Bill Sponsors
Representative Edith H. Ajello
Committee
House Finance
Summary
Select
This bill makes several changes to the Providence public school district. It ends the state's takeover of the district on June 30, 2026. It allows the district to negotiate new salary schedules that can include bonuses for teachers taking on extra responsibilities. The bill also updates the rules for firing or demoting teachers, establishing an arbitration process for appeals. Finally, it changes how teacher layoffs are handled when enrollment drops, moving away from strict seniority-based layoffs to exempt highly rated teachers, bilingual teachers, and those working in high-need schools.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Protects diverse educators by exempting bilingual teachers and those in high-need schools from seniority-based layoffs, advancing social justice and community welfare.
- Mandates increased public funding for schools, requiring the city to match inflation or state aid increases, ensuring generous support for public services.
- Ends the state takeover of Providence schools, returning democratic control to the local community and promoting systemic reform.
Cons for Progressives
- Weakens collective bargaining power by removing strict union seniority protections during layoffs, threatening job security and labor rights for veteran educators.
- Allows for alternative salary schedules and merit-based pay, which can lead to inequitable compensation and undermine standardized worker benefits.
- Grants administrators broader authority to dismiss or demote teachers, potentially compromising due process and labor protections.
Pros for Conservatives
- Dismantles rigid union seniority rules, allowing schools to prioritize teacher performance and merit over tenure during layoffs.
- Introduces alternative salary schedules and bonuses, embracing performance incentives and corporate freedom over strict union mandates.
- Grants administrators more freedom to fire or demote underperforming teachers without being heavily obstructed by traditional union protections.
Cons for Conservatives
- Mandates minimum government spending levels by forcing the city to increase school funding to match inflation, limiting fiscal conservatism and local budget control.
- Grants special layoff exemptions based on linguistic proficiency and diversity initiatives rather than strictly focusing on individual performance.
- Ends state oversight of the school district, returning power to local politicians and potentially reducing strict accountability for educational outcomes.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely. The bill primarily addresses municipal school district administration, employment contracts, and the termination of state receivership. While changes to tenure and collective bargaining can sometimes invite contract clause challenges, the state has broad authority over municipal subdivisions and public employment frameworks. It does not infringe upon free speech, due process (it provides an arbitration process), or protection from unreasonable searches.
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Providence public school teachers
- Providence public school students
- Providence school administrators
- Providence taxpayers
- Teacher union members
Towns Affected
Providence
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
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Public Services
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Regulatory
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Clarity of Bill Language
How clear the language of the bill is. Higher ambiguity equals a lower score.
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Environmental Impact
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Privacy Impact
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 05/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Finance
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 16-7-29 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7 entitled "Foundation Level School Support [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
16-7-29. Minimum salary schedule.
(a)Every Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, every municipality and regional school district shall establish and put into full effect by appropriate action of its school committee in a municipality or regional school district where the school committee is elected, or by appropriate action of the chief executive officer, in a municipality where the school committee is appointed, a salary schedule recognizing years of service, experience, and training for all certified personnel regularly employed in the public schools and having no more than twelve (12) annual steps. The term “school year” as applied to the salary schedule means the ten (10) calendar months beginning in September and ending the following June.
(b) In the Providence public school district only, the parties may negotiate alternative salary schedules that do not include the provisions of section (a) of this section, and which may include other bases for increased compensation including, but not limited to, bonuses for teachers willing to take on greater responsibilities.
(b)(c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a freeze or reduction of the monetary value of the steps in the salary schedule through the collective bargaining process.
SECTION 2. Sections 16-13-4 and 16-13-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled "Teachers’ Tenure" are hereby amended to read as follows:
16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.
(a)(1) For districts other than Providence pubic school district, theThe statement of cause for dismissal shall be given to the teacher, in writing, by the governing body of the schools. The teacher may, within fifteen (15) days of the notification, request, in writing, a hearing before the school committee or school board. The hearing shall be public or private, in the discretion of the teacher. Both teacher and school board shall be entitled to be represented by counsel and to present witnesses. The board shall keep a complete record of the hearing and shall furnish the teacher with a copy. Any teacher aggrieved by the decision of the school board shall have the right of appeal to the department of elementary and secondary education and shall have the right of further appeal to the superior court. Any decisions rendered must be approved by a majority of the full board. Members voting on a decision must have been in attendance at the hearing.
