Loretta "Lori" Burke, a candidate for Newport School Committee, is running on a platform of getting "back to basics" in education. Burke, who works at the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, says her background as an Air Force child and deep family roots in Newport education give her a unique perspective on local school issues.
"Let's just get back to reading, writing, and arithmetic and having these children leave the school system being productive members of society," Burke said in an interview with What'sUpNewp on Wednesday, October 9.
Burke expressed concern about distractions in schools taking focus away from core subjects. She believes there are "a lot of distractions within the school system that maybe take away from getting back to basics."
On the ongoing labor dispute between teachers and the school district, Burke said it "should get resolved quickly" as it's affecting everyone involved. "It's really not good for a school system to be going on like this," she added.
Burke strongly supports exploring regionalization of Newport schools with neighboring districts. She said she was "surprised" by how many other candidates also expressed support for regionalization at a recent forum.
"Where were you guys two years ago?" Burke asked, referring to when a regionalization proposal failed. "Now we're in for so much money that we kind of have to…get off the pot about this stuff."
The candidate expressed shock at learning that 40% of Newport students are non-native English speakers. She sees this as a major challenge for teachers on top of other responsibilities.
Burke believes changes in school leadership may be needed, saying some issues have persisted for too long despite ample funding. "Maybe a change, a little shake-up across the board would be helpful," she said.
On judging educational success, Burke said test scores shouldn't be the only measure. However, she expressed concern about frequent changes to state testing methods, suggesting it may be to make tests easier to pass.
Burke emphasized the importance of vocational and technical education programs. "This is a city of trades," she said, advocating for maintaining or expanding such offerings.
The candidate pledged to vote against anything not directly related to core academic subjects if elected. "I'm not a fan of other types of programs being brought in," Burke stated.
Burke praised her fellow candidates, saying they all seem to care about students but have different ideas on how to improve education. She encouraged voters to carefully consider their choices, noting they don't have to select all seven available slots on the ballot.
Early voting for the Newport School Committee election begins Oct. 16, with Election Day on Nov. 5. Eleven candidates are vying for seven seats on the committee.
Burke can be reached at 401-835-0884 or loriburke2005@gmail.com for voters seeking more information about her campaign.
Newport School Committee candidate Loretta 'Lori' Burke calls for 'back to basics' approach