Republican gubernatorial candidate and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung outlined part one of his proposal for education reform at the University of Rhode Island’s Providence campus last Thursday, outlining measures that would restructure governance of the state’s educational system and push collaborative efforts aimed at job skills training.

Part one of the proposed plan focuses on creating a coordinated effort for K-16 education and establishing top-down accountability within the system.

Under the plan, Rhode Island would return to a two-education board system instead of the current single board, reversing a two-year old decision to consolidate to one entity. The first board would be responsible for grades K-12, and the second for higher education.

To ensure coordination between the two boards, Fung’s plan calls for the creation of an Education Cabinet. The cabinet, consisting of board members and the commissioner of education, would be responsible for creating a single vision for education in Rhode Island.

As to whether current Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist would retain her position, Fung did not say, stating that upon taking office he would assess each department head individually before determining who stays and who goes.    

Stressing the need for top-down accountability, Fung’s plan would also require the commissioner of education to report directly to the governor.

The decision to separate into two boards carries financial incentive. 

“With two separate boards and the commissioner of education reporting directly to the governor, there would be no need for an additional commissioner, and therefore, I would defund the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner,” said Fung.

The $2 million saved from defunding the position would be repurposed into enhancing STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – education in Rhode Island.

In an effort to further coordinate Rhode Island’s plan for education, Fung is proposing the establishment of a Jobs and Education Cabinet. That cabinet would bring together leaders in business, education, and government agencies to focus on student skill sets and their ability to compete in the workplace.

Fung also proposes granting URI the authority to establish a formal board that would be permitted to build an endowment and allow for a degree of independent operations.

“Doing so may eventually reduce the university’s reliance on state funding, thus saving the state millions of dollars and providing more consistency and predictability in the university’s fiscal resources,” said Fung.

Fung said he will release further details about his education platform in the coming weeks, including information about an expansion from STEM to STREAM – which incorporates reading, writing and the arts into the traditional STEM model.