UPDATE: State Senator Criticizes Gist, Mayor Taveras Over Prov. Teacher Firings

(Updated at 5:16 p.m. on March 14 to include quotes from Sen. Sheehan.)

Education Commissioner Deborah Gist’s justification for the firing of all Providence teachers isn’t sitting well for one state senator.

Sen. James Sheehan (D-North Kingstown, Narragansett) said Gist’s assertion that the terminations were within legal bounds is “misleading,” according to a statement released by the State House press office.

"We live in a financial crisis and it's easy for people to want to play the blame game," said Sheehan in an interview Monday afternoon. Sheehan added that, although we should be blaming the economic recession on those on Wall Street, "we've landed on public workers and teachers and I think it's plain wrong."

Sheehan had originally sent a letter to Gist on March 1, questioning the legality of the move to allow the Providence School Board, “at the behest of (Providence) Mayor Angel Taveras, to send out termination letters to all of its 1,926 teachers  in an effort to close the city’s estimated $28 million deficit.

Gist responded on March 8, citing a 1987 court decision (Russell Arnold & Michael Clifford v. Burrillville School Committee) that the mayor is within his right to terminate tenured teachers in the event of a financial crisis if there is a "good and just cause" for the dismissals.

“However, Commissioner Gist failed to mention RI Department of Education’s own criteria for determining if a bona fide financial exigency actually exists,” said Sheehan, who is currently a teacher.

Sheehan went on to add that firing nearly 2,000 teachers was too excessive and would not be proportionate to other money-saving measures, in accordance with the 1991 case Richard Phelan v. Burrillville School Committee.

“Firing all Providence teachers does not meet the latter standard of proportionality,” said Sheehan, “especially when one considers that the dismissal of some 400 teachers, as opposed to all 1,926 teachers, would likely have been sufficient to cover the expected school shortfall.”

Sheehan points to Taveras' desire to reform both the city's education system and financial situation as the impetus for firing rather than laying off the teachers.

"He's trying to game the system," said Sheehan. "That's not good leadership. Those teachers went to the mats for the superintendent, for the mayor and for the kids and this is the way he rewarded them. It's just wrong."