(2)(i) For the Providence public school district, a principal may dismiss or demote any teacher or other person assigned full-time to the school, subject to the review and approval of the superintendent; and subject to the provisions of this section, the superintendent may dismiss any employee of the school district. In the vase of employees whose duties require them to be assigned to more than one school, and in the case of teachers who teach in more than one school, those persons shall be considered to be under the supervision of the superintendent for all decisions relating to dismissal or demotion for cause.
(ii) Teachers who have been teaching in a school system for at least ninety (90) calendar days shall not be dismissed unless they have been furnished with written notice of intent to dismiss and with an explanation of the grounds for dismissal in sufficient detail to permit the teachers to respond and documents relating to the grounds for dismissal, and, if they so request, have been given a reasonable opportunity within ten (10) school days after receiving such written notice to review the decision with the principal or superintendent, as the case may be, and to present information pertaining to the basis for the decision and to the teacher’s status. The teachers receiving such notice may be represented by an attorney or other representative at such meeting with the principal or superintendent. Teachers without professional teacher status shall otherwise be deemed employees at will.
(iii) A teacher with tenure shall not be dismissed except for inefficiency, incompetency, incapacity, conduct unbecoming a teacher, insubordination or failure on the part of the teacher to satisfy teacher performance standards developed pursuant to chapter 38 of this title or other just cause.
(iv) A teacher with tenure status may seek review of a dismissal decision within thirty (30) LC006463 - Page 2 of 7 days after receiving notice of their dismissal by filing a petition for arbitration with the commissioner. The commissioner shall forward to the parties a list of three (3) arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association. Each person on the list shall be accredited by the national Academy of Arbitrators. The parties each shall have the right to strike one of the three (3) arbitrators’ names if they are unable to agree upon a single arbitrator from amongst the three (3). The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association to be consistent with the provisions of this section. The board of education shall determine the process for selecting arbitrators for the pool. The fee for the arbitration shall be split equally between the two (2) parties involved in the arbitration. The rules governing the arbitration procedure shall be the rules of the American Arbitration Association as pertains to arbitration.
(v) At the arbitration hearing, the teacher and the school district may be represented by an attorney or other representative, present evidence, and call witnesses and the school district shall have the burden of proof. In determining whether the district has proven grounds for dismissal consistent with this section, the arbitrator shall consider the best interests of the pupils in the district and the need for elevation of performance standards.
(vi) The arbitrator’s decision shall be issued within one month from the completion of the arbitration hearing, unless all parties involved agree otherwise, and shall contain a detailed statement of the reasons for the decision. Upon a finding that the dismissal was improper under the standards set forth in this section, the arbitrator may award back pay, benefits, reinstatement, and any other non-financial relief or any combination thereof. Under no circumstances shall the arbitrator award punitive, consequential, or nominal damages or compensatory damages other than back pay, benefits or reinstatement. In the event the teacher is reinstated, the period between the dismissal and reinstatement shall be considered to be time served for purposes of employment. The arbitral decision shall be subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 9.2 of title 28.
(vii) With the exception of other remedies provided by statute, the remedies provided in this section shall be the exclusive remedies available to teachers for wrongful termination.
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or at any time to have prohibited, a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of the nonrenewal, dismissal, and/or suspension of a teacher pursuant to §§ 16-13-2, 16-13-3, and/or 16- 13-5.
16-13-6. Suspension because of decrease in school population — Seniority — Reinstatement. LC006463 - Page 3 of 7
(a)(1) For all local education authorities other than the Providence public school district, aA school board may, by reason of a substantial decrease of pupil population within its school system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the decrease in pupil population; provided, however, that suspension of teachers shall be in the inverse order of their employment unless it is necessary to retain certain teachers of technical subjects whose places cannot be filled by teachers of earlier appointment; and, provided further, that teachers who are suspended shall be reinstated in the inverse order of their suspension. No new appointments shall be made while there are available teachers so suspended.
