Bristol-Warren Election Profile: Jamie Brooks
BRISTOL-WARREN, RI — Jamie Brooks is running for a seat on the Bristol-Warren Regional School Committe. The 54-year-old previously served on the Warren Planning Board in the 1980s.
Brooks has three children: Tiffany, AJ and JJ. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and public adminstration from Providence College and a master's degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma.
Occupation
Director of Elder Services for Child and Family. I have been in the Elders field for over 6 years and in Healthcare for over 25 years
Why are you seeking elective office?
As a young girl, I watched my father James Uriel Sousa serve the town of Warren as a councilman. He taught me the importance of serving your community. That’s was instilled in me and so now I am seeking that opportunity to serve. I was inspired to run for School Committee because I had been a lone voice and felt like one parent trying to make a difference. That path can be lonely and defeating at times. I want Bristol to be a great place to work, live and raise a family. I think we are that but if we want to attract people to live in our community, and to bring new business to our community, then we have to be a solid school district that ranks in the top of our State. We can and we will get there but it isn't without hard work, dedication and determination. I am inspired to run and be a part of that change.
What do you believe should be done to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do to lessen its economic impacts?
First and foremost, we need to listen to the medical experts on this subject. That information then needs to be applied towards smart and reasonable expectations for towns, schools, and businesses. This disease is serious. I have lost clients to this disease and family members of close friends. It is difficult to put a price tag on a life. I think we continue to make smart decisions that include social distancing and masks for the time being until we can combat this. I think Bristol and Warren business have done a great job at working with very difficult parameters to bring business to life. While I would love to see our community at business as normal, that can't happen now so we need to support our business in new and creative ways.
Do you believe systemic racism is a problem in America generally and Rhode Island specifically, and if so, what would you do to combat it?
I do believe that systemic racism is a problem in America. RI and Bristol and Warren are not immune to it. We need to educate our children, our parents and our community at large. We need to not be afraid to call it out peacefully and respectfully when we see it and not walk away from it. We need to raise awareness throughout our State and right here in our community. We need to take action when it occurs and hold people accountable for their behavior. We need a full court press and come at it from multiple angles.
Should the words "Providence Plantations" be removed from the state's name?
Yes
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The School Committee traditionally has been made up of white, middle class men and women; They are good people, people who really care about the children in our schools but are unlikely to have the life experience I bring with me.
Just as the students in the BWRSD are not homogeneous, they are male/female, black/white, motivated/bored, wealthy/poor, fed/hungry, etc. There are all kinds of young residents of Bristol, they are typically quite different from one another.
So I ask: does the BWRSD strive to educate, to serve all the different students in the district or is the current model designed to educate the typical student, without addressing the needs of those who are not typical?
I have 3 biracial children, one daughter in college and twin sons at MHHS, and I know first hand that they have not had the typical educational experience provided to their peers. I bring a perspective from my personal experience, from family’s experience, and believe I can help with what is needed to improve the educational experience of all the kids who are different. As a mother, I have been my children’s biggest advocate and am well versed in IEP’s, 504’s, and the many aspects of special educational needs. I want to be an advocate for the voices in the community who don’t know how to advocate or are afraid to.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform
People may say that it’s impractical to address all these individual students, that we can’t develop a system that meets all those kids needs and I expect that’s largely how decisions have been made until now, however, I want to help the district make progress in a new, a more inclusive direction. At this point I’m not suggesting big changes in curriculum which is largely established at the state level; but rather more immediate gradual changes. I am suggesting that we improve how we deliver that curriculum to all the kids in our school community, how we serve their needs better.
These are some of the opportunities I’d like to bring to the School Committee for discussion and consideration:
1. Accountability on all levels- Recognizing our strengths and identifying our opportunities is key to everything we do as a district, be it the School Committee, the various building administrations, parents, teachers, coaches, and students. I would like to see the School Committee do a in-depth SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) around our goals and outcomes, how we identify and manage finances, how we prepare the district for what is to come in the future, how our teachers managing in changing times, how our parents are engaging children at home and how our students take ownership and be accountable for their role in the educational experience.
2. FORWARD MOVEMENT - We need to prepare students for the future. This includes developing creative ways to educate students both in the classroom and out of the classroom. Preparing our students for the job market without a 4 year degree will be important for some of our student body. I’d like to develop courses and or opportunities to expose students to alternate post-educational and/or employment options. Yes, exposure to the trades. At one time not too long ago, Bristol had an Industrial Arts Program that included exposure to the building or maritime trades. We need to understand and bring a modern approach to this. Our current school committee is trying to bring this back and I want to support that goal by playing an active role in identifying new and exciting opportunities for our kids.
3. COLLABORATION There are so many opportunities for our district to collaborate. That could be with corporations, small businesses, universities, and non-profits to name a few. This past year, my son was involved in a mentoring pilot with MHHS and Raytheon. It was a great experience despite the pandemic putting a wrench into the original plan. It is this type of collaboration that will be key to that forward movement mentioned above being successful. Often times departments compete for resources and it is a win-loose scenario. I would like to see us move towards a win-win in as many outcomes as possible. I think the development a Co-Op program with Roger Williams University’s School of Education to provide after school support to all MHHS students who want or need it. Such a program would be a win-win as it provides teaching experience to Ed students at the University as well as support for our HS students who are in need of tutoring.
4. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION - Our community needs to have a better understanding of Diversity and Inclusion. One way to is develop a curriculum of awareness and inclusion. It will help both students and faculty be sensitive and aware of the multitude of differences that make up our student body, administration and faculty. This is already in the works and I am happy to be a new member of the large team working on this endeavor. I would also like to develop a parent program. It starts at home and it would be nice to be able to have an impact on our youngest students by starting with parental support to do that. Finally, a mentorship program where our HS students go to our Middle School students and engage in meaningful dialogue about diversity, inclusion and racism, on a regular basis.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Providence College and a Master’s in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. Although I grew up here, I married a Navy man and we lived in California, Maine, Connecticut, Florida and Iceland. I taught in the US Military School in Iceland for a period of time, while we were stationed there. I have a strong background in Healthcare Administration and served as the Director for the Patient Experience at RI Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital. One of my specialities is Customer Service which is why I am a huge proponent of being sure we are always working to meet the needs of our children, families and teachers. I have written and operated grants as large as $4M successfully. In the last 5 years, I have specialized in Elder Care, assisting the most vulnerable population with case management services (social work). I am also a Certified Dementia Practioner. I have worked in the for profit and not-for- profit industries. I have successful managed budgets as large as $14M. Finally, I have worked in environments with collective bargaining units and understand how unions work. I have been at the negotiation table and successfully avoided potential strikes. These professional experiences coupled with my unique family experiences make me an ideal candidate for BWRSD School Committee. I have always been and will continue to be that person that is not afraid to ask the difficult questions and what has made me a successful leader in my career. My leadership style, which has served me well in my career is one that is open and communicative. I would bring that to the table as we work together to better our school district.
The best advice ever shared with me was:
Don't ever stop learning and growing as a person
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
see above :-)
This article originally appeared on the Bristol-Warren Patch
