Can you explain what role Tides Family Services plays in Rhode Island?
Tides Family [Services] provides community-based programs designed to service [youths] aged 6-21 throughout the state. Our “no-walls” philosophy puts us in the heart of neighborhoods where our clients live – the most distressed and poverty-stricken areas of Rhode Island. Our programs include a broad range of behavioral health and trauma-informed services. We provide after-school programming, certified special education and educational advocacy.
What have you learned about distance learning and how it impacts at-risk youths?
Schools provide a connection to community and access to supportive relationships, coupled with appropriate services. These are things that cannot be easily replaced or replicated through a distance learning program. I think we now understand that schools are not just buildings where kids go to learn and that teachers are irreplaceable.
What were some concerning issues that you saw in kids during the stay-at-home order?
Among the most significant issues are the gaps between the poorest and wealthiest students around access to basic technology and live remote instruction, and percentages of students who are not logging in or making contact. Even more troubling: the persistent achievement disparities across income levels. School shutdowns not only cause disproportionate learning losses for these students but could lead more of them to drop out.
What services should Rhode Island bring to at-risk youths when they go back to school?
An expansion of social-emotional support for students and families would make a significant difference for at-risk students as they begin to transition back. It will be crucial for schools to provide increased social-emotional support to help make that transition smoother and rebuild a connection to the structure and support schools provide.
Students and teachers could be at risk for COVID-19 when schools reopen, but the American Academy of Pediatrics said children should go back. Where do you stand?
The reopening of schools requires weighing physical health priorities while balancing social, emotional and mental health, and adhering to guidelines. The safety of students and staff is critical and will be at the center of our plans as we develop the proposals required by RIDE [R.I. Department of Education] for a safe return to school in the fall.
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com.
