Former dropout now inspires her students to persevere

There was a time when 2013 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year Jessica Waters’ future might not have included a high school diploma, never mind a successful tenure as part of the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts’ staff that has helped students double their proficiency level in science.
Growing up in a household with two drug-addicted parents, she dropped out of school at age 16 to go it on her own with her mother’s permission but no help from her school’s guidance system.
She enrolled in Community College of Rhode Island’s GED preparation classes but was able to pass the test on her own in the same year, 1995, that she would have graduated high school.
She worked two part-time jobs, at Dunkin’ Donuts and as a dog groomer, to make ends meet.
A desire for a deeper education led her back to CCRI, where her past experiences instilled a desire to work with at-risk teens and reinforced her dream to be the first person in her family to graduate college.
She joined Beacon Charter High School, where nearly half of the 230 students are economically disadvantaged, and serves as the adviser to the Woonsocket school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter.

PBN: What originally made you want to become a teacher?
Waters: Just really, truly caring about the welfare of at-risk teens. My personal experience is probably really what brought me into the profession. I was an at-risk teen. … When I had my mom come and sign me out [of high school], the counselor just signed the forms. It was kind of disheartening. I know now because of all the great teachers and guidance counselors [I know] it was just my own experience. It doesn’t mean there aren’t great teachers in Rhode Island.

PBN: Why did you want to stay to teach in Rhode Island?
Waters: I was born and raised in North Providence. My husband and I moved to Stamford, Conn., for a while for my husband’s work. When we moved back, I started going to CCRI.

PBN: You went from dropping out of high school to teaching high school, a true success story. What happened to turn things around for you?
Waters: I wouldn’t say there was one particular event. I always thought, I want to go back and graduate college and be the first in my family to do that. I had at the time no choice but to drop out. I needed to get an apartment and have a full-time job to pay bills. Fortunately, I had a positive influence from my aunt, Beverly, and my husband. When we met, he was a college graduate and working. … He always supported me to continue and finish college. Today, as a mother of three girls, dropping out of school wouldn’t be an option for them. … It’s harder, in my opinion, for a teenager who does not have parents who graduated from college or high school to make that leap and break those chains.

PBN: There is a lot of discussion on whether Rhode Island schools are doing enough to prepare students for today’s job market. What do you think?
Waters: I read statistics that 60 percent of college students can’t find jobs but also troublesome is that at the other end, industries across America can’t fill job openings. There’s some sort of disconnect here. We’ve spent several decades instilling in our children that college is the only path in life but I think many students who have been awarded a diploma are not yet ready for college or to enter the workforce. I see a need for expanding vocational pathways and linking high schools with junior colleges and then different industry businesses. I think that many schools have inadequate advisory programs and we do a disservice to students. PBN: The discussion also touches on soft skills – professionalism, interviewing, teamwork, etc. Is Rhode Island’s system at the high school level and the state’s higher education system preparing students in these ways?
Waters: The students at my school start off with a Microsoft Office class and learn things like Word, spreadsheets, PowerPoint. We also have a business class. We also maintain a digital portfolio. A lot of schools have switched [to this]. It’s a Web-based way of archiving academic work through their entire four years. We also have arts nights. Each class has their own night where they present their artwork in a formal way. It’s a way to deal with the public. They have to show their work, dress nicely and talk in an adult way. Students at our school participate [by] sitting in on interviewing faculty members.

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PBN: Could businesses be doing more to partner with schools, by, for example, providing internships and training opportunities?
Waters: Absolutely. I think that given the unemployment rate and current affairs in Rhode Island, schools should partner with local companies in order to better the students in what they’re looking for and to prepare our students for the economic reality that lies ahead. Internships and training opportunities are phenomenal for students to explore careers. •INTERVIEW
Jessica Waters
Position: Science teacher, Beacon Charter High School for the Arts
Background: After dropping out of high school in 10th grade, Waters earned her GED at age 17, completed cosmetology school and worked part time as a dog groomer. She took general-education courses at Community College of Rhode Island before obtaining her bachelor’s degree. She has worked in her current position since 2008. Waters was named the Rhode Island Teacher of the Year in September.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in secondary education, concentration in biology, Rhode Island College, 2008
First Job: Dunkin’ Donuts, Providence
Residence: Cumberland
Age: 34

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