Advocacy
“No one can tell your story better than you!”
—Janie Segui Rodriguez, Founder & CEO
Organizing Parents to Take Action
One consistent thread at STWRI is activating our community of parents and addressing public leaders in their fight for the needs of our students. Here are some of the actions we’ve taken with parents to advocate for our students and their education.
Alfred Lima Lease Hearing
Parents actively participated, shared their thoughts, and made their voices heard to extend Achievement’s First lease at Charles N. Fortes. The direct actions of parents alongside the conviction in their testimony led to a 25-year lease renewal for Achievement First at Fortes Elementary schools. With this lease renewal, Achievement First will continue providing a high-quality education to our students for years to come.
Carl G. Lauro Lease Hearing
Over 300 parents, children, and community members in mustard yellow Stop the Wait RI t-shirts packed the Providence City Council committee meeting to support the Carl G. Lauro building lease to Achievement First and Excel Academy.
Fifty people testified in favor, with around 250 written testimonies from parents echoing shared experiences. While we are not satisfied with the outcome, we are deeply grateful to everyone who testified, attended, and stood with us, fighting for better schools in our city and state!
Community Conversation With The Mayor
We were in full force at Mayor Smiley’s recent Community Conversation on education, where the passionate voices of our families united to shape the schools they envision for their children. With the state takeover as a significant topic, it was heartening to see so many parents and community members engaged in discussions about the future of Providence schools. This is what it looks like for parents to lead the way in shaping our educational landscape.
Advocating for Public Charter Schools ride
Middle and high school students, parents, children, community members, and Stop the Wait staff filled Paff Auditorium at RIDE for the first of several public hearings on new and expanded charter school applications.
Students made compelling pleas about what attending the proposed New England Tech Charter High School would mean for their future. For those from underserved neighborhoods, this school represents a vital opportunity for a brighter future.