Head of Charters Says Parents Have Lost Confidence in Providence Teachers Union and Calabro

Head of Charters Says Parents Have Lost Confidence in Providence Teachers Union and Calabro

The battle lines are being drawn.

The head of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools Keith Oliveira issued a blistering attack on the Providence Teachers Union (PTU) and its leader Maribeth Calabro.

Last week, the PTU voted no confidence for both Superintendent Harrison Peters and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.

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“When it comes to our kids, many of us have no confidence in the Providence Teachers Union,” wrote Oliveira.

“When do families get to take a vote of no confidence in Maribeth Calabro and the PTU? Oh wait, parents have already been voting...with their feet trying to get their kids into highly successful charter schools in record numbers," he added.

“I stand with Commissioner Infante-Green and Superintendent Peters. They are fighting for our kids against this entrenched interest that has poorly educated our kids for decades,” he added.

This comes during a week in which the House Finance Committee saw hundred of parents signing up to testify against a bill that would place a three-year moratorium on charter school expansion and would retroactively cancel 5,800 new charter seats expected to open in the fall.

Calabro, when reached, fired back at Oliveira.

"I believe Mr. Oliveira was President of the School Board during those decades he speaks of and approved the curriculums and the hiring of administrators, leaders and teachers.  If he would like to come back to Providence and teach we have 65 vacancies and he can join the PTU and vote NC in me," said Calabro.

"Contrary to his snark, we have the support of families across the district. Unfortunately, we didn’t need his statement to know where he stands on our organization, Providence Public Schools or me, personally, for that matter," said Calabro.

 

 

Parents Voice Frustration Spilled Over Tuesday Night

"About 300 parents took time out of their day to stay at home, sit by the phone and wait for a call to advocate for their kids - a call that never came - that in itself was disgraceful," said Janie Seguí Rodríguez, chair of the board of Stop the Wait RI.

"We are calling on Chairman [Marvin] Abney to bring order to the next hearing. The committee needs to hear our stories and they need to see our faces. We are calling on Chairman Abney to provide a mechanism for us to testify via video just like Governor Mckee did this evening. Denying Black and Latino parents the ability to be heard and the ability to be seen is not a good look for the General Assembly," said Seguí Rodríguez.

Governor Dan McKee testified via video at the hearing against the moratorium.

"A moratorium on public charter schools is not a comprehensive plan that will fix our public education system," said McKee.

“My ask of the committee today is this: Don’t act on this bill. Stop the Wait..we need our state's leaders to be all-in...all-in on supporting our students," he added.

This article was first published Thursday 10:47 AM

Updated Thursday 12:02 PM