The Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC) is calling on the Superintendent of the Bristol-Warren School district to immediately investigate whether inappropriate – -and possibly illegal- -political campaign activity associated with the approaching Primary election was conducted during a portion of the teachers’ official orientation session held Monday, August 30th.
Superintendent Melinda Thies has received an official complaint by Bristol Rep. Doug Gablinske who claims that Pat Crowley of the statewide National Education Association (NEA) delivered political remarks and went so far as to urge teachers in attendance for an official orientation session to vote against Gablinske in the approaching September 14th Primary. Gablinske has been a supporter of reforms to public employees’ pensions and other elements of their contract compensation packages as well as a supporter of the state’s new Education Aid Formula.
“It’s outrageous, it’s inappropriate and RISC is demanding to know if, in fact, there was illegal political campaign activity conducted by the local teachers’ union and statewide NEA during an official teachers’ orientation, on public school grounds, during a professional teachers’ forum,” blasts RISC President Jim Beale. Beale notes that several hundred teachers and other school staff assembled for the orientation are paid for such out-of-classroom orientation days by the school district as part of the duties associated with their professional contract. Continue reading ‘RISC Calls for Probe of Bristol-Warren NEA Activity’
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Reponse to Post at RI Future re Joseph Larisa
At least if you’re going to drag me into this, spell my name right… RICCI.
“Little Noticed” — By? It was published in the newspaper, wasn’t it?
“Republican” — Joseph Larisa has not been a registered Republican since 2006.
“Central Falls Receivership” — The only “debacle” is how that small city has been run into the ground by a thoroughly corrupt Democratic political machine. The receivership was requested by an all Democrat city council who weren’t willing to make the tough decisions necessary to right their ship on their own; unlike in East Providence, where tough decisions needed to be made, and were made for the good of the city.
“Civil War in East Providence” — Unlike the U.S. Civil War of 1861-1865, “the union” in this case, has yet to win a single (court) battle.
As for the issue of Mayor Larisa’s pro bono (that means at no charge, for the Latin impaired) representation of a member of the Board of Canvassers before the city council — during a time while he was a private citizen — he is convinced he was in the right and that the law, as currently being interpreted, is invalid. Time will tell if that is the case, since the law cited in the complaint against him does not address the issue of pro bono representation.
Larisa will be appealing this latest ruling to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. It’s clearly not about the money; the fine was only $500. He’s already spent thousands of his own money to defend his principled position. He could have paid the fine and made it go away quietly (like a number of Pat’s Democratic friends). It’s purely a matter of principle for him. I expect this to last well into his next term as Mayor.