Stronger Schools, Stronger City

ABOUT
Mayor Rivera believes in the power of education. She believes all children in the City of Central Falls have a right to the highest quality education, to be prepared for future success, and to be motivated by their learning every day. Our traditional public schools in Central Falls have been under state intervention for over 30 years. They have so many talented and dedicated staff and educators who are committed to the community. In spite of the amazing people in the schools, the system has been struggling with test performance, basic resources, graduation rates, and other key outcomes for students.

In Central Falls, 35% of students attend charter schools, with projections that by 2028-2029 that number will rise to 45%. While she sees the strengths in the City's charter schools, the Mayor does not believe more charter growth, or "charterizing," is the answer. Instead, the Mayor has tasked up her City team to pursue a deep learning of the system (teachers, students, families and more) in order to identify what is required to positively change key outcomes for our young people.

The end product will be an actionable roadmap, designed in collaboration with the people who live and work in the City, including legislative action, to return the Central Falls School District to local control, to ensure stable and adequate funding over time, to overcome charter-district divisions and solve problems collectively, and to create sustainable systems for an empowered community of families, educators, youth and non-profit leaders. Ultimately, we all want our children and community to thrive. That is the goal of our work.

A QUICK LOOK AT OUR WORK SINCE AUGUST 2023:

• 143: Number of Central Falls School District educators we’ve listened to and learned from
• 40: Number of community and policy leaders we’ve engaged with
• 70: Number of families we’ve engaged with through individual and small-group discussions
• 20: Number of students and alumnae we’ve engaged
• 1: Number of large-group family listening sessions held, with dozens of attendees, with 3 additional sessions scheduled

UPCOMING MILESTONES FOR THIS WORK:

• February — April 2024: Hosting family, youth and community engagement events encouraging attendees to share their voices, stories, and dreams for the education of Central Falls youth

• May 2024: Public share out of findings

• June — October 2024: Central Falls Education Action Team - This team of family, youth, community and educators will draft a plan with recommendations for the future of Central Falls Education

• November 2024: Central Falls Action Team shares out plan to get broad community feedback

• December 2024: Central Falls Action team revises plan

• January — June 2025: Implementation of recommendations

LISTENING AND LEARNING

We are committed to meeting our teachers, families, students, alumnae, and community members where they are, to hear about their experiences, ideas, and input. Every person’s voice matters. Our Eduction Strategy Team is bilingual. How you can connect:

• One-on-one meetings (we’ll meet anywhere, reach out to schedule)
• Phone discussions (call 401-864-9195)
• Email (sfriedman@centralfallsri.us or ddelgadopedraza@centralfallsri.us)
• Zoom meetings (email us to schedule)
• Texting (text 401-864-9195)
• Upcoming community listening sessions for families (food, childcare and translation provided)
  • Saturday, March 9, 2024 (9:00-11:00am) at Central Falls City Hall, 2nd Floor Chamber Room
  • Wednesday, March 20, 2024 (4:30-6:30pm) at Central Falls City Hall, 2nd Floor Chamber Room
  • Thursday, April 4, 2024 (6:00-8:00pm) at Central Falls City Hall, 2nd Floor Chamber Room
• Digital survey feedback (click here)