Rowdy teachers’ meeting canceled
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Teacher Meeting
Hundreds of teachers show up in support of East Providence teachers.
Teachers were angry over the move by the school committee in the cash strapped city to rollback teachers salaries to 2007 levels.
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Hundreds of teachers turned in support of colleagues from East Providence. The East Providence teachers were ordered to take a five-percent pay cut and ordered to chip in for health insurance premiums.
School committee members had to shut down a public meeting Tuesday night at East Providence High School because they couldn’t control the crowd of hundreds of teachers who came out to protest mid-year pay cuts.
The battle over the city’s teacher contracts has exploded as municipal budgets shrivel statewide in the face of a deepening recession and reductions in state aide.
Teachers say the school committee should not have rejected an independent arbitrator’s decision and is illegally trying to force pay cuts and increased health care contributions.
School committee chair Anthony Carcieri says the district is broke and has nothing else to cut.
The teachers’ union has sued the school committee over the move. A judge could rule by the end of the week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
No one is saying it is the teachers fault that EP is in a difficult fiscal situation. Every city and town is in a difficult situation. Almost every company in existence is in a difficult situation, all over the world. EVERYONE IS HAVING TO BEAR SOME BURDEN HERE. Why not Teachers??
Also, if teachers would like to make a better annual salary, give up pensions and unrealistic benefits, and go to a 401K, you can’t have both, it makes no sense. Let’s not forget that the $60-70K per year is not for a full calendar year. Please point me to a group who has summers off, unbelievable sick benefits, personal time, UNBELIEVABLE HEALTH BENEFITS WHILE THEY ARE WORKING AND THAN THE SAME WHEN RETIRED, AND THAT INCLUDES THEIR SPOUSE WHO DID NOT WORK DAY ONE FOR THE TAXPAYERS, and weeks of vacation, on top of the summer off.
The discussion on this issue is so disingenuous that it defies all logic. It is not the TEACHERS fault that EP finds itself in this difficult fiscal predicament. I am disturbed by the following issues;
1) time and again the teachers salaries are attacked. As a hiring professional in the private sector, if you can point me to a group of advanced degreed individuals available for hire at $60 - $70K per year plus benefits sign me up!!! They don’t exist.
2) The rhetoric from the school committees’ bully pulpit is clearly designed to incense “Joe Six Pack” Obviously, with schools as the #1 budget item it is easy to rile people up by associating their pocketbook to the problem and devert attention from the real problem, which is systemic, decades in the making and will not be solved on the backs of the teachers. In fact, I’d wager that the same brand of partisan, self serving actions now proffered by the EPSC is the exact type of thing that has brought us to this point.
3) Hierocracy on the part of certain members of the EPSC is unbelievable. If WJAR wants to investigate a few things why not look at the following;
1) My understanding (WJAR should verify) is the EPSC member Tony Carceri is himself drawing a RI state pension. I must have been napping when he committed to reduce his draw to help the cause. Also funny how caviler he is with the pay and benefits of people other than himself.
2) One of the true reasons for the current situation is the unchecked and rapid rise of special education in RI. Carceri took full advantage of these services (best in the state) for years and now that his family no longer needs this service he is setting in motion a series of actions that will have in it’s results and almost certain decrease in the quality of these services.
3) How much more is the current EPSC lawyer costing us as compared to previous council? EPSC can spin that one any way they want but at the end of the day there is only one reason for this person to be involved … union busting.
I am a tax payer in EP (not a teacher) and I want the deficit corrected as much as the next guy. In my opinion the teachers should, and I’m confident, will reach a compromise position. Current actions by the EPSC will only result is decreased quality of education across the board and, as usual, the real victims will be the children.
This is unacceptable! If a student acted this way in class when he/she did not agree with a grade or something the teacher said he/she would be expelled. What happened to zero tolerance. The unions are a bunch of bullies and the teachers are over paid as it is. Everyone has to pay part of their health insurance and a co-pay.. What right do they have to demand 100% coverage for not only them but their family. Welcome to the real world. They should do away with tenure as well. My children both had student teachers in the past and what was the actual teacher doing while the student teacher was teaching the class watching to make sure things were done right, correcting papers or setting up a lesson plan, no she was walking around the school with a cup of coffee visiting teachers hanging out in the principals office chatting. This went on for weeks. So don’t tell me how overworked teachers are and they don’t have time for planning. I have watched the school system go down hill for the last 10 years. There are some good teachers, however the majority are not. Take a look at the test scores in the state for what these teachers get paid these scores should be above average on all subjects. As for the union they are useless thugs.
What judge has this case before him? Does anyone know? I want to contact his office with my support for the city of EP, after last night. You all should do the same. The citizens of this state need to take control over the school systems again, not the teachers, they work for US! And certainly not the unions.
FED UP!
These teachers are animals. They should be fired!!! If I did not fully support what EP was doing before, I do now. OMG. This is the type of people our cities and state have had to deal with all this time??? I have never seen such a bunch of cry babies. They are suppose to be adults??? How dare they disrupt a meeting the way they did. If I had children in the EP school system, I would be outraged!!!! I am becoming extremely concerned over the type of people who are teaching our children in the RI public schools.
They should be ashamed of themselves. This is a perfect example of why teachers are no longer respected in the community. Those who were there last evening being rude and disruptive should hang you heads in SHAME!!!! I am sure the kids in EP are getting their education today, I am sure the teachers are more concerned about talking about what happened last night than doing their stinking jobs. GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!!
If your students acted that way in an assembly they would be suspended, maybe you too should be suspended. How unprofessional can you get.
Disgusting.
While I fully understand the value and function of Unions, I think it’s time for teachers to stop perceiving this as an assault exclusively targeting their profession and acting as though they should be exempt from the same economic cuts we are ALL facing. Everyone is going to have to make concessions, union or no union. Despite a small paycut, they are still employed which is more than 1 million plus Americans can say right now. It bothers me that they are outraged at having to pay 20% of their health care costs in a time when thousands don’t have any insurance at. This is nothing short of playing victims. We are in the midst of a global economic crisis folks. There is no reason why an interim contract cannot be negotiated, subject to review as the economy recovers. A better example for the teachers to set for the students (and tax payers) watching would be for them to be part of the solution rather than adding to the problem. I have no sympathy for them paying a percentage of their health care costs, in fact they should be grateful to have coverage that will be paid 80%. They should all be ashamed of their conduct on this issue. It is almost non-existant, the employee who gets 100% of their health coverage paid these days. I just hope this resolves in a manner that sets a good example of how to handle conflict and tough times with respect, understanding and reason.
As a parent of an East Providenc High School student, I am totally outraged at the behavior of the teachers at last night’s meeting. The “mob mentality” that caused the meeting to be adjourned prematurely is unconscionable. I urge all parents to reject this type of behavior. Would you want your children acting out in this fashion? It’s time for the teachers to stand up and let the union leaders know that these tactics are counterproductive and outdated!
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