Providence Teachers' President Says Raimondo Can’t Keep Her Promises to Children and Teachers

Providence Teachers Union (PTU) President Maribeth Calabro has charged that Governor Gina Raimondo cannot keep the promises she has made to Rhode Island students and teachers.

Calabro has recently raised repeated concerns about the lack of protection being implemented for students and staff, as most schools in Rhode Island are scheduled to open next week. 

In a social media post on Wednesday, Calabro wrote, "If Governor Raimondo thinks personally attacking me on the Gene Valicenti show ( of all places) is going to get me to relent she is sadly mistaken!  Let me explain something to you, Gina, and anyone else who has something to say about me - publicly you can call what I’m saying complaining, you can say you don’t think I can handle it but rest assured, I’m not complaining and I can handle it!"

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Calabro has repeatedly raised concerns about the state’s reopening plans, and what she says has been the lack of proper planning.

“What I am doing is shining light on the fact that you made a promise that you couldn’t fulfill! You made a statement without facts and now you are so far down the road that you can’t walk it back and so unwilling to admit a mistake that you won’t walk it back.  Not all districts are in the same place, or have been or will be, yet you paint us all with the same wide brush.  Each press conference doubling-down on expectations for 'full, in-person' reopening - not long after the President demanded it and threatened the withholding of federal funds I may add.  ‘We will be listening to science,’” Calabro added, of Raimondo's claim. 

Raimondo has repeatedly said that her administration was making decisions based on the best science. Presently, Rhode Island's 3-day average of new cases has dropped to 45, but the hospitalizations for the last couple weeks have remained steady -- and higher than average lows during the summer. 

Calabro charged, “Then the CDC and our own RIDOH guidelines miraculously lessen under threats of less funding.  Planning, with zero input from the PTU, until the plans were completed; then we were asked for 'feedback.' Commercials showing our newest schools with matching furniture, intact flooring, getting sanitized and we are thinking - wow, they are going all out!  Then VLA/Distance confusion - outsourcing education to an online company.  Outsourcing healthcare to an out of state, for-profit company, without consideration or consultation with families, community, and teachers/nurses (costing jobs); no teacher schedules on 9/9, student schedules (?!?) signs in plastic taped to the floor, no carts for teachers who are traveling all day, stable pods that are not stable, parents not getting phone calls back calling teachers for help, water not running in schools prior to opening - dirty floors with dust bunnies and feces, waxed over-desks, chairs classrooms not cleaned since March.”

In July, Dr. Michael Fine — the former Rhode Island Director of Health — said that the risk to children going back to school this fall is minimal, but the risk to teachers — especially those over 50 years of age — is real.

Both President Donald Trump and Raimondo have been aggressively pushing a return to the classroom.

“The most important thing we do is educate our kids and the truth is that the risk to kids is very very small for each child.  The risks to people over 50 are real,” said Fine on GoLocal LIVE.

“Am I complaining, you betcha I am! Why?!?  Because our kids deserve better and the PR campaign of the shiny, sanitized, ready to go PPSD is not reality and our families deserve to know that!" said Calabro. "Our kids are suffering. They do need to be back with us, in buildings that are as safe as possible for their return with a comprehensive, social emotional support plan - designed with our social workers, our school psychologists, our community partners and our youth leaders that should have started in the community in August and transitioned back into the schools with the teachers and student teachers co-facilitating."

“We should have worked with community agencies from mid-summer to have drop-in centers for our struggling youth and families," said Calabro. 

"Finally, as for me personally not being able to handle things, you have no earthly idea what I can handle. Believe me," said Calabro. "But I will tell you this, as you so pointedly told families in communities that boldly stood up to you, that you will help them sue.  I too will help my teachers and their families sue you and anyone else involved in this push to return before we verify the safety of our schools! That is a promise!"

"PS. Don’t get me started on Inspection vs walkthrough and transparency,” Calabro. 

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