UPDATED: End State Takeover of Prov Schools, Says Teachers Union Head, Ed Leaders Respond
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
The head of the Providence Teachers Union is calling on Rhode Island legislators to end the state takeover of Providence schools.
The announcement Monday by PTU boss Maribeth Calabro marks the latest in an increasingly heated battle between teachers - and the Rhode Island Department of Education and advocates for public charter schools.
On Monday morning, Providence Superintendent Harrison Peters sent an email to PTU officials raising concerns about what he said was the tone of negotiations between the state and the teachers union.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGoLocal first reported that Peters made the allegation in the email sent to Calabro and others that one of the issues being negotiated had a racist undertone.
In his email, Peters alleged the mediator “came to the PPSD team with a stunning message: that union members preferred conducting interviews at a central location instead of at individual schools, because they felt unsafe in certain neighborhoods.”
Now, Calabro is calling for the dismantling of state oversight. And, Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green and Peters issued a statement after her press conference with strong words for Calabro.
The Wall Street Journal called Providence Schools an "education horror show" in 2019, after a report by Johns Hopkins stated that the city's schools were among the worst in the nation.
The State of Rhode Island officially took over Providence schools on November 1, 2019.
PTU's Call to Remove State Control
“Over the past year, both in Providence and the state, we have grappled with one of the highest COVID case rates in the country and one of the highest death rates in the country per capita,” said Calabro on Monday. “Teachers and school staff were there for our students and families every day. We kept education going in Providence but more importantly, we helped our students to keep going. “
“We must commit to equity, diversity, and high standards of teaching, learning, and achievement in the entire district. That kind of transformative leadership takes vision and commitment at all levels,” said Calabro.
Calabro then called out Peters — and Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, who last week Calabro accused of running a campaign to “disparage union leadership -- with lies and manipulation.”
“Instead of mobilizing and uniting our community, to give our best to our kids, they have been distracted by their own and other agendas. As you’re all aware, last week, more than a year after the takeover, teachers, school staff, and support professionals took an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the leadership of the commissioner and superintendent,” said Calabro.
Three Proposals
Calabro called for “three main proposals to provide a way forward for Providence Public Schools” — including ending the state takeover.
“First, we must end the failed state takeover of Providence public schools; second we must enlist and engage a new school district leadership that actually believes in public schools…and we need to move forward with a new Providence school district,” said Calabro.
She added as the third step, that the teachers believe the state needs to step away.
“We are now asking legislators to end the state takeover as it has been an abject failure. It is time for a new direction and new leadership,” she said.
Commissioner and Superintendent Fire Back
Shortly after Calabro's statement, the two education leaders issued the following statement:
When the Johns Hopkins report was released less than two years ago, PTU leadership stood with us in calling for change. When the state intervention began a year and a half ago, PTU leadership stood with us in calling for change. Today, PTU came out with a bold claim that the failures of our educational system in Providence are because of the turnaround efforts that have been happening for a year and a half. We know that the current union contract is broken. We’ve asked PTU leadership to match their words to their actions and make the changes they claim to understand we need. Change is easy when it’s just an idea--it’s hard to execute and requires everyone to do what's best for students and families. Despite the restrictive contract, more progress has been made in the past year than has been made in the past ten years and we’re just getting started.
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