(2)(i) The Providence public school district board may, by reason of substantial decrease of pupil population within its school system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the decrease in pupil population; provided, however, that no teacher with tenure shall be laid off pursuant to a reduction in force or reorganization, if there is a teacher without tenure for whose position the covered employee is currently certified or if there is a less qualified teacher with tenure holding the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified. No teacher with tenure shall be displaced in accordance with terms of a collective bargaining agreement or otherwise by a more senior teacher with unless the more senior teacher is currently certified and is at least as qualified for the position as the junior teacher holding the position.
(ii) The criteria for determining a qualified teacher under this subsection shall be subject to the collective bargaining agreement; provided, however, that any such collectively bargained for qualifications shall include, as the primary factors, indicators of job performance, invading overall ratings resulting from comprehensive evaluations and the best interests of the students in the school or district.
(iii) A teacher meeting one of the following criteria and who has not received an unsatisfactory performance evaluation in the school year immediately prior to the school year in which a layoff is announced shall be exempted without regard to tenure:
(A) A teacher who graduated from an in-district secondary school if the district has higher than the state percentage of high-needs students, as defined by the department;
(B) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools with the highest percentage of high-needs students in the district, as defined by the department;
(C) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools with the lowest staff retention in the district;
(D) A teacher deemed by the department as a teacher of the year;
(E) A teacher who received the highest rating on a performance evaluation delivered in either or both of the school years immediately prior to the school year in which a layoff is LC006463 - Page 4 of 7 announced; or
(F) A teacher with linguistic proficiency in relation to in-district language or dialect. For purposes of this subsection, linguistic proficiency means:
(I) Holding the state’s Bilingual Education Endorsement;
(II) Achieving at least an Advanced Low score on the Oral Proficiency Interview or Writing Proficiency Test proficiency tests offered through the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages; or
(III) Another method of verification or attestation of proficiency as determined by the district superintendent. For the purpose of this subsection, in relation to in-district language or dialect shall mean proficiency specifically in a language or dialect other than English that is spoken by the greater of:
(aa) Five percent (5%) or more of the students enrolled at the school where a teacher is assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the students enrolled in the district; or
(bb) At five percent (5%) or more of the homes of the students enrolled at the school where a teacher is assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the homes of the students enrolled in the district.
(iv) Among the remaining teachers without tenure, no teacher shall be laid off pursuant to a reduction in force or reorganization if there is a less qualified teacher without such status holding the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified.
(v) The school committee and the collective bargaining representative may negotiate for seniority or length of service only as a tie-breaker in personnel actions under this subsection among teachers whose qualifications are no different using the qualifications collectively bargained for in accordance with this subsection.
(b) Notice of suspension under this section and § 16-13-5 shall be given, in writing, by the governing body of schools on or before June 1 notifying the teacher that his or her employment for the ensuing year shall be suspended, provided however, notice by that date need not be provided in the instance of an emergency performance-related cause.
SECTION 3. Chapter 16-7.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Paul W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
16-7.1-5.3. Termination of reconstitution and control of the Providence Public schools.
Notwithstanding other provisions of Rhode Island law, and notwithstanding the actions of the board of education and/or its council on elementary and secondary education, the LC006463 - Page 5 of 7 commissioner’s order of reconstitution and control of the Providence public schools issued on October 15, 2019, shall terminate on June 30, 2026, subject to the following expectations:
(1) The school board will:
(i) Devote its primary focus to reviewing and improving student achievement outcomes;
(ii) Work with the superintendent in a collaborative partnership including, but not limited to, the formation of the district’s strategic planning and priorities, and the preparation of meeting agendas.
(2) The Providence school department will:
(i) Adopt policies and procedures to promote labor-management collaboration, including developing performance evaluation criteria for administrators that place a greater weight on advancing collaboration with teachers;
(ii) Adopt policies and procedures that promote greater site-based management;
(iii) Place a greater priority on promoting educational initiatives at the building and classroom levels by granting teachers greater flexibility in the delivery of education to students.
(3) The city of Providence will provide generous local support for the Providence public schools budget. Instead of limiting its contribution to the lowest possible “maintenance of effort” allowed under state law, the city will, at a minimum, increase its annual contribution per student to align with either inflation or the overall increase of per student state aid to the Providence public schools.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.
16-7-29. Minimum salary schedule.
(a)
(b) In the Providence public school district only, the parties may negotiate alternative salary schedules that do not include the provisions of section (a) of this section, and which may include other bases for increased compensation including, but not limited to, bonuses for teachers willing to take on greater responsibilities.
