Editor’s Note: This is the 3rd in our series profiling the 6 Latino Providence City Councilors. Take a look at Michelle’s previous interviews with Miguel Sanchez and Ana Vargas.
Shelley Peterson does not consider herself a politician, yet; she sees herself an elected official—and emphasizes that distinction. She has only been in the role of Councilwoman for a year and a half, still a rookie, learning how things operate, and how to use policy in practical ways that translate into better opportunities for the community. A school administrator, Peterson is deeply conscious of the different education opportunities available to Providence students, as well as widely varying housing options in the city.
Peterson’s family left Lima, Peru to pursue work opportunities in the United States, when she was a child, leaving an ill grandmother and most of their family behind. They began their lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and later moved to East Providence, where Peterson grew up in subsidized housing. While they had very few family members here, Peterson’s father did have a brother in the south side, who owned a travel agency on Broad Street in the 1980s. When her mother began working, Shelley became acting as a caretaker for her sisters “and doing all the things that first gen kids do,” such as translating for her parents and working alongside them as they attempted to make a better living.
She did not realize at the time how much responsibility she shouldered to make sure she succeeded for her younger sisters. Peterson was the first in her family to do many things—the first to graduate high school, the first to go to college, and the first to have a white collar job. Peterson earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Suffolk University in Boston.
She has lived in her community for 20 years, but that was not always the plan. The first house she purchased with her husband was meant to be a starter house, with the thought that they would eventually leave Elmhurst. However, over the years, they found that nothing compared to being in their house, their home, and in their community. At the time, Peterson was working in Newport and her husband was working in Boston, so Providence was the perfect middle ground. They loved being in the city, and she started to love getting involved in the neighborhood as a mom. One day, Peterson’s son had a close call with an old play structure, which sparked her concern. She met with her city councilor to figure out how to implement change, and along with her best friend, Peterson rallied community members to help redesign the park. Through this process, she built strong relationships with local leaders and learned how to navigate city services. When her ward Councilor reached their term limit, Peterson debated whether she could step up. She saw the need for better representation in her ward, especially in the lower-income Wanskuck area, and decided to run for the seat.
Ward 14
Schools in the City
When working alongside her Latino colleagues on the Providence City Council, Peterson finds it hard for them to agree on certain issues. For example, some charter schools have been trying to move into public school buildings that have been closed by the School District, but the City Council needs to approve those leases, sparking much discussion. The city closed the schools due to safety concerns, yet charter schools claim they can revamp the same buildings. When asked for details about their plans, the responses can be vague. Peterson believes it crucial to examine the logistics and financial implications of these decisions. The conversation often gets framed as a public school versus charter school debate, but according to Peterson, “we need to consider how integrating charter schools will affect our public schools and whether both systems will be held to the same standards.”
Latinos in general, Peterson says, tend to be supportive of charter schools. She says, “While I understand the need and the want, I am trying to decipher what the best possible solution is, while not undercutting our public schools and what they offer.” She wants to ensure that in this debate, we are not “pinning student versus student.”
In contentious debates like these, Peterson listens both to the people who are showing up and are super supportive, and those who are sending in letters saying “no, don’t do this.” She believes it important to make a fair decision for the benefit of the community, which “may not necessarily be what we feel is the best thing.”
Recently, the State Education Commissioner recommended three more years of the Rhode Island state takeover of Providence Public Schools, and the Elementary and Secondary Schools Councils approved it. However, Peterson noted, charter schools in Providence have the capacity for 6,000 students, but they are only utilizing about 2,000 to 3,000 of those seats because they don’t have school buildings. This situation raises concerns, because as “public school students leave for charter schools, funding follows them,” leading to a decrease in resources for public schools.
Before any decisions are made about “taking back” schools, Peterson says the City Council needs to have a serious conversation about school funding and support. This includes prioritizing multilingual education and creating formal plans for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and other student support services. At her day job, Peterson works as an administrator in a private school that heavily invests in individualized attention, but says that many public schools struggle to meet these basic needs due to funding constraints. When budgets are tight, the first cuts often hit teachers and essential support services. Peterson says, “being elected is one thing, but actually doing the work is very, very different. And the more you’re engaged and the more you want to help your community, the more you have to make really, really hard decisions based on the community as a whole and not just your perspective.”
Since her election, she has focused on improving the quality of life in the community, particularly for the Wanskuck area. This has looked like organizing mattress drives and cleanups to engage residents, among other activities. Additionally, she has been working hard to advocate against the expansion of student housing in Providence College that would gentrify and displace residents of the Providence community. Peterson is working to create a city-wide student housing ordinance to balance the needs of students and the community.
Constituent Services
Peterson continues this work for every individual person. She remembers how one time an older Colombian couple came to her about a severe crack from tree roots in their driveway. They were confused about whether it was the city’s or their responsibility, and their insurance was at risk because they had not resolved the issue. She worked with the city to fix their problem.
Latinos in Providence face a variety of problems, skyrocketing costs of living and poor education quality the largest. In her short time on the Council, she has been working to address them. She relies a lot on word of mouth to encourage people and to let them know she speaks Spanish, which helps them feel comfortable reaching out. She is making progress and is committed to continuing this work.
