Fighting for Our Students
Providence is at a pivotal moment for our public schools, and while Brett has fought to improve student outcomes and return Providence Public Schools to local control, he has also prioritized investments in areas like pre-K, school construction, after-school and summer programming, and pathways for career success.
Under Brett's leadership, the City has made historic increases to investments in the Providence Public School District to support students, teachers, and families. The City is also advancing key Turnaround Action Plan metrics in close partnership with PPSD and the State, aligning resources to improve literacy, math achievement, and student well-being.
Under his leadership, Providence has invested more than $146 million in school construction projects, breaking ground each year on new state-of-the-art schools designed for 21st-century learning. These projects are part of a broader commitment to ensure that all Providence students learn in new or like-new facilities that are safe, modern, and conducive to academic success.
Preparing for the return of PPSD to local control has been a major focus of Brett's education agenda. He convened a series of public conversations and community surveys in which thousands of Providence residents shared their feedback and helped inform the City’s work with district and state partners to strengthen accountability, support school leaders, and align investments with community priorities.
Using what he heard from the community, Brett’s team crafted “Providence’s Plan for Our Schools: Building a Brighter Future,” which laid out the work that the city departments needed to do in order to prepare for a responsible return to local control. Brett is committed to transparent, collaborative governance of the school system. His administration continues to engage parents, students, educators, and neighborhood organizations to ensure that decisions about Providence schools reflect the voices of those most directly affected.
Brett has also been a champion for early childhood education as a foundation for long-term success. Building on that experience, his administration has expanded early childhood programs as well as after-school opportunities that reinforce classroom instruction, provide enrichment, and keep young people safe and engaged.
Providence has also expanded comprehensive summer learning opportunities and hands-on career training programs for middle and high school students, including Rhode Island’s first-ever fire CTE pathway program, training Providence students to become firefighters and providing them with lifesaving training and techniques. Brett believes that Providence students deserve multiple pathways to success, whether they pursue college, career training, or other postsecondary opportunities. His administration is committed to strengthening career and technical education, growing work-based learning and internship opportunities, and connecting students with the skills and credentials they need to thrive in a changing economy.
From historic funding increases and major school construction investments to expanded out-of-school learning and mentoring, Brett is working to ensure that Providence students are set up for long-term success. This comprehensive approach, grounded in community input and focused on equity, opportunity, and high expectations, aims to deliver the world-class education that every Providence student deserves.