Non-binary teachers are being targeted in the state-controlled Providence School system

“Part of me wonders if there’s a mandate to start getting rid of non-binary, trans, or LGBTQ+ teachers in readiness for federal mandates - instead of protecting us.”

Brandi Tucker, Sam Wallace, and Em Schluter

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On February 26, PVD CORE will be in front of the Providence School Board to push the school board to:

1. Reaffirm their support and expand resources for trans and non-binary students and staff, as well as immigrant and undocumented students and families, in the face of harmful executive orders and pressure from the federal government, and

2. Pressure the administration to rescind the recent non-renewals of several beloved educators who have lost their positions in PPSD.

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In Providence Public Schools, when a teacher receives a notice of non-renewal, they can no longer keep their current teaching position. They are also not allowed to apply for open positions at other schools in the District and are essentially banned from teaching in Providence for the rest of their careers. Recently, three teachers, Brandi Tucker¹, a grade 5 ESL teacher at Webster Avenue Elementary School; Em Schluter², a grade 6 ELA/ESL teacher at DelSesto Middle School; and Sam Wallace³, a librarian at DelSesto Middle School, received non-renewal notices.

Aside from the non-renewals, the three teachers have two things in common: They are all members of the Providence Caucus of Rank and File Educators (PVD CORE) and non-binary. They also all use they/them pronouns.

“Part of me wonders if there’s a mandate to start getting rid of non-binary, trans, or LGBTQ+ teachers in readiness for federal mandates - instead of protecting us,” said Brandi Tucker. “They can start getting rid of us because we’re not tenured, and you don’t have to give a reason for dismissal if we’re not tenured.

“I’m also a founding member of PVD CORE.”

Each teacher told me their story, and they were all much the same, with small differences.

“On Friday, I was teaching math. It was Valentine’s Day and the hundredth day of school, the day before break,” said Tucker. “I got a call from my principal saying, ‘I need you in my office. Someone’s coming to cover you.’ Click.

“I had no idea what it was about. I am a union delegate, so I figured something had happened in the building and the principal needed to inform me. I went to the office, and the principal started reading the letter. She said, ‘The District has told me you’re not allowed to ask questions. You should ask all questions to your union.’ I was shocked. The principal then said she would give me some time and let the person who had gone to cover my classroom know that they might be covering my room for a while. Then the principal left school for the rest of the day.”

“You’re still employed for the balance of the year?” I asked.

“Yes,” said Tucker. “The non-renewal means I cannot work with Providence Schools starting next year. They expect me to finish out my contract this year. I have known other non-renewed teachers who leave their jobs because it’s stressful. I spent the day off and on crying. It was not something I expected. I have good evaluations. I have student improvement. I teach math, and I’m good at my job.”

“They paid you a hard-to-fill job bonus!” said Sam Wallace.

“Yeah. I moved from California to Providence,” said Tucker, shaking their head. “The School District paid to help move me. They paid me a yearly stipend to continue teaching for them for three years. They paid a moving fee to come to Providence from a faraway place and a retainer fee, basically, for the last couple of years. I just got the final one this year. They paid extra money to have me.

“There’s all of this stuff about Providence being unable to keep good teachers. We currently have over a hundred vacancies, and this letter says, ‘to find a more qualified teacher as yet unidentified.’ Explain to me who is more qualified.”

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The letters are all basically the same and signed by Providence Superintendent of Schools Javier Montañez:

“In accordance with the provisions of Title 16 of the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island, and by her authority as the Crowley Act delegate of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, Commissioner Infante-Green has approved my recommendation not to renew your teaching contract with the Providence School Department effective upon the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. A copy of the Commissioner’s Order dated February 13, 2025, is hereby enclosed.

“The reason for my recommendation and for the Commissioner’s Order is that the department desires to find a more qualified teacher, as yet unidentified.

“If you seek to appeal this decision, you have the right to a hearing and a right to have counsel represent you at that hearing, provided that you notify the Providence School Department of your request for a hearing pursuant to R.L Gen. Laws $$ 16-13-2 and 16-13-4 by email, emilyjohnson@ppsd.org no later than close of business on March 3, 2025.”

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“After the principal read me the letter, I pulled myself together during lunch. I was going through my email, and there was a report from the day before,” said Tucker. “The principal walked through my classroom and wrote, ‘Exemplary models seen in your classroom.’

Non-renewals are typically based on the principal’s recommendation. However, the teachers told me that mandates often come from the District. “We don’t know where they come from; principals just follow them.”

For tenured teachers, the law is very clear. Districts have to give a reason for a dismissal, there has to be a hearing, and the teacher can request to know the reason. For untenured teachers, the law is murkier. However, the way the law is written, untenured teachers should also be able to request a hearing and the reason for their dismissal. At the hearing, the principal must testify why the teacher is being dismissed. The teachers I talked to had not been to a hearing or seen one because the last teacher to be issued a dismissal requested a hearing, and the dismissal got rescinded. The teachers are considering filing a complaint with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights.

“I was read my letter at the end of the day on Friday,” said Sam Wallace. “It was rough.”

“I was in class, and a teacher and the union rep came in, and the union rep said, ‘This teacher is going to stay here while we go to the meeting,’” said Em Schluter. “‘What meeting?’ I asked, and she wouldn’t answer me. She pulled me into the office, and none of the people there would look at me. None of them said anything to me. The principal read the letter and said, ‘You can appeal it if you want to,’ and left.”

“Your dismissal is especially frustrating because not only are you a second-year teacher, but you’re in two different grad programs right now,” noted Wallace. “You’re paying money and taking classes to get the degrees you need to keep your job.”

