harrison Peters, Providence Schools Turnaround Superintendent.  

WHAT: Providence Schools Turnaround Community Day  

WHEN: Saturday, March 7  

Session One: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Session Two: 1-3 p.m.

WHERE: Asa Messer Elementary School 

1655 Westminster Street, Providence 

Commissioner Infante-Green and Turnaround Superintendent Peters will give opening remarks at Community Day, with presentations given on the work done by the Design Teams to date. Community-based organizations, parent groups, and the general public are encouraged to spread the word about this opportunity to their networks, including via social media, using the hashtag, #4PVDKids.  

"Community Day is an opportunity for the Community Design Teams to road test their ideas for the district’s turnaround, and this cycle of feedback and improvement will result in a stronger, more sustainable, and more responsive Turnaround Plan," Infante-Green added. "I can’t wait to see how the broader community reacts to and guides this work.”

To learn more about the Community Design Teams and turnaround work in Providence, visit www.4PVDKids.com. Community Day attendees are asked to please RSVP and register online.