PROVIDENCE – After a year of sometimes acrimonious negotiations with the state, the Providence Teachers Union on Friday overwhelmingly approved a three-year contract.
The deal includes a one-time, $3,000 payment and modest raises through the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers also get a 1.5% retroactive raise for the recently ended school year.
“This contract is just the beginning of our work to produce better outcomes for Providence students,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said in a statement. “We need everyone on board to make it work. That means families, students, teachers, administrators, elected leaders and community members coming together to achieve a common goal – giving our students the very best opportunity to succeed.
McKee said the contract highlights include:
- Hiring reforms to accelerate the process and help diversify the teaching workforce.
- Mandatory educator participation in two parent-teacher conferences during the school year, 10 monthly staff meetings with the principal and four additional professional development days.
- Required development of lesson plans by teachers to better support student learning, including making those plans available for inspection by principals.
“The goal has always been to provide Providence students a high-quality education and with this agreement we are better positioned to support our educators and school leaders while meeting the needs of our students and families,” said state education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.
