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Firing of Central Falls, R.I., Teachers ‘Illegal, Unjust, Disgraceful’
In the middle of the worst jobs crisis since the Great Depression, more than 90 dedicated professional educators find themselves put out into the street. On Feb. 23, the Central Falls, R.I., school trustees fired the entire teaching staff of Central Falls High School, supposedly because of declining test scores at the school, which is located in Rhode Island’s smallest and poorest city.
In all, 93 persons were put in the street—74 classroom teachers, plus reading specialists, guidance counselors, physical education teachers, the school psychologist, the principal and three assistant principals. Negotiations over ways to improve the school between teachers and the school superintendent broke down when school officials insisted that teachers add new duties, some without any extra pay at all.
In a rally before the trustees meeting, some 500 union members and community supporters called on the board to reconsider its decision. Rhode Island AFL-CIO President George Nee told the crowd:
This is immoral, illegal, unjust, irresponsible, disgraceful and disrespectful. What is happening here tonight is the wrong thing and we’re not going to put up with it.
Busloads of teachers from across the state came to show solidarity with the Central Falls teachers. Julie Boyle, an English teacher at another high school, told the Providence Journal:
I think the real goal is to bust the unions. Sometimes a teacher is the only touchstone in a student’s life. I’m sad for the students who will lose their touchstones.
AFT President Randi Weingarten criticized Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo, who has been at the helm for three years, for not accepting any responsibility for the situation at the school. She said in “their rush to make judgments and cast blame,” school officials ignored positive steps toward improvement that have been made, such as a rise in reading scores of 21 percent. Read Weingarten’s statement here.
Weingarten adds:
Central Falls High School faces tremendous academic and economic challenges, but firing all of the teachers is a failed approach and will not result in the kinds of changes necessary to improve instruction and learning.
The Central Falls debacle is another example of attacks on public services and public employees across the country. AFSCME members are lobbying their state legislators to raise more revenue to save vital public services at a time when they are needed most.
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8 Comments
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WTF! Even Barack Obama’s basketball pal, Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, supports the firing. Again, he’s the secretary of EDUCATION! Are you kidding me? Where do we get these people? Firing the teachers in this very difficult district — a demographic with so many ESL and poor students — in these very difficult economic times, is heartless and stupid. How about I tell Arne I’m telling HIM to work extra hours. Do you think he might negotiate for more pay? Weingarten should be on the next flight to DC and in front of the cameras asking Duncan if he hates teachers.
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan applauded the Rhode Island decision Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers president stated, “We are disappointed that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan didn’t get all the facts—or even speak with teachers—before weighing in on the mass firing at Central Falls High School.”
Whatever happened to the Employees Free Choice Act?
The firing of entire staff is nothing new to teachers in the New York City Public School System. It is a part of both Option 1 and Option 2 in the Plan For Restructuring.
Therefore School Phase-out/Closure or Replacement of School Staff become options. However, there is an Option 3: Major Restructuring. This entails a dramatic change in school structure/organization or suspension of school based decision making authority.
All of the above are a part of the Region/District needs assessment of each identified school and are in consultation with staff and parents. And lest we forget, the Region/District determination of appropriate options for restructuring identified schools requires consultation with staff and parents. The replacement of school staff must be consistent with existing contractual provisions.
If “Negotiations over ways to improve the school between teachers and the school superintendent broke down when school officials insisted that teachers add new duties, some without any extra pay at all,” this should have been a signal for both parties to continue negotiations. Surely, the wanton firing of Rhode Island professionals in a democratic society is not a picture of democracy in action. Dissent does not mean disloyalty. It is merely a means to become a part of the process of a just government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Therfore, it is up to the union to ensure that its members voices are heard and justice is served.
Blaming teachers for failures which occur within a school is unfair. It is time to look at how the schools are pauperized by the continued budget cuts: cuts which strangle education in inner city schools. It is unconscionable to even suggest further cuts to programs, resources and personnel in the already underfunded public schools. The failure of local and state governments to provide funding to economically poor citizens and their schools compromise the teachers’ efforts and the future of this great nation.
