| R 440 |
| 2023 -- S 1131 Enacted 06/15/2023 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL AND LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS THAT PROVIDE SCHOOL-BASED FLEXIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE PROVIDENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
Introduced By: Senator Samuel D. Zurier |
| Date Introduced: June 15, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, The Providence Public Schools (PPS) comprise the largest school district in |
| the State, with more than 21,000 students and more than 2,000 educators; and |
| WHEREAS, The PPS student body is one of most diverse in the State, with a student |
| population that is 65 percent Hispanic, 16 percent White, 5 percent Asian, 4 percent Multi-Racial, |
| and 1 percent Native American; and |
| WHEREAS, Nearly one-third of Providence students are English Language Learners, and |
| the majority of Providence students’ families speak one of 54 primary languages that is not |
| English; and |
| WHEREAS, Eighty-five percent of the PPS student body qualifies for free or reduced |
| lunch, the second highest incidence of poverty in Rhode Island public schools as measured by this |
| criterion; and |
| WHEREAS, The socioeconomic diversity of the student body in Providence presents |
| unique challenges and opportunities for the district’s professional staff; and |
| WHEREAS, Too few PPS students have been able to obtain academic proficiency for too |
| many years, as measured by the State’s and Nation’s Report Card assessments; and |
| WHEREAS, Enrollment in PPS has declined as students have transferred out of the |
| district into charter schools, creating displacements and disruptions within the schools and their |
| staff; and |
| WHEREAS, The basic framework under State law governing the delivery of public |
| education, as applied to the Providence Public Schools, has not been significantly modified in |
| many years; and |
| WHEREAS, The quality of the education Providence Public Schools students receive in |
| their schools depends critically upon its professional educators; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of fifteen (15) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Senate, not more |
| than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of |
| whom shall be the Turnaround Superintendent, or designee; one of whom shall be the |
| Commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education, or designee; one of whom shall be |
| the Mayor of the City of Providence, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the |
| Providence City Council, to be appointed by the President of the Providence City Council; one of |
| whom shall be a member of the Providence School Board, to be appointed by the President of the |
| Providence School Board; one of whom shall be the building administrator, to be appointed by |
| the Superintendent of Providence Public Schools; one of whom shall be a teacher, to be appointed |
| by the President of the Providence Teachers Union; one of whom shall be the President of the |
| Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, or designee; one of whom shall be |
| a parent of children in the Providence public schools, to be appointed by the Senate President; |
| one of whom shall be a student currently enrolled or recently graduated from the Providence |
| public schools, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; and two (2) of whom shall be ex- |
| officio public members with experience in education to serve in an advisory capacity to the |
| commission, to be appointed by the Senate President. |
| In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study |
| commission, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in |
| place of a legislator; provided that, the Senate President or the Minority Leader of the political |
| party that is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general |
| public. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to: |
| • Review the professional standards and the labor-management relationship for |
| employees of the Providence Public Schools, particularly as defined by State law; and |
| • Develop recommendations that promote a rewarding professional environment and |
| great school-based flexibility and accountability for the district’s professional educators. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall be |
| appointed and meet at the call of the President of the Senate by July 31, 2023, and shall organize |
| and select from among the legislators, a Chairperson. |
| A quorum for the commission’s formation and activity will be a minimum of eight (8) |
| voting members. |
| The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide |
| suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall develop and submit its recommendations to the |
| Senate, no later than January 24, 2024, and said commission shall expire on June 30, 2024. |
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| LC003236 |
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