NEARI Blog

Central Falls Back to the Table

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

It appears that Central Falls' teachers will be back at the table to bargain contractual items that could pave the way for teachers to be reinstated. Check back here tomorrow for more details.

President Purtill to be on Good Morning America Tomorrow (Tuesday)

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

President Larry Purtill did a five minute interview this evening that will air on Good Morning America tomorrow. He said teachers were disappointed in President Obama's comments today and he encouraged the President and Secretary to encourage mediation. Purtill added that many on both sides of the issue were comparing this to Ronald Reagan's firing of the air traffic controllers. He also added that he suspected the President did not have all the facts and all the remedies were not exhausted. The solution is never to fire a staff as there is absolutely no research to back up this type of action.

Rally for Fairness- Central Falls- Today

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Rally this afternoon in support of the teachers and against the attack on collective bargaining and public education in Central Falls. Send a message to the three G's that firing all of the district's 74 teachers does not make sense and certainly does not move education forward.(Governor, Gist and Gallo) A press conference is being held at 4 with the rally starting at 5 in Jenks Park on Broad Street. Support your fellow teachers and the students of Central Falls.

Directions: We suggest you Goggle Jenks Park, Central Falls. Rough Directions from 95 North are; Exit 29, Broadway, slight right on Broadway, Left on Central Ave. and on to Cross St., and right on Broad Street.

Central Falls High School

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Superintendent of Central Falls High School is threatening to fire all 74 teachers if the local union does not agree to her demands. Commissioner Gist and Governor Carcieri have said they fully support Gallo. Central Falls High School has been a struggling school for years but firing all the teachers won't bring about change. Systematic change is brought on by involving the community and providing the resources to make a school staff and most importantly, students, successful.

NEARI President Larry Purtill said,' The proposed actions by Fran Gallo is nothing more than intimidation. She and the Board of Regents have had years to provide the necessary resources necessary to make Central Falls successful. This is nothing more than certain individuals carrying out their own political agenda. Teachers at Central Falls High are an extremely dedicated and hard working and to point the fingers at them is both wrong and deplorable."

A rally is scheduled to support the teachers on Tuesday, February 23 at 4:30 PM at Jenks Park. Please plan on attending.

Latest Update on Race to the Top

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

There will be another reading of Race to the Top tonight at 8:30 PM at the Rhode Island Department of Education. There have been a few chances, or at least that is what has been communicated, but the basic content remains the same, only with the time period extended by two years. Yesterday morning NEARI asked to see the actual language changes in writing and we are still waiting. This has been a constant problem with the commissioner believing people will sign on without reading the final document or even a draft. Unfortunately, that is exactly what most administrators and school committees did.

Yesterday, the commissioner ignored the state leadership and sent information directly to superintendents and asked them to relay it to their local unions. She is trying to divide and conquer the membership and it will not work. The deadline for the application is Tuesday and the entire weekend, when meaningful discussion and work could have been occuring, has been wasted. Check back here for an update after tonight's reading.

Race to the Top

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The application for Race to the Top continues to remain one that NEARI can not support. There are numerous points in the document to contest, but the fact that evaluations would be based 51% on test scores and the push for the growth of charter schools and especially mayoral academies is offensive to our members who work so hard every day on behalf of Rhode Island's children. It is stated right in the application that one of the benefits to the mayoral academy is that it does not have to follow the law, especially regarding pensions. It is a move by RIDE to make public education in Rhode Island more private.

Even more offensive, is that the commissioner and some members of RIDE are calling some local union presidents and lobbying them to sign on. Maybe if we all could actually have a copy of the document, we would be able to compare what is being said with what is actual in it.

Race to the Top Update

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

NEARI and the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals continue to oppose the state's application for Race to the Top grant money. Under the current proposal, a teachers evaluation will be based 51% on student achievement, step system would be done away with, certification tied directly to effectiveness and many of the intervention programs would be run by charter schools and the mayoral academy. It would completely undermine collective bargaining and will eventually result in a court case over which takes precedent; regulations of the regents or legislation. Local presidents and members who read the 119 page document were appalled at the tone and contents of the document.

Despite all this, we continue to meet with the commissioner and staff at RIDE, 5 hours today, to work on acceptable language. At this point we are very doubtful that will occur and continue to be adament in opposition. Many states have signed on where the union worked collaboratively with the state, but in many cases, for example New Jersey, Florida, Michigan and California, where language was not collaboratively agreed to, they did not.

The process was also flawed. While we were invited to take part in some discussion, we were never part of the drafting and never saw the document until this past Monday. Even then, despite trying to work out language, we were not allowed to leave the Department with a copy. Yet, we had copies from several other states and there was no problem. Even the attorneys working on language, could not have a copy of the application.

President Purtill said, "The process and the document are extremely flawed but while we will continue to try to work with the Department of Education we are not going to forgo our beliefs and values about what is right for public education and our members."

Race to the Top Update

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Race to the Top

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year to you all and regular blogging is back for 2010. The Race to the Top grant application requires local districts to sign on through a Memorandum of Understanding to be eligible for the money and that includes participation by the local union. NEARI has been working with the AFT to be sure that the MOU is written so member rights and collective bargaining are protected. We have submitted those to the Rhode Island Department of Education and while some changes have been made, we are still not confident enough in the document to recommend it to our locals. RIDE is also looking for letters of support for the grant application from both state unions. To date we have not agreed. State President Larry Purtill and Executive Director Bob Walsh have had meetings with the commissioner and both the Governor and Regents chair Robert Flanders concerning the grant. Tonight Purtill will be holding a conference call with NEARI's local presidents, officers and staff.

Purtill has said all along that he will work with RIDE in moving forward but will not agree to any documents that will or could alter collective bargaining. The commissioner has set this Friday as the deadline for the MOU's.

Governor at it Again

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Eight years and the Governor keeps singing the same song. This time he has made new friends by going after state police officers and judges. A proposed (Remember the Legislature has to pass all this) $41 million dollar cut in education aid and the elimination of COLA's. He does not seem to understand the long range negative implications of his proposals. Executive Director, Bob Walsh, called the governor's proposals "scary" and "ridiculous." President Purtill added that at a time when teachers and state employees are being asked to do more with less, the Governor continues to pile on and seek few other legitimate alternatives. Purtill said, :Rhode Island's desire for Race to the Top, is really a race to the bottom and we won't be part if it."