A history lesson on the unions Arising from the need for fair wages and good working conditions, unions have grown into one of the most powerful forces in the state. Fate of charter-school bill underscores unions' clout Teachers' unions have blocked reform, but lately they have begun to talk about how they can pitch in to change things. There's plenty of blame to go around for unions and administrator alike when poor teachers remain in the classroom. More classroom time, more time for teachers to work on curricula and, perhaps most important, a chance for teachers to learn more about the subjects they teach. R.I. teachers struggle to keep learning When it comes to furthering their educations, many teachers are on their own.
Most districts offer only one or two days for teacher education, and some offer none at all.
The Department of Education plans a statewide push for mentoring to support new teachers, up to 30 percent of whom leave the profession in the first five years. The private Valley Community School in Pawtucket and Cranston educates students whose public-school teachers were unable to control them.