Fewer teachers, fewer students - what's Rhode Island thinking?

The whole nation's teaching force is taking a major hit this winter, as government officials crack down on teacher unions, ignoring protesters' pleas. Shockingly, Mayor Angel Taveras has approved the dismissal of at least 2,000 educators in Providence by this March to alleviate an impending deficit of $100 million for the next fiscal year, which amounts to 20% of the city's budget. Critics have accused Taveras of ordering the terminations as a simple way to silence the debate between teachers' unions and the state government, an eerie echo of what Wisconsin's governor seems to be pondering this winter as well.

The upheaval in Wisconsin has promptly infected the East coast, as 1,500 protesters crammed the city hall on March 3rd to rally against the massive cuts. Citizens worry about the implications of the government's decision to fire such a colossal number of educators. And there is just cause indeed; it's simple math, really. The fewer experienced teachers remain in the schools, the worse the outcome that we can expect from the students. As matters stand, no less than 80% of Providence's student population is black or Latino, and a vast proportion qualifies as low-income. Test scores from Providence rank among the lowest in the U.S. as a whole, on par with those from the nation's most troubled urban areas. Will firing more teachers really do wonders for the U.S. economy or will we sink deeper into the pit of deficits, crime, and moral stagnation?

Wisconsin, Rhode Island...what's next? A logical guess may be the West coast. California has certainly faced its fair share of problems on the education front over the past few months. Let's hope that Governor Davis shows more backbone than officials in other U.S. states, stopping this train before it runs off the tracks, leaving the aspirations of countless under-privileged students in ruins.