Providence teachers to vote on new contract
It is expected to carry the union through the 2026-2027 school year. The state is widely expected to turn control of the district back over to Mayor
The bigger picture:
One of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green's
top goals when she led the state takeover was to
Advertisement
That never happened.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the gubernatorial transition from Gina Raimondo to Dan McKee,
priorities (and strategies) changed.
Get Rhode Map
A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The state lost its desire to have a prolonged battle with the union, and the union (even through its own leadership changes) held firm. The contract saw minor tweaks during the takeover, but nothing close to what Infante-Green promised (or threatened) back in 2019 and 2020.
The negotiations for the deal that will be voted on next week moved slowly in part because both sides knew there wouldn't be very much extra money since pandemic-era federal funding has dried up.
What's next:
The teachers' union vote is scheduled for June 9.
Getting a deal done now is beneficial to Infante-Green and McKee, who won't have to worry about a contentious contract battle as he seeks reelection next year.
Advertisement
Mayor Brett Smiley and the City Council have not been involved in the negotiations, but if the school system returns to their control next year, they'll have a major say over the next contract.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday,
.
Dan McGowan can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
14 minutes ago
- Axios
D.C. schools are banning cellphones, joining almost half of the nation
D.C.'s public schools will enforce a cell phone ban starting next school year, the district said on Friday. Why it matters: D.C. joins nearly half the country in the bipartisan push to limit students' cellphone use in the classroom. D.C. middle schools and several of its high schools already implemented the ban, the district said. Catch up quick: Phone bans have gained momentum across Democratic and Republican state legislatures in recent years. Arizona, Arkansas and New York 's governors signed bills into law this year to implement bans. By the numbers: As of April, 11 statewide phone bans or restrictions were implemented and seven states issued policy recommendations, according to health nonprofit KFF. An additional 17 states introduced legislation to ban or restrict cellphone use in schools. State of play: The phone bans are aimed at boosting students' attention during class as they struggle to recover from COVID learning loss. Screen time is also partially at fault for a youth mental health crisis, research has found. What they're saying: "Piloting a phone-free program in our middle schools demonstrated that storing students' personal devices throughout the school day enriches academic, social, and emotional learning," Lewis Ferebee, D.C. schools chancellor, said in a statement. "From increased classroom engagement to reduced anxiety and stronger student relationships — DCPS is ready to scale the program so we can keep driving outcomes that positively impact our students." What we're watching: Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill in February to study the effects of cellphones in schools, but the legislation has not seen movement since. The bill proposes $5 million annually for five years for a pilot program to provide schools with secure containers for the phones. It would allow exceptions for students with health conditions, disabilities and non-English speakers.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gol exits Chapter 11 with plans to add new routes and expand fleet
By Luciana Magalhaes SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian airline Gol formally exited its bankruptcy proceedings in the United States on Friday, setting the stage for fleet expansion and new flights and routes within Brazil and other countries, Chief Executive Officer Celso Ferrer told Reuters. In 2024, Gol became the second Brazilian airline, after Latam in 2020, to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States as the sector grappled with debt burdens, a steep decline in passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and aircraft delivery delays. Azul, a Gol competitor, filed for Chapter 11 last month. Despite Azul's financial struggles, talks over a potential partnership between the carrier and Gol are ongoing, Ferrer said. But a final deal "will only happen if it adds value and results, whether through routes or growth. If it's better for everyone," he added. Discussions regarding the business combination, which were formalized with a memorandum of understanding last January, are being managed by Abra Group, the majority investor in both Gol and Colombia's Avianca.
Epoch Times
41 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Filmmaker Explains Why Media Outlets Are Silent on the CCP's Abuses
An award-winning filmmaker has offered her insights into why Western media outlets seem to fall silent when telling the story of China's human rights problems. China observers have noted that media outlets once vocal on issues like the persecution of Falun Gong and repression in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, have largely gone silent. Kay Rubacek, a filmmaker, writer, and human rights advocate from Australia, and who was once 'If they report on issues that are sensitive to the regime, they will be kicked out, and their visas will be banned. That has happened so many instances,' she told ABC Radio Brisbane. Rubacek explained that sometimes it was a case of being covering the 'wrong thing at the wrong time.' Some reporters were expelled by CCP officials because they covered sensitive issues like the Falun Gong spiritual movement, or even corruption in a small town, or environmental abuse. Related Stories 11/17/2024 6/4/2025 'Or if they want you as a pawn to play tit-for-tat with, they will target the [reporting] journey throughout. [There've been] so many instances of that, so media are very, very cautious to an extreme.' A local example of this is the arbitrary detention of CGTN reporter and Australian citizen, Cheng Lei, who was detained during the pandemic in retaliation for the then-Australian government calling for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Australian journalist Cheng Lei observes a signing ceremony by China's Premier Li Qiang and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 17, 2024. Lukas Coch/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Rubacek pointed to another factor and that was the advertising dollars from China. 'For example, China Daily has included inserts in some American media, and that provides a large sum of advertising dollars directly from the CCP. And there's many examples of that from radio to television to print to movies, Hollywood, you name it,' she said. China Daily is one of the CCP's largest state-owned English-language newspapers. 'China has a very large influence and pull, and they do it in a way that is usually targeting the people who tend to be fearful, and they know how to push those buttons.' In 2024, two U.S. senators 'From whitewashing the genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, to excusing the CCP's continued bankrolling of Russia's war against Ukraine, China Daily's mission is to propagate the goals of the party,' the senators wrote. 'By continuing to do business with China Daily, your outlet is disseminating CCP propaganda to an American audience.' In the same year, China Daily CCP Leader Xi Jinping, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Colombian President Gustavo Petro with leaders of the G20 members as they pose for the photo of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty at the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Nov. 18, 2024. Stefan Rousseau -Meanwhile, Rubacek also noted the distinction between China, the Chinese people, and the CCP in her interview. 'I've been to China. It's a wonderful place, and it is a wonderful country with a marvellous history, and the people are absolutely beautiful human beings, as we would expect in any country when we respect each other,' she said. 'But the Communist Party itself really has become kind of a rogue entity when you look at how it operates.'