“I’m on emergency certification right now,” explained Schluter. “I have to do two programs - one for the secondary education with middle school extension, and one for ESL. Technically, the School District is paying for my ESL classes. When you apply for the program, the District says, ‘We’ll reimburse you.’ I have to work for the District for three years to get the reimbursement. If I leave, then I have to pay all the money back.”

“So what happens?” asked Wallace. “Do you have to pay for the classes?”

Schluter shrugged.

“That sounds like a lawsuit,” I said.

The teachers were united in their opinion that the District shows no compassion or empathy. Also, they say, organizers are being targeted. “That’s been consistent across the years. Every time a member of PVD CORE speaks at the school board, we get pulled into the principal’s office for something unrelated, asked not to show up at the school board, or get written up for something completely random. There’s been an uptick in targeting even tenured teachers for discipline.”

“Last year, we spoke somewhere, and a day later, Superintendent Montañez walked through our classrooms,” said Tucker.

“I hope you’re documenting all this,” I said. “This sounds like workplace harassment.”

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Governor McKee habitually does not spend the money the General Assembly allocates. For instance, the 300 open positions at the Department of Human Services (DHS) would cost about $10 million - money allocated by the General Assembly and unspent by the Governor.⁴

Cutting teacher positions also encourages families to enroll students in charter schools and helps in the effort to consolidate schools and close buildings.

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On February 26, PVD CORE will be in front of the Providence School Board to push the school board to:

1. Reaffirm their support and expand resources for trans and non-binary students and staff, as well as immigrant and undocumented students and families, in the face of harmful executive orders and pressure from the federal government, and

2. Pressure the administration to rescind the recent non-renewals of several beloved educators who have lost their positions in PPSD.

1. Brandi Tucker, grade 5 ESL teacher, Webster Avenue Elementary School

• Started in PPSD in the 2022/2023 school year as a 5th-grade ESL teacher at Webster

• Current member of Webster’s ILT (Instructional Leadership Team)

• Current member of Webster’s SIT (School Improvement Team)

• Past member of Webster’s culture and climate committee (the committee no longer exists)

• Coached Girls on the Run at Webster for two seasons

• Coached the Webster basketball team for two seasons

• Taught in after-school tutoring programs, vacation break academies, and summer school

• Gone to watch students in their outside school pursuits when invited (dance, soccer, etc)

• Served on the District’s Equity Advisory Council

• Member of the Providence T4BL (Teaching for Black Lives Study Group)

  • Helped to develop elementary curriculum for BLM during school week of action

  • Helped prepare and lead 3 PPSD educator professional development on BLM at School

• Advocated for PPSD schools, teachers, students, and families at school board, City council, RIDE Elementary/Secondary council, and various community meetings

• Was a presenter and panelist at the PPSD Equity Conference

• Is a union co-delegate in my school

  • Was elected by union membership to go to the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) convention in Houston in July 2024

• Founding member of PVD CORE

• Volunteer with Youth Pride, Inc. 

• Member of TeachTruth RI

• Completed a mini-series with Harvard Graduate School of Education: “From Safe to Loving: Building Schools that Foster Individual and Collective Wellbeing for Gender & Sexual Minority”

• Currently working on some ideas/plans on how to support LGBTQIA+ staff and students with the equity office

• See full bio HERE with information on past education work before moving to RI

2. Em Schluter, grade 6 ELA/ESL teacher, DelSesto Middle School

• Moved from California to Providence in 2021 to serve in City Year (CY, Americorps).

• Served as a City Year AmeriCorps member (2021-2022) and City Year Service Leader (2022-2023).  Both years in a 5th grade dual language classroom at Carl G. Lauro.

• In their second year as a 6th grade ELA/ESL teacher at DelSesto Middle School, where I work with students I have known since they were in the 3rd grade and have taught older siblings in the past.

• Currently attending URI to complete my ESL Masters and Roger Williams to complete my Secondary Education Masters with an emphasis in English.

• I am currently helping co-direct the school musical.

• I recently put together a celebration for my students for making at least half a year’s growth on their i-Ready diagnostic.

• During my lunch, I hold a study hall and musical practice for 6th-grade students.

• I center my practice around my students and bring in their interests to make content more understandable.

3. Sam Wallace, librarian, DelSesto Middle School

• Over ten years of experience in youth work

• Worked with or at DelSesto since 2019 (CY Impact Manager, School Culture Coordinator, and now School Librarian)

• CAB/SIT/Redesign DelSesto team member for over 5 years

• 3rd year as School Librarian, managing library renovations and several whole-school programs while teaching full class schedule (over 200 students enrolled in library class)

• Earned a Masters in Library and Information Studies from URI, earning a 3.93 GPA, and won the Maurice Tougas award for emerging library professionals

• Serves on 3 District and/or State professional committees: Rhode Island Middle School Book Award committee, United Way- Connected Libraries Steering Committee, Teaching for Black Lives study group

• Technology Support Coordinator at DelSesto for several years

• Serves school community: plans and runs school dances (1-3 annually for 5 years), assists with Classical test prep and Saturday school tutoring, organizes school field trips (annual RISD trip for over 3 years) and in-school job fairs and student awards nights, coached cross-country, ran Student Council and Student Equity Team, co-directed school musical

4. “The DHS call center line is broken,” said Senator Bell. “It’s impossible to deal with and has to do with a huge staffing crisis. The McKee Administration has dramatically understaffed it. The Department of Administration and the Governor refused to let them fill the staffing mandates, and now they’re proposing a $21.5 million cut. They don’t say how they will do it, but it’s probably happening by holding positions vacant. It will probably cost about $11 million to undo, though they don’t provide us with those numbers because the feds pay about half of it. It will cost $10 million to fill the 300 vacancies at DHS.”