South Kingstown Election Profile: Christie Fish

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Christie Fish is running for a seat on the South Kingstown School Committee. The 45-year-old Democrat is a newcomer to elected office.

Fish has three children, all attending school in the district: Brooklynn, 13, Bayleigh, 10, and Berkeley, 7. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Providence College, and has an elementary teaching certificate from the University of Rhode Island. Her husband, Blair, owns Fish Advertising in East Greenwich.

Occupation

After graduation, I moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL to work at the Lorraine Thomas Crisis Center. There I worked with abused, neglected and abandoned teens and children at a residential facility. I worked there in the evening and also began working at a local private college, Keiser University, as an admissions counselor. After returning to the Northeast, I worked at The Providence Center School as a behavior specialist and eventually as a special educator in a variety of self-contained classrooms. It was then that I recognized my passion for education, specifically working with children with acute emotional and behavioral issues. I transitioned to a Family Outreach Counselor and began working toward attaining my masters and teaching certification at URI, after which I worked at The Compass School from 2004-2010[RR1] . Once our second child arrived, I made the decision to stay home and focus on raising my family. Over the past ten years I’ve volunteered in my children’s schools, coached SCYS with my husband, become a CARES Mentor and been very involved as a special education advocate for my oldest daughter, along with supporting other families in the community that have children in special education.

Campaign website: Christie Fish- South Kingstown School Committee on Facebook

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running to bridge the gaps that exist within our district and ultimately overlap with the greater community. Traditionally, the gap most often referenced in education is the achievement gap. Although this is critically important, there are other gaps I wish to address as well. They include the gap between general education and special education; the gap of inclusion between DLI and non DLI students; the gap of opportunity regarding race and SES; the gap of engagement between our schools and families; and the gap of connection between our schools and the community. It is important to note that these gaps are not unique to our district, and although our teachers are fully committed to addressing these gaps, they need — and deserve — a school committee who supports their tireless efforts.

What do you believe should be done to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do to lessen its economic impacts?

I believe strongly that following the directives of the Governor are critical in containing the spread of the disease. Her guidance, based on science and data, is in my opinion the most important factor in ultimately getting us through this.

In terms of the pandemic’s economic impact locally, I think it’s extremely important to support our local businesses and to be mindful of the greater community. To that end, I’ve been involved in a group, COVID-19 South County Mutual Aid and Support, for the past several months. This group’s mission is to support the folks in our community that have been most severely impacted by the pandemic. It is imperative for all of us to adopt a broader view — beyond how we are affected personally — and realize how our communities are suffering.

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 believe systemic racism is a pervasive issue in our country and our state. We need to fully acknowledge the existence of racism in order to work towards change on every level.
One of my favorite phrases is “knowledge is power.” It is essential to empower ourselves and our communities by understanding the complexity of this issue. I believe a beneficial way forward is to engage in honest conversations and committing ourselves to listening to those around us that have been impacted. It is only when we are willing to be open-minded and understand our own role in perpetuating racism that we can change it. Our current school committee has already started taking huge steps towards progress within our district. If elected, I look forward to continuing doing the hard work this requires.

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?

I believe the totality and diversity of my professional experience sets me apart from the other candidates and gives me deeper perspective on many levels.

· The work I did at the crisis shelter and The Providence Center School gave me a greater understanding of the trauma that many of our students have experienced and how that trauma plays out in the classroom.
· When I was a family outreach counselor I was able to visit the homes of these children and gain a deeper understanding of their families’ struggles, as well as the supports they needed to thrive.
· My time in all of the classrooms I’ve taught is invaluable. Being an elementary school teacher provided great insight into what schools, classrooms, teachers and students need in order to be most successful.
· While I was a teacher at The Compass School, I had the amazing opportunity to utilize project based learning through the lenses of social responsibility and environmental sustainability.

I would love to see our district move more towards these progressive methods of teaching.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I believe our current school committee has been committed to making hard decisions and big changes within our district based on putting our children first. They have demonstrated bold leadership in achieving some of these things. However, I also believe that a part of our greater community has felt left out. It seems we have sorted ourselves on some level and delineated sides. This has alienated folks and divided our town. I do not believe the school committee is entirely responsible for this. However, if I am elected, one of my main goals is to strengthen the relationship between our school and community. We need exactly this kind of synergy to move everyone forward in a positive direction.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The three major components of my platform are special education, curriculum redesign and fiscal accountability. I am hosting community conversations on each of these and have already had some incredible discussions with teachers, parents and community members. These types of forums allow collaboration and open dialogue to take place. If I should be elected to the South Kingstown School Committee I am committed to continuing the momentum of embracing the folks in our town that are invested in evoking change for the betterment of our district.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

This is a tough one, since I’ve been very fortunate to have some truly remarkable friends and family in my life who have shared their experiences and wisdom. Should I be fortunate enough to be elected, the advice that I will lean into the most is to lead by example. I anticipate some very difficult, complex challenges on the horizon for our school district. To arrive at equitable solutions, I’m committed to always keeping what is best for our children at the forefront while remaining open to all perspectives.

This article originally appeared on the Narragansett-South Kingstown Patch