Bob Walsh: Helping to implement year-round learning for RI students

Name: Bob Walsh

Age: 62

Hometown: East Greenwich

Position: Chairman of Always Learning Rhode Island

Bob Walsh, former head of the National Education Association Rhode Island, hasn't strayed far from the education world in retirement. Now, he's currently chairing Always Learning Rhode Island, a nonprofit set up to aid Gov. Dan McKee's "Learn365RI" mission of year-round learning for the state's students.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding about both of them," Walsh said, referring to the nonprofit and McKee's education plan.

In past months, the organization helped cities and towns to apply for funding for new learning centers – places where kids can engage in afterschool programs. Indeed, the applications were detailed, some quite extensive. But Walsh isn't sure exactly what Always Learning will be up to in the future. Now, it's working on replacing Executive Director Jeremy Chiappetta and will consider whether his role could be done part-time.

Walsh is also on Secretary of State Gregg Amore's working group to establish a building that would house the state's archives. The group hopes the idea will become a brick-and-mortar reality in two to three years, preferably somewhere near the State House.

"I think it will happen," Walsh said. "This is something that’s been talked about for a very long time, and we’ve got a very good group working on it."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How Always Learning Rhode Island is helping to implement Learn365RI