PROVIDENCE – Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth K. Calabro said Friday the displacement notices that about three dozen union members received earlier this week were “unexpected” and some of those union members have expressed a variety of reactions in getting those notices, including anger.
Calabro said the union understood that restructuring “needed to happen” at the Providence Public School District’s central office at 797 Westminster St.
Calabro said most of the union members who were notified work out of the Westminster Street central office as its home base because they do not have a specific home school they teach at. Instructional specialists, individuals working in the student affairs office, members who provide professional development and members who work with schools to create improvement plans were among those who received the notices, Calabro said.
Teachers were also told to give new superintendent Harrison Peters – who began his tenure Thursday – the flexibility to “make changes and reorganize” the central office. But, the union was under the impression the restructuring was going to be more on the central office staff working there, not teachers.
“This was a little unexpected,” Calabro said.
Additionally, Calabro said while the union was noticed Wednesday, the date that was “mutually agreed upon” by the district and the union, the job postings went live starting Friday and will be live for only seven days.
Therefore, Calabro said, it doesn’t give many of the members who are thinking about applying for those positions “a lot of time” to prepare resumes and cover letters, and “engage in the hiring platform” the district has.
“Some expressed frustration, disappointment, a little anger. There’s a lot of different feelings going around right now,” Calabro said, also noting this was the second round of displacement notices issued to union members – the earlier round was about two weeks ago.
The union has contracted with a human relations specialist to assist the displaced members to provide interview and resume-writing skills, Calabro said, and offer computers to sign up to online job platforms.
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 Twitter at @James_Bessette.