U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan applauds vote to fire entire Central Falls school

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (FOX25, myfoxboston) - The U.S. Secretary of Education is applauding the vote to fire all the teachers at the high school in Central Falls because it is one of the worst performing schools in the state.

"This is hard work and these are tough decisions, but students only have one chance for an education," Arne Duncan said in Wednesday's edition of The Providence Journal, "and when schools continue to struggle we have a collective obligation to take action."

The Central Falls School Committee on Tuesday evening voted 5-2 to fire every educator at the school, from teachers to guidance counselors to the principal, at the end of the school year. The vote came the same day that State Education Commissioner Deborah Gist approved the firing plan, which was recommended by Superintendent Frances Gallo, and gave the district 120 days to come up with a detailed plan.

Central Falls Teachers Union President Jane Sessums says she is reviewing several legal options.

Central Falls High School, the only school in this tiny and impoverished city of one square mile just north of Providence, is persistently one of the worst-performing schools in the state. Only about half its students graduate, and only 7 percent of its 11th graders were proficient in math in 2009.

The plan was developed because of a federal effort to makeover failing schools. Those schools can select one of four options to fix themselves, which include requiring a longer school day, turning management over to a charter school, firing the entire teaching staff and rehiring no more than half, or closing the school.

In Rhode Island, Gist identified the state's six worst performing schools and asked the superintendents to develop plans to fix them. The other five schools are in Providence, and their plans are due to Gist by March 17.

Gallo and the teachers had been negotiating for a longer school day and other provisions, but talks broke down over money. She said earlier this month that she had no choice but to fire all the teachers, and rehire no more than half.

Hundreds of people attended a rally at a city park before the school committee meeting, many of them union members.

"This is immoral, illegal, unjust, irresponsible, disgraceful and disrespectful," George Nee, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, told the crowd.

Mark Bostic, a representative from the American Federation of Teachers, said it would stand behind the teachers "as long as it takes to get justice."

Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.projo.com/