Providence students head back to class amid major teacher shortage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- Rhode Island’s largest school district went back to in-person learning Thursday, but a large number of teachers did not.

The head of the Providence Teachers Union told ABC6 frustration led to over 150 teachers resigning. One resignation coming just one day before the start of school.

Masked students filed back into their classrooms Thursday, excited to get back to some sense of normalcy after a year of distance learning.

Although some, didn’t see their regular teachers.

“We’ve seen resignations as recently as yesterday,” PTU President Maribeth Calabro tells ABC6. “That’s a big hit.”

Calabro says she doesn’t think the mass exodus of teachers out of Providence is just because of the pandemic.

“They’re leaving Providence and they’re going to be teachers in other districts. They’re getting scooped up by other districts.”

According to the Union, the district saw 81 retirements and 154 resignations this year.

“They’re not happy and they want to go where they’re appreciated and valued.”

As of right now, those open positions are being filled by substitutes. Calabro says she believes relying on these long term subs takes away from the consistency students desperately need.

“It’s unnerving to have a new person every day, every week.”

Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green says the shortage is a nationwide issue that the district feels confident it’ll overcome.

“We’re doing what we do every year. We find long term subs, we continue to recruit, we had a recruitment campaign last year that we will continue to have,” Infante-Green told ABC6 Thursday.

In an effort to get qualified teachers back into classrooms, Governor McKee signed an executive order which gives retired teachers the opportunity to come back to the workforce, without disrupting their pensions.

“I hope this will help to get our retirees to come back and do what they do best,” said Calabro.