In 2018, in the wake of Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s passing comment about the need for a “transformational contract”, I wrote about what that kind of contract should look like. I described a thin contract. Fast forward almost two years and as contract negotiations fail to even get off the ground, RI education commissioner Angelica… Continue reading A Thin Contract Is Exactly What Providence Schools Need
It is impossible to even ponder a successful turn-around of the Providence Schools System without major changes to the current teachers’ contract. The now notorious report out of Johns Hopkins was clear in its contention that the collective bargaining agreement plays a central role in the district’s dysfunction. Not the only role but a central role. The… Continue reading Providence Teachers Union Has Demands But Still Has Not Answered These Questions
We knew it was only a matter of time until Randi Weingarten, the grand Pooh Bah of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), would come swooping in to Providence under the guise of “it’s for the kids.” And we were right—the Providence Teachers’ Union event today is literally called “It’s About Our Kids.” Weingarten is… Continue reading Randi Weingarten Headed to Providence to Pretend ‘It’s All About the Kids”
Ever have those moments when something seems so crazy and so wrong that you fall into that trap of optimism and naïveté, convinced that finally you have found something about which there will be universal agreement? I certainly have moments like that. And it happened this weekend when I discovered and subsequently shared the fact… Continue reading Providence Teachers’ Contract Does Not Require Teachers to Attend Parent-Teacher Conferences
It is impossible to even ponder a successful turn-around of the Providence Schools System without major changes to the current teachers’ contract. The now notorious report out of Johns Hopkins was clear in its contention that the collective bargaining agreement plays a central role in the district’s dysfunction. The Providence Teachers’ Union (PTU)— a local… Continue reading Some Questions for the Providence Teachers’ Union
When Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza was recently shouted down by the city’s teachers throughout the entirety of his state of the city address, he was forced to answer some questions about the current status of negotiations between his administration and the Providence Teachers’ Union. Anyone in the chamber that night— or watching from home as… Continue reading Providence Mayor Elorza Wants a Transformational Contract for Teachers — Here’s What It Should Look Like