SECTION 2. Sections 16-13-4 and 16-13-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-13 entitled "Teachers’ Tenure" are hereby amended to read as follows:
16-13-4. Statement of cause for dismissal — Hearing — Appeals — Arbitration.
(a)(1) For districts other than Providence pubic school district, the
(2)(i) For the Providence public school district, a principal may dismiss or demote any teacher or other person assigned full-time to the school, subject to the review and approval of the superintendent; and subject to the provisions of this section, the superintendent may dismiss any employee of the school district. In the vase of employees whose duties require them to be assigned to more than one school, and in the case of teachers who teach in more than one school, those persons shall be considered to be under the supervision of the superintendent for all decisions relating to dismissal or demotion for cause.
(ii) Teachers who have been teaching in a school system for at least ninety (90) calendar days shall not be dismissed unless they have been furnished with written notice of intent to dismiss and with an explanation of the grounds for dismissal in sufficient detail to permit the teachers to respond and documents relating to the grounds for dismissal, and, if they so request, have been given a reasonable opportunity within ten (10) school days after receiving such written notice to review the decision with the principal or superintendent, as the case may be, and to present information pertaining to the basis for the decision and to the teacher’s status. The teachers receiving such notice may be represented by an attorney or other representative at such meeting with the principal or superintendent. Teachers without professional teacher status shall otherwise be deemed employees at will.
(iii) A teacher with tenure shall not be dismissed except for inefficiency, incompetency, incapacity, conduct unbecoming a teacher, insubordination or failure on the part of the teacher to satisfy teacher performance standards developed pursuant to chapter 38 of this title or other just cause.
(iv) A teacher with tenure status may seek review of a dismissal decision within thirty (30) LC006463 - Page 2 of 7 days after receiving notice of their dismissal by filing a petition for arbitration with the commissioner. The commissioner shall forward to the parties a list of three (3) arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association. Each person on the list shall be accredited by the national Academy of Arbitrators. The parties each shall have the right to strike one of the three (3) arbitrators’ names if they are unable to agree upon a single arbitrator from amongst the three (3). The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association to be consistent with the provisions of this section. The board of education shall determine the process for selecting arbitrators for the pool. The fee for the arbitration shall be split equally between the two (2) parties involved in the arbitration. The rules governing the arbitration procedure shall be the rules of the American Arbitration Association as pertains to arbitration.
(v) At the arbitration hearing, the teacher and the school district may be represented by an attorney or other representative, present evidence, and call witnesses and the school district shall have the burden of proof. In determining whether the district has proven grounds for dismissal consistent with this section, the arbitrator shall consider the best interests of the pupils in the district and the need for elevation of performance standards.
(vi) The arbitrator’s decision shall be issued within one month from the completion of the arbitration hearing, unless all parties involved agree otherwise, and shall contain a detailed statement of the reasons for the decision. Upon a finding that the dismissal was improper under the standards set forth in this section, the arbitrator may award back pay, benefits, reinstatement, and any other non-financial relief or any combination thereof. Under no circumstances shall the arbitrator award punitive, consequential, or nominal damages or compensatory damages other than back pay, benefits or reinstatement. In the event the teacher is reinstated, the period between the dismissal and reinstatement shall be considered to be time served for purposes of employment. The arbitral decision shall be subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 9.2 of title 28.
(vii) With the exception of other remedies provided by statute, the remedies provided in this section shall be the exclusive remedies available to teachers for wrongful termination.
(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit, or at any time to have prohibited, a school committee in a municipality or regional school district with an elected school committee, or the chief executive officer in a municipality with an appointed school committee from agreeing, in a collective bargaining agreement, to the arbitration of disputes arising out of the nonrenewal, dismissal, and/or suspension of a teacher pursuant to §§ 16-13-2, 16-13-3, and/or 16- 13-5.
16-13-6. Suspension because of decrease in school population — Seniority — Reinstatement. LC006463 - Page 3 of 7
(a)(1) For all local education authorities other than the Providence public school district, a
(2)(i) The Providence public school district board may, by reason of substantial decrease of pupil population within its school system, suspend teachers in numbers necessitated by the decrease in pupil population; provided, however, that no teacher with tenure shall be laid off pursuant to a reduction in force or reorganization, if there is a teacher without tenure for whose position the covered employee is currently certified or if there is a less qualified teacher with tenure holding the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified. No teacher with tenure shall be displaced in accordance with terms of a collective bargaining agreement or otherwise by a more senior teacher with unless the more senior teacher is currently certified and is at least as qualified for the position as the junior teacher holding the position.
