Nearly 100 Providence classrooms lack full-time teachers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — In the first week of school, the state-run Providence Public School District confirmed there are still 94 classrooms without a full-time teacher.

In an Aug. 22 interview with Target 12, Providence Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez said there were 104 vacancies , meaning just 10 positions had been filled prior to the first day of school on Sep. 3.

“The goal is to make sure every classroom is full with a fully certified educator,” Montañez said.

District spokesperson Jay Wegimont said most vacancies are in high-need areas such as math, science and special education.

Less than a week before the first day of school, the district announced it would offer a $10,000 salary bump in an effort to hire and retain special-education teachers.

The district said the salary increase would apply to any educator transitioning into three specialized instructional areas: Special Education – Behavior Intervention Program (BIP), Exceptional Child Services (ECS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

With the pay increase, qualifying teacher salaries would range anywhere from $56,811 to $98,236, according to Wegimont.

Wegimont said approximately 65 teachers working in those classrooms received the raise as a result of the incentive program.

At the time the incentive program launched, about 19 of the district’s vacancies were in those areas, but Wegimont said that has since been reduced to 11.

The district uses a combination of both certified long-term and retiree substitutes, “all of which are prioritized in our highest need classroom positions,” according to Wegimont.

“Moreover, the district uses certified, classroom teachers serving at the middle and high school level for coverage that are willing to teach during their planning periods. PPSD additionally uses per-diem, non-certified substitutes,” Wegimont added.

During a taping of WPRI 12’s Newsmakers on Friday, R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said teacher recruitment and retention has been challenging due to competition with Massachusetts and Connecticut.

“It’s the pension, also they pay more,” Infante-Green said. “Recruitment is very difficult. We try to do as much as possible.”

Last fall, RIDE launched the online job board “Educate401” in an effort to recruit more teachers and counselors.

Infante-Green said statewide job fairs have helped to spread the word.

The state also pays for the Praxis tests, which is a step towards becoming a certified teacher in Rhode Island. (RIDE launched a free preparation program last fall, and those who complete the program are eligible for a Praxis test voucher, worth up to $200.)

“We’re trying everything in our toolkit,” Infante-Green said.

Alexandra Leslie ( aleslie@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook .

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