Teachers union calls for end to state takeover of Providence Schools

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The president of the Providence Teachers Union on Monday urged the General Assembly to end the state takeover of the Providence Public School District.

Maribeth Calabro said the takeover has been an "abject failure" and that new leadership is necessary to propel the district forward.

"Our hopes have died," Calabro said in a news release.

Calabro said the PTU initially supported the takeover and the promise of support and resources for the struggling urban school district. But she said state leadership has failed to collaborate with educators and the community.

"We must move forward and build a new Providence Public School District, not go back to what was but move to something that works," Calabro said.

Calabro said the district is seeing a "mass exodus" of teachers from the district.

She also said leadership rejected the union's desire to invest it what called "concrete, child-centric research-based strategies."

"We can help our students thrive and learn at the highest levels. But we can't do it with leaders who are arrogant and divisive, and lack the experience and willingness to collaborate. We need a complete course correction," Calabro said.

The Providence Pubic School District and the Rhode Island Department of Education responded in a joint 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 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."

The PTU voted no confidence last week in state Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green and Superintendent Harrison Peters.

Calabro has accused Infante-Green of being "dismissive" and a "bully," while Infante-Green said the union is resisting change.

Teachers have been working without a contract, and Infante-Green has said she has a set date in mind to call an end to the negotiations.

The state formally took control of Providence Schools on Nov. 1, 2019.

The takeover followed a Johns Hopkins report that found Providence had some of the worst performing schools in the country.