Prov. Teachers Union head: Kickemuit sick-out shows larger problem

February 1, 2019 11:16 pm

WARREN, R.I. (WLNE) — Teachers at Kickemuit Middle School in Warren have had enough.

“I think they’ve been pushed to the limit,” said Providence Teachers Union president Maribeth Calabro.

The Bristol Warren Education Association staged a teacher sick-out Friday, citing escalating student behavior and essentially no discipline by administrators. Teachers say they’re concerned for their safety.

“They’re like it is so bad here and we’re so unsupported that we cannot bring ourselves to come to school today,” said Calabro.

Cayden Sumner is a seventh grader at Kickemuit. He says bullying is out of control.

“I see sometimes teachers even crying, and it hurts knowing you’re a student and you’re going to school knowing that you can get picked on any time of the day,” said Sumner.

Bethany Francis says her daughter has been bullied repeatedly, and after a year the administration still hasn’t done anything to resolve it.

“It’s really had an emotional impact on her, and my family has really struggled with whether we feel safe to continue sending our three children to these schools,” said Francis.

“I don’t think this is a one-off situation,” said Calabro.

Calabro says a state policy in which the number of suspensions in a school has a negative impact on that school’s rating, is likely to blame for the lack of discipline.

“So obviously the goal would be to suspend as little as possible,” said Calabro.

Calabro says that approach demoralizes teachers and has a snowball effect on classroom behavior.

“We need to teach that there are consequences for certain behaviors. We’re not doing that,” said Calabro.

She says other districts are feeling the effects of this, even if it’s not to the same degree.

“I mean this is Bristol-Warren-if you had a conversation with teachers in North Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, I think that it’s having an adverse effect on student achievement, teacher morale, and in general just what’s going on in the schools,” said Calabro.