City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island

But after about four or five years in the life business, which I pretty much starved, it was up and down, but it taught me how to sell.

I got on board with Allstate and started in a Sears store in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

in 1979 and actually spent my first year in a booth in the furniture department.

I think we were surrounded by washers and dryers and that's where we bought insurance.

[upbeat music] Good morning, everybody.

Welcome to the Up Front program, Tuesday edition, and, uh, is, uh, going to center on local education, namely the, uh, Woonsocket School Department.

We do this from time to time, so we invite, um, the Superintendent of Schools, uh, Dr. Patrick McGee.

Now, that's spelled with a G, not a K, right, sir?

Good morning, Dr. McGee.

Good morning, Chairman.

All right, so we're gonna talk about, um, the Woonsocket Education Department.

Uh, and I promised a nice softball question, so we're gonna do that.

He's kind of been the centerpiece that Charlie Lombardi in North Providence, Don Grebby in Pawtucket.

Somehow, someway, but Providence hasn't quite aligned, but there's always just been this natural partnership there, Woonsocket, et cetera.

And that's been shaken up now as well.

McKee will be out of office.

Everything is gonna be done in, uh, two weeks.

Carrie in Woonsocket, "I'll be passing on the Patriots game for a few weeks anyway," on and on and on.

877-301-8970.

Let's start with Chuck in Brighton.

Everything is gonna be done in, uh, two weeks.

Carrie in Woonsocket, "I'll be passing on the Patriots game for a few weeks anyway," on and on and on.

877-301-8970.

Let's start with Chuck in Brighton.

One is that most of the things in Rhode Island, you know, most of the supports and systems that are really equitable and focused on in Rhode Island are focused up here.

Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Woonsocket.

People often forget about Equidneck Island.

One of our goals is always equity.

I knew that we had a stronghold in Providence where we could solicit some of the young people from a variety of organizations to kind of give a diverse voice to it.

And then using the network to then get folks from Newport all the way up to Cumberland and Woonsocket, they all come with so much empathy to it.

It may not necessarily be the issue in their school district, but they had empathy to say, but this is a statewide issue.

Therefore, just because we have it doesn't necessarily mean that we can turn a blind eye on it, but how can we empower everyone to have it, right?

Something I'm thinking a lot about, I know everyone is, is the impact of AI.

And in a world where many things are scary, how do we use AI for good? And how do we use the tools and technologies that are moving so fast and get ahead of that and try to use that for good without losing our humanity? AI cannot go out on a street in Woonsocket and talk to folks about what they're doing today and what's on their mind.

So we know... that at the center of great journalism is always going to be a person.

But AI is here.