R.I. education chief Wagner touts progress in annual speech; addresses solemn issues

LINCOLN, R.I. — State education Commissioner Ken Wagner highlighted his accomplishments during his State of Education speech Monday night. But his most moving remarks came in response to questions from Rhode Island’s students.

Students submitted 200 questions, which were whittled down to about a half-dozen by the Rhode Island Student Council. The event, attended by several hundred educators, took place at the Williams M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School.

Cassie Taber, a sixth-grader from Tiverton, wrote, “Our schools go from a beautiful elementary school to something resembling a jail. How can we fix that?”

Wagner said, “We have a crisis in our school facilities. We have not invested in our buildings the way we need to. ... Some of these issues affect student achievement. We have to take on this challenge.”

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A student from Barrington High School said suicide is the third-leading cause of death among young people ages 10-24 in Rhode Island. What can the schools do to help students with mental illness?

Wagner grew solemn. He said he had lost a close friend to suicide when he was young. That was one of the reasons he became a school psychologist. The schools have to invest in mental-health services, he said. But they also have to partner with mental-health organizations, with churches and temples, to get the word out, to publicize the warning signs.

Read more: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170508/ri-education-chief-wagner-touts-progress-in-annual-speech

[font color=330099]Dr. Ken Wagner is Governor Raimondo's selection for state education commissioner. I encourage everyone to click the link to to view the programs that were implemented to improve educational access and Gov. Raimondo's agenda to provide two years of free college tuition to students attending one of the state’s three public colleges.[/font]