All students deserve an education that inspires them, encourages their curiosity, and prepares them for success. 

All educators deserve the support, resources, and time to do their jobs well, and the security to retire with dignity.

Through NEARI member advocacy at the Statehouse, we work to create public pre-K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and public services that are worthy of all Rhode Islanders, and to build a more fair, just, and equitable nation for everyone.

2025 Legislative Agenda

Student Health and Wellbeing

Student Safety and Behavioral Health Committee

Elevate voices of educators to create and ensure enforcement of clear policies. 

This legislative action would require every district to create a Student Safety and Behavioral Health Committee, with representation from teacher and ESP unions, to review policies, make recommendations to the school committee, and review implementation of policies. 

Cell Phone Policy

We know personal devices are taking a serious toll on a student’s ability to focus in the classroom and their overall mental health. It also contributes to classroom disruption.

With so many options and unanswered questions, we are working with allies and lawmakers on the best path forward regarding level of restriction and implementation. Enforcement would need to be on administrators, not left to the teachers and ESP to impose. 

Assault Weapons Ban

Firearms are the leading cause of death among U.S. children aged one to 19.

Since 2022, Rhode Island has limited magazine capacity, increased the age to 21+ to purchase long guns, prohibited long guns in public, and has strengthened safe storage law.

For safer schools and communities, NEARI will again support the ban of possession, sale, and transfer of assault weapons.

Your Rights & Workplace

We need and deserve fair salaries and benefits. We need and deserve safe workplaces that respect who we are. We need and deserve the right to demand change and to retire with dignity. 

Further Pension Improvements

Our organization has continually fought for pension relief for all.  

Last year, we won the first improvement to our pension in 38 years. This year, we’re laying the groundwork for the next victory by supporting:

• Reducing the penalty for early retirement
• Reducing the number of days you can miss for a year to count
• Increasing the accrual rate
• Expanding the 5 to 3 win to people who retired between 2012 and 2024
• Increasing teacher survivor benefits
• Potentially lowering the minimum age of 62

State Funding 

We need more funding, not less, to win the raises we deserve, improve staffing levels, and provide essential support for all our students.

This year, seven public higher education unions are negotiating contracts, while institutions like CCRI and URI are grappling with tight budgets. Our political efforts will prioritize advocating for increased higher education funding to support fair contracts that include meaningful raises.

If necessary, we will once again stand strong against any proposed cuts to K-12 education. Last session, we successfully fought back against cuts in districts like East Providence, Westerly, and Middletown, and we are prepared to do so again.

Other important items on our agenda 

We will work together with the labor movement and allied organizations on issues. Some we’ve championed in the past and will continue to advocate for. 

Categorical funding to address student health and wellbeing

Specifically targeted funding from the state to hire more paras, social workers, psychologists, etc. 

Healthy School Meals for All

NEARI supports another incremental step toward universal meals.

Paraprofessional Programs

Para “apprenticeship” to upskill with wage increase.

Bargaining unit list requirements

A law to require each employer to provide a list annually of bargaining unit members.

Captive audience legislation

NEARI Will lend support in efforts to legislate the ban of mandatory anti-union meetings for workers.

Labor Board modernization

Social worker ratio legislation

Legislation setting a “best practice” ratio of social workers in LEAs at 1:250.

Limited Class Size for Kindergarten-Grade 2

Legislation to limit class size in early education grades is frequently sponsored by Sen. Gallo and has passed the Senate, but not the House.

Universal Pre-K

Legislation to provide Pre-Kindergarten to Rhode Island toddlers is frequently sponsored by Sen. Gallo and has passed the Senate, but not the House.