Home Economy Economic Activity Teachers strike cancels elementary school classes for 2 days at Highlander Charter...

Teachers strike cancels elementary school classes for 2 days at Highlander Charter School

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PBN Staff

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11/24/2025

SIMONA SIMPSON-Thomas is the superintendent at Highlander Charter School in Providence. Simpson-Thomas closed part of the school on Monday and Tuesday because she was notified for a two-day teachers strike. / COURTESY HIGHLANDER CHARTER SCHOOL

PROVIDENCE – Highlander Charter School has canceled classes at its elementary school campus for Monday and Tuesday because of what administrators are calling “an illegal teacher’s strike.” The closure does not affect Highlander’s secondary school campus in Warren, the school said. Highlander Charter School Superintendent Simona Simpson-Thomas said the union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

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PROVIDENCE – Highlander Charter School has canceled classes at its elementary school campus for Monday and Tuesday because of what administrators are calling “an illegal teacher’s strike.” The closure does not affect Highlander's secondary school campus in Warren, the school said. Highlander Charter School Superintendent Simona Simpson-Thomas said the union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2323, notified her on Nov. 21 that the teachers would strike on Monday and Tuesday. IBEW has represented teachers at Highlander since August 2024. Highlander's elementary school campus is located in the Elmwood section of Providence. “This is an unnecessary and irresponsible disruption for our students and families,” Simona Simpson-Thomas said in a statement on Nov. 22. “This signals to our families that politics and outside union interests are more important than the education of our students and the success of our school. We are ready to get back to the table and continue negotiations in good faith, and with our families and students at center.” Edward Blackburn, IBEW Local 2323’s assistant business manager, told WPRI-TV CBS 12 that the temporary work stoppage was spurred by frustrations over wages and a new healthcare plan the school approved in the spring. “We have never stopped negotiating in good faith, and we will not stop now,” Simpson-Thomas said. “We are ready to get back to the table to reach a responsible agreement that protects our students and ensures a stable future for Highlander.” School administrators contend that state law prohibits teachers from striking. "The union’s decision to proceed with a two-day strike places teachers’ professional certifications, employment status, and teaching careers at risk,” the school’s press release stated. “The union’s unprecedented use of a trade-labor model in a Pre-K–12 school setting has pushed for demands that far exceed what the school’s budget, operations, or even legal standing with the state can support. Founded in 2000, Highlander Charter School is Rhode Island’s first independent charter public school, serving more than 630 students from Pre-K through grade 12.