By Richard C. Dujardin
Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A crowd of more than 1,000 -- Providence teachers joined by teachers from Cranston, Central Falls and other communities -- is calling for Mayor Angel Taveras and the Providence School Board to rescind the firings of nearly 2,000 teachers.
The crowd cheered Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who declared that "something insane is going on in Providence."
She said that prior to last week's firings, the Providence teachers were working with school officials to continue their reform of education but then, she said, "Some secret plan was hatched" to fire the teachers.
"Why destroy a school system and undo years of reform and dehumanize every teacher in the school system?" she asked.
She called on the school officials to negotiate.
Larry Purtil, president of the National Education Association of Rhode Island, expressed