MEA-MFT News

PHOTO: Central Falls High graduates gather in support of the teaching staff during Tuesday’s meeting in which all 93 teachers were fired. The Providence Journal / Connie Grosch

Background: Central Falls High School is the only high school in Central Falls, R.I., a community of working-class families, many of whom are struggling in the economic downturn facing so many communities.

The dedicated and committed teachers and teaching assistants of Central Falls High School are making real progress in improving academic achievement, as noted in a state report issued last April. However, even this progress is not sufficient, and the school’s teachers agreed with the superintendent in January that a transformation model should be employed at the school.

Unfortunately, their attempt to engage through their union with the superintendent on the design and details of that model were rebuffed at only their second meeting.

The superintendent then unilaterally decided to impose a turnaround model that called for the entire staff to be fired, disrupting teaching and learning at the school, scapegoating teachers and staff and upsetting the whole community instead of working in partnership to employ proven models of reform.

The approach embraced by the Central Falls superintendent—mass teacher firings—has been demonstrated to be a failed model that will not result in the kinds of changes necessary to continue improving instruction and learning.

The superintendent refuses to meet with the leadership of the teachers’ union, has rejected offers from community and elected leaders to meet and discuss what is best for the students of Central Falls and has refused offers to engage in mediation.

At the same time, the superintendent refuses to accept personal responsibility or acknowledge the responsibility of any of the school’s administrators for the challenges faced at Central Falls High School.

The students of Central Falls High School, their parents and the surrounding community have demonstrated overwhelming support for the dedicated teachers and staff at their school.

MEA-MFT, along with our national affiliates, NEA and AFT, stand together in solidarity with the fired educators and are urging supporters to take action on their behalf. Read the NEA & AFT joint statement.

President Obama condones the firings -- even though a state report written last April showed the high school's reading and writing proficiency have gone up 22 percent and 14 percent respectively over the past two years. Read more.

Central Falls High serves some of the state's poorest students. Fewer than half of the school's students graduate.

Students and parents dismayed
The Providence Journal reports that students expressed sadness, frustration and dismay at learning that their teachers would be fired en masse.

"They are very sweet,” said André Monteiro, 19, a senior. “They help us out and get the job done. They treat us with respect.”

“It’s sad,” said Jessica Lemur, another senior. “They stay when we need help. They love us. I was shocked when I heard the rumors.”

Parents, too, expressed shock and said they blamed students, not teachers, for the high school’s consistently poor performance.

“It’s not fair,” said Angela Perez, who has a daughter at the high school. “They shouldn’t be punished because the students are lazy.”