Our quest must be to secure public schools that reflect democracy in action because…the children are waiting. They are waiting for their only chance to get the education they deserve.
It is a dream that cannot be deferred.
Phyllis C. Murray
UFT Chapter Leader
Just goes to show you that a lot of Democrats certainly haven’t a clue as to what the needs of working people are. What’s worse, many of them don’t care.
I can only wonder what Duncan’s “qualifications” are to be U.S. Secretary of Education? It certainly isn’t in support for public school teachers!
There is no doubt that the firing of the RI teachers is illegal. That is guilt by association. How can the RI authorities blame every single faculty member? Where is the documentation? What about a first year teacher? I was always taught that you don’t punish the whole class for the actions of a few students. Why are the punishing all of the teachers?
I hope tht all union members stand by the teachers in this case.
How ironic! A lot of kids at the school don’t care about their education because they know that they probably won’t get jobs anyway, and if they do find some low-wage drudge work, they’ll be treated like crap by their employer. What happened to their teachers just reinforces those beliefs. I pity the teachers that are hired as replacements.
Re. Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers- Newsweek
This article fails to note the fact that inner city public schools are never provided the resources needed to succeed. It appears that the schools in the poorest neighborhoods are red lined. Nothing good comes into the schools. And anything that is good leaves.i.e. the best students and best teachers plus the state of the art equipment, supplies, and educational resources which are stolen.) One might also note that the physical plant itself would be more of a barren wasteland if not for the intervention of teachers unions which advocate for students as well as teachers. Certainly, teachers want what children need: an environment that is conducive to learning.
In 1991 it seemed difficult to comprehend how 8,800 prison cells were on the drawing board in New York State. Yet the prospect of building new schools to replace our crumbling schools had become a dream deferred. So the question is asked: Where were the political pundits who campaigned on a platform for education? How had their commitment to education manifested itself? Today we see the results of their actions.
It is really sad to note that the prison system and not the public school system has found a way to constantly expand. There are currently two million Americans in prison — 25 percent of the world’s prison population. In the US, it costs $56 billion dollars a year to maintain our nation’s prisons, and an additional $2.6 billion dollars is poured into building new ones annually. Yet the plan to pauperize our inner city schools continues. And then without fully investigating, reporters and political pundits blame teachers for these neglected and abandoned failing schools.
Surely the systematic strangling of education in these high poverty and high crime neighborhoods is preparing another road other than the road to success for the students to follow. It is the “school-to-prison pipeline”: an alarming trend wherein public elementary, middle and high schools are pushing youth out of classrooms and into the juvenile justice and criminal justice system.
In May 2007 Congressman Rangel addressed the United Federation of Teachers. Rangel reminded UFTers of the 2 million children who are “locked up” and the high cost of incarceration of these children; the incarceration which costs the taxpayer approximately $100,000.00 per annum for a youth-offender on Rikers Island.
It was forty years ago that Martin Luther King addressed the UFT. At that time he said the following:
“The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its
abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate
adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige
their work justifies. We squander funds on highways and the
frenetic pursuit of recreation, on the overabundance of overkill
armaments, but we pauperize education
As Americans we have every right to challenge those who represent us in government. We have every right to hold legislators accountable for the pledges they have made regarding their commitment to education. We can see from the past mistakes of legislators exactly why it would have been more economically sound and beneficial to this nation if the legislators had invested in education.
Reporters should stop blaming teachers for institutionalized failures the teachers did not create.Randi Weingarten’s speech at the National Press Club (www.futurestogether.org) spoke of how to create a new path forward to great teachers and teaching. It included 4 components. First, Revamp evaluation systems to ensure they really are continuous models for development and evaluation of teachers. Next, come up with models of due process that are aligned and that are fair and fast. Then, give teachers the tools, time and trust they need to be successful. And finally, overhaul the labor management relationship-to ensure collaboration and partnership is what counts, not conflict and combativeness. And Randi Weingarten was correct! “We know that when we all work towards excellence, and take collective responsibility kids will succeed.”
Phyllis C. Murray, NYC Educator