The following account comes from a Providence, Rhode Island, teacher who was non-renewed this year and requested anonymity.
“I was born and raised in Providence,” the teacher said. “It’s my home. I walk these neighborhoods. I ride RIPTA. I volunteer. I see these kiddos in the community every single day.”
This new teacher holds several degrees and qualifications in education and in-demand fields. As a new educator, they say prior evaluations included no formal deficiencies and even referenced a “model classroom.” They started student clubs, built relationships with their students and families, and planned to stay in Providence despite nearby districts offering positions.
“I planned to build my career here. I love it here,” the teacher said.
Instead, they were recently called into the principal’s office and informed that their position would not be renewed.
“I was told there was a significant budget shortfall and my position had to be cut,” the teacher said. “It was also suggested that student performance numbers and district expectations made the situation complicated and that their hands were tied. However, the letter of non-renewal didn’t mention any of that; it said that I’m being non-renewed because the district believes it can find a more qualified candidate and that it was based on my performance.”
As a newer teacher, a non-renewal notice can be difficult to overturn.
“I sat in a room with union representatives and a lawyer, along with many others facing a similar situation,” the teacher said. “We were told that we could appeal, yet also told appeals rarely succeed and that previous years’ non-renewals are still being challenged. The decision felt final.”
Last year, public reporting documented that 17 Providence teachers were notified their contracts would not be renewed. The year before that, 51 teachers were non-renewed due to budget cuts, according to the district. In that reporting, letters stated that departments “desire to find a more qualified teacher, as yet unidentified,” even as hundreds of positions remained posted on the district website.
That same reporting noted that a non-renewal notice bars a teacher from ever working in the district again.
“When I read that last year, I believed the district had good intent, that maybe these teachers deserved it in some way. No way that could happen to me,” the teacher said. “But now that it’s hit me, I understand. This process doesn’t just feel unfair. It makes me feel like everything I’ve built here in this community meant nothing.”
The teacher says they were not alone. Other educators were called into their principals’ offices around the same time and described receiving similar explanations.
“We are educated, spending years getting certified, committing to hundreds of hours of training, and more. Then suddenly, we are given vague explanations and little meaningful recourse. We build classrooms and personally invest in these kids. And then, we’re gone. Now, my kiddos are asking why their favorite teacher disappeared or if I’m returning,” they said.
“When these non-renewal letters say they are seeking someone ‘more qualified,’ what does that even mean?” the teacher added. “Little detail about changing the outcome was given to us. It all feels vague and broad enough to serve as a label, creating a way out if we were ever to challenge it. We have no options. We weren’t even given a chance, even after proving ourselves for years already through rigorous schooling, evaluations, and obtaining qualifications.”
That frustration extends beyond just this one teacher. It affects the entire local community.
“If Providence wants local teachers, why are we treating them like this?” the teacher asked. “If we want to build community, foster relationships with our students, and be better educators, why are we comfortable ending careers like this? Where are the checks and balances for these decisions that permanently alter someone’s life?”
The teacher wanted to emphasize, “When non-renewal letters reference ‘performance’ or the desire to find a ‘more qualified’ candidate, it feels like an umbrella explanation. Those phrases are broad enough to cover almost anything; they can feel like something officials can fall back on if challenged, which came up during our meeting with the union.”
“I was born here. I have family here. And now I have been told I cannot work here again.”
Providence Progressive has reached out to school officials, including the school board and the City Council. No response has been received as of yet.