Every Providence public school educators to be fired at quarter conclusion

At the conclusion of the current winter public school quarter, each of the 1,926 educators in Providence, R.I., educational facilities could be dismissed, reports the Providence Journal. It’s a matter of a $ 40 million budget deficit, and the Providence School Board is addressing it in full panic mode. The budget deadline for Providence schools is March 1.

Large amount of pink slips handed out before at Providence educational facilities

Central Falls High School dismissed 88 teachers in the Providence area because standardized test score needs weren't being met. Yet the scale of the Providence School Board’s forthcoming move is unprecedented. In accordance with state law, Superintendent of Providence Educational facilities Tom Brady told every educators and staff via e-mail the move is a "precautionary action" designed to address the $40 million shortfall in the 2011-2012 spending budgets.

"Since the full extent of the potential cuts to the school budget have yet to be determined, issuing a dismissal letter to all teachers was necessary to give the mayor, the School Board and the district maximum flexibility to consider every cost savings option, including reductions in staff," said Brady.

Making every little thing more flexible

The teachers' union leadership was not happy even though the Providence School Board may not be firing all Providence educators.

"This is beyond insane," said Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith. "Let's create the most chaos and the highest level of anxiety in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress. Now I know how the United States State Department felt on Dec. 7 , 1941," the day of the Pearl Harbor bombings.

Considering the March 1 deadline and city finance issues, the decision to fire Providence educators was necessary. Providence Mayor Angel Taveras told this to the local press. The school board and Providence city government was given "maximum flexibility" with the move.

What could be done without teachers?

Smith exclaimed that sending pink slips to all Providence public school educators is senseless if the school district is nevertheless committed to educating its students, although there is the spending budget issue.

"You have so many students," he said. "You need so many teachers. You have a student-teacher ratio of 26 to 1. Do the math."

Articles cited

CNN

articles.cnn.com/2010-02-24/us/rhode.island.teachers_1_teachers-union-troubled-school-reading-specialists?_s=PM:US

Providence Journal

projo.com/news/content/providence_teacher_layoffs_02-23-11_MCML6R3_v17.1a1cc6d.html

‘Exciting times in Rhode Island public education’

youtube.com/watch?v=wOCJ2Jnu4KY