AFT's Weingarten Comes to Providence as Teachers Battle Heats Up

AFT's Weingarten Comes to Providence as Teachers Battle Heats Up

It is no secret that Providence Teachers Union head Maribeth Calabro and Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante Green are in a pitched battle over the proposed teachers contract. 

On Wednesday, leaders of the American Federation of Teachers — President Randi Weingarten and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus — will be in Providence to tour schools to “highlight the hard work of teachers during the pandemic.” 

Along with Calabro, they will visit classrooms at Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex and Leviton Dual Language School, which is targeted for consolidation.

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Weingarten -- who was on the short list to serve as Secretary of Education under President Joe Biden -- is no stranger to Rhode Island.

In 2011, she gave a fiery speech in front of Providence City Hall when then-Mayor Angel Taveras gave pink slips to all Providence teachers during the city’s budget crisis. 

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In 2020, GoLocal sat down with Weingarten for a one-on-one interview where she said that Providence teachers are being "vilified" in the state takeover of Providence public schools.

"I’m not a big fan of state takeovers — but Rhode Island already had one," Weingarten told GoLocalProv in the February interview. "The rationale for a state takeover is to provide support and services, not to dump on the schools further. One of the reasons that people have pushed hard for democratic control (under elected leaders) is that at least there’s a connection between voter and community and schools directly."

Calabro has called for the state takeover of Providence schools to end.