Woonsocket Radio News Room

Sen. Acosta and Rep. Giraldo introduce legislation to address teacher shortages

 

            STATE HOUSE – Sen. Jonathon Acosta and Rep. Joshua J. Giraldo have introduced legislation to address the statewide teacher shortages currently plaguing the state’s school districts.

            The legislation (2023-S 0542, 2023-H 6170) would create postsecondary tuition assistance for shortages in teaching fields, which are defined as subject areas or teacher certifications that are experiencing a critical lack of educators in the state. In particular, science and math teachers for grades seven through 12 are cited in the legislation as critical areas of need for more teachers.

            “Rhode Island will never be able to get a handle on our teacher shortage crisis without truly investing in the next generation of local teachers.  Our state will have no future success if there are not enough teachers to educate our children and this bill will not only help students already planning to enter the field, but it will also incentivize many more individuals to take up the noble and vital profession of teaching,” said Senator Acosta (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket).

            “This is a common-sense approach to our state’s teacher shortage that will demonstrate our commitment to teaching, training and most importantly, retaining, critically needed teachers for the benefit of our children.  Affording the necessary training and education to become a teacher is a significant barrier for some, and this legislation will allow these individuals to pursue their dream of teaching while also providing a critical service to our state,” said Representative Giraldo (D-Dist. 56, Central Falls).

            Recipients of tuition assistance would have to be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, at a Rhode Island postsecondary institution in a program to become a teacher in a shortage field and complete at least three years of full-time teaching in a shortage teaching field in Rhode Island.

            If an individual receives tuition assistance, and then leaves their institution’s program to become a teacher in a shortage field prior to completing their degree, the tuition assistance provided to date shall become a loan to be repaid by the individual.  This would also apply if an individual receives tuition assistance and then does not complete the service requirement.

            All funds would be allocated toward the tuition, room, board, mandatory fees, and additional costs of attending a Rhode Island postsecondary institution to become a teacher in a shortage field.  The funds would cover costs that remain after all other financial aid funds have been awarded to the tuition assistance recipient.

            The fund would be available for individuals to attend any Rhode Island postsecondary institution, public or private, as long as the funds disbursed to a private institution for tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees would be limited to the amount that Rhode Island College charges for the same expenses in the same academic year.

            Senator Acosta’s bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee and Representative Giraldo’s bill has been referred to the House Finance Committee.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today in an abortion case for the first time since it overturned Roe v. Wade. The case is over whether Idaho's strict abortion restrictions conflict with a federal law requiring hospitals to provide patients emergency care. Idaho's law makes it a felony for physicians to perform most abortions except to save the life of the mother.        House Speaker Mike Johnson is visiting Columbia University today as the school faces massive protests against Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Hundreds of students have been protesting for days against the Biden administration's response to the Israel-Hamas war, calling for an end to support for Israel. Johnson's office says he plans to discuss what he sees as a "troubling rise of virulent antisemitism on America's college campuses." Many of the protesters are also Jewish and reject claims the protests are anti-Jewish.        President Biden is praising the passage of a sweeping foreign aid package that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. Biden signed the 95-billion dollar package into law today and said it continues America's leadership around the world. He said shipments of military aid will begin flowing to Ukraine in a matter of hours as Kyiv is running low on munitions in its fights against Russia.        Over 131-million people live in areas of the U.S. with unhealthy air pollution levels. That's according to a new report from the American Lung Association. That's an increase of 12 million compared to last year. The pollution in these areas can raise the risk of things like lung cancer, asthma and pregnancy complications.        The national average price for a gallon of gas is holding steady. Triple A reports the average cost for a gallon of regular gas is still three-dollars-and-66-cents across the country. That's the same as it was a week ago, but 13 cents more than a month ago. The cheapest prices can be found in Mississippi at just three-oh-nine a gallon. Meanwhile, drivers in California are seeing the highest average at five-41.       A Belgian man with a rare condition that causes his body to produce alcohol is being acquitted of drunk driving. The condition is called auto-brewery syndrome. His lawyer told Reuters it's "another unfortunate coincidence" her client works at a brewery as well, but multiple doctors confirmed he has ABS.        

Old News Archives