To: Steven Smith
President, Providence Teachers Union

Dear Mr. Smith:

We are Providence students, parents and residents. We value the contributions of Providence public school teachers. We know that high quality teachers are a critical part of a high quality education.

We believe that a teachers length of service is a relevant factor in determining the teachers quality and suitability for a position. We also believe that many other factors besides seniority determine teacher quality. The best teacher is not necessarily the most senior teacher.

We believe the seniority system, with its bumping rules, harms the quality of education. For that reason, we support the Rhode Island Education Commissioners Order requiring criterion-based teacher assignments (hiring and assigning teachers based on an interview process and an evaluation of their qualifications), and we support the plan of the Providence School Department to comply with that Order.

We are dismayed that the Providence Teachers Union has responded by filing a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Commissioners Order and restore seniority as the only basis for teacher assignments.

We believe your lawsuit will harm the public interest by reducing the quality of education for the children of Providence. Hiring and assigning teachers based on seniority alone, and the bumping that results, are not in the best interests of students.

We therefore urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to withdraw the lawsuit immediately and redirect your efforts to collaborate with the Providence School Department to provide the best possible education for our children. Thank you for your consideration.