Home Nonprofit & Education Education Lower school staff joins growing unionization movement at Paul Cuffee School

Lower school staff joins growing unionization movement at Paul Cuffee School

By

James Bessette

-

12/03/2024

PAUL CUFFEE SCHOOL’s lower school paraprofessionals and teaching staff on Monday voted to unionize and join the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, joining their colleagues in the upper school.

PROVIDENCE – Paraprofessionals and certified teaching staff members at Paul Cuffee School’s lower school on Monday voted to unionize and join the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, federation spokesperson Jeremy Sencer confirmed Tuesday to Providence Business News. The lower school staff now joins their colleagues at Cuffee School’s upper school in unionizing.

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PROVIDENCE – Paraprofessionals and certified teaching staff members at Paul Cuffee School’s lower school on Monday voted to unionize and join the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, federation spokesperson Jeremy Sencer confirmed Tuesday to Providence Business News. The lower school staff now joins their colleagues at Cuffee School’s upper school in unionizing. The upper school staff unionized with the federation back in October, marking the first time an independent charter school in Rhode Island to do so. Approximately 95 professionals between Cuffee School’s lower and upper schools are now union members with the federation, Sencer said. Sencer, to his understanding, told PBN unionization efforts at the lower school began eight years ago and discussed “on and off for some time.” He said the federation has seen over the last few years at Cuffee School has had challenges regarding teachers leaving the school, overall dissatisfaction in the workplace and most of it stemmed from “not having a voice.” Lower school teachers at Cuffee School felt that having a unionized voice would protect the program long term, Sencer says. “They believe that having a representative voice among the staff will strengthen the community and give them the opportunity to continue to do the work that’s part of their mission,” Sencer said. “They feel the best way to make the program viable for students and families is to empower the teachers.” Sencer also says the teachers unionizing and proper representation also falls in line with both the program’s mission and the school’s namesake, who fought for such representation in the late 18th century. When asked if Cuffee School’s middle school staff would possibly unionize, Sencer says if they wish to do so, they can certainly “have the opportunity” to follow the lead set forth by the lower and upper school’s respective staff. He also said the movement at Cuffee School could increase the potential of teaching professionals at other independent charter schools also unionizing. “They can strengthen their programs and advocate for their worker rights simultaneously,” Sencer said. “That’s attractive to the people in these charter programs.” James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.