SMITHFIELD – Suzy Alba, candidate for state representative in House District 53, said advocating for our public schools will be one of her priorities in the General Assembly.
She points to her record while serving on the Smithfield Town Council, including voting in numerous budget cycles to fully fund the schools and support capital improvements at the high school, strengthening the relationship and communication between the town council and school committee, helping to secure a state bond and served on the building committee that completely renovated Pleasant View Elementary School and upgrades the other two elementary schools in Smithfield, and serving on the Public Schools Citizens Advisory Group that advocated for full-day kindergarten, advanced placement courses, art and music education, career and technical education pathways and classroom technology upgrades. She also currently serves on the Pleasant View Elementary School Improvement Team and the PTO.
“School funding is not just a talking point. My husband and I have a child in the Smithfield schools,” she said in a release. “I know what families are asking of teachers, what teachers are being asked to do with limited resources, and how quickly local property taxpayers feel it when the state does not carry its share”, Alba said.
If elected, Alba said she will focus on making state education funding more predictable for local communities, expanding career and technical pathways, improving access to affordable higher education, and protecting current and retired teachers.
Alba spent most of her career working in higher education, with nearly a decade at Rhode Island College and currently works as the director of civic education for the Rhode Island Department of State.
Alba said Smithfield and Glocester should not have to choose between excellent schools and sustainable local budgets. She said she believes the district needs an advocate at the state level who can work with school leaders, town and state officials, and families, before decisions are made at the State House.
“As a mom of a young child, I understand today’s challenges and opportunities in public education and what working families raising children need right now,” she said.
Alba is a first-generation college graduate who earned her bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College and a Master of Public Administration from Roger Williams University. Her husband is a public-school administrator.
She said her approach will be the same one she used on the Town Council: listen locally, and advocate for the teachers and students in Smithfield and Glocester, especially through the budget process.
Alba received endorsments from the two teacher unions in RI, the NEARI (National Education Association) representing 12,000 teachers and retirees statewide, and the RIFTHP (RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals) representing more than 10,000 members who work as teachers, nurses and other health professionals, school related personnel, higher education faculty and staff, and state and municipal employees.
Alba is a Smithfield small business owner, working mother and former 10-year member of the Smithfield Town Council, where she served two terms as president. She is the Democratic candidate for Rhode Island House District 53, representing parts of Smithfield and Glocester. Learn more at suzyalba.com.
