Central Falls High School Teachers and Supporters

To Hold Press Conference, Rally and March on Tuesday

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I.—On Tuesday—when all 74 Central Falls High School teachers expect to receive termination notices—teachers, parents and students as well as community, political and union leaders will rally for genuine reforms to improve student achievement and will protest ineffective schemes such as mass firings of teachers. 

Central Falls teachers and their supporters will hold a 4 p.m. press conference, then will rally and march to the school board meeting to protest the terminations.

“The finger-pointing at teachers has to stop. It’ll take everyone pulling together to improve our school,” said Hope Evanoff, a French teacher at the school. “The teachers have always been, and remain, totally committed to their students. But it’s important for people to know that we have also watched a revolving door of administrators and one reform idea after another—and none has taken root.”

Jane Sessums, president of the Central Falls Teachers Union, said that the union supported a transformation model that would have implemented promising reforms. Instead, the superintendent chose to fire teachers.

“Blaming the teachers, then firing them, gets us nowhere. The problems at Central Falls will not go away until teachers have a voice and the administration realizes that collaboration with teachers, not conflict, is crucial to any reform effort,” Sessums said.

            WHAT:           Press conference, rally and march to the school board meeting

            WHEN:           Tuesday, Feb. 23

                                    4 p.m. press conference

                                    5 p.m. rally, to be followed by march to school board meeting

                                   

            WHERE:        Jenks Park

                                    580 Broad Street, Central Falls, R.I.

             WHO:            Teachers and supporters

                                    Speakers:

                                    Jane Sessums

                                    President, Central Falls Teachers Union

                                    Mark Bostic

                                    Northeast Regional Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers

                                    Marcia Reback

                                    President, Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals

                                    George Nee

                                    President, Rhode Island AFL-CIO

                                    Scott Molloy

                                    Labor History Professor, University of Rhode Island