(ii) The criteria for determining a qualified teacher under this subsection shall be subject to the collective bargaining agreement; provided, however, that any such collectively bargained for qualifications shall include, as the primary factors, indicators of job performance, invading overall ratings resulting from comprehensive evaluations and the best interests of the students in the school or district.
(iii) A teacher meeting one of the following criteria and who has not received an unsatisfactory performance evaluation in the school year immediately prior to the school year in which a layoff is announced shall be exempted without regard to tenure:
(A) A teacher who graduated from an in-district secondary school if the district has higher than the state percentage of high-needs students, as defined by the department;
(B) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools with the highest percentage of high-needs students in the district, as defined by the department;
(C) A teacher who works in a school that is among the top twenty percent (20%) of schools with the lowest staff retention in the district;
(D) A teacher deemed by the department as a teacher of the year;
(E) A teacher who received the highest rating on a performance evaluation delivered in either or both of the school years immediately prior to the school year in which a layoff is LC006463 - Page 4 of 7 announced; or
(F) A teacher with linguistic proficiency in relation to in-district language or dialect. For purposes of this subsection, linguistic proficiency means:
(I) Holding the state’s Bilingual Education Endorsement;
(II) Achieving at least an Advanced Low score on the Oral Proficiency Interview or Writing Proficiency Test proficiency tests offered through the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages; or
(III) Another method of verification or attestation of proficiency as determined by the district superintendent. For the purpose of this subsection, in relation to in-district language or dialect shall mean proficiency specifically in a language or dialect other than English that is spoken by the greater of:
(aa) Five percent (5%) or more of the students enrolled at the school where a teacher is assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the students enrolled in the district; or
(bb) At five percent (5%) or more of the homes of the students enrolled at the school where a teacher is assigned or, if the teacher is not assigned to a school, of the homes of the students enrolled in the district.
(iv) Among the remaining teachers without tenure, no teacher shall be laid off pursuant to a reduction in force or reorganization if there is a less qualified teacher without such status holding the same or similar position for which the covered employee is currently certified.
(v) The school committee and the collective bargaining representative may negotiate for seniority or length of service only as a tie-breaker in personnel actions under this subsection among teachers whose qualifications are no different using the qualifications collectively bargained for in accordance with this subsection.
(b) Notice of suspension under this section and § 16-13-5 shall be given, in writing, by the governing body of schools on or before June 1 notifying the teacher that his or her employment for the ensuing year shall be suspended, provided however, notice by that date need not be provided in the instance of an emergency performance-related cause.
SECTION 3. Chapter 16-7.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Paul W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
16-7.1-5.3. Termination of reconstitution and control of the Providence Public schools.
Notwithstanding other provisions of Rhode Island law, and notwithstanding the actions of the board of education and/or its council on elementary and secondary education, the LC006463 - Page 5 of 7 commissioner’s order of reconstitution and control of the Providence public schools issued on October 15, 2019, shall terminate on June 30, 2026, subject to the following expectations:
(1) The school board will:
(i) Devote its primary focus to reviewing and improving student achievement outcomes;
(ii) Work with the superintendent in a collaborative partnership including, but not limited to, the formation of the district’s strategic planning and priorities, and the preparation of meeting agendas.
(2) The Providence school department will:
(i) Adopt policies and procedures to promote labor-management collaboration, including developing performance evaluation criteria for administrators that place a greater weight on advancing collaboration with teachers;
(ii) Adopt policies and procedures that promote greater site-based management;
(iii) Place a greater priority on promoting educational initiatives at the building and classroom levels by granting teachers greater flexibility in the delivery of education to students.
(3) The city of Providence will provide generous local support for the Providence public schools budget. Instead of limiting its contribution to the lowest possible “maintenance of effort” allowed under state law, the city will, at a minimum, increase its annual contribution per student to align with either inflation or the overall increase of per student state aid to the Providence public schools.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.