A Hard Lesson for Rhode Island: Schools, Money, and Power

Rhode Island wants to grow its life sciences sector, but it’s making a strange move at the same time. Lawmakers just voted to block new charter schools for three years, claiming they need time to fix school funding. That sounds fair, but the timing is suspicious. Charter schools take money away from traditional public schools when students leave—so less money means less funding for existing schools. Teachers’ unions, who have deep influence over state politics, pushed hard for this pause. The result? A policy that punishes families who need better options while doing little to actually fix the real problems in education. This isn’t just about schools—it’s about money, power, and bad timing. Charter schools were one of the few growing options in Rhode Island, but now the state is hitting pause. Meanwhile, lawmakers also passed bills to block tax credits for private school tuition and make it harder for families to homeschool. Together, these moves suggest an agenda bigger than just fairness in funding. At a time when public school enrollment is dropping, unions are clinging to their old way of doing things. But their actions might backfire, making things worse for everyone. Here’s the big picture: Rhode Island’s public schools have been struggling for decades. A father with a physics PhD once taught college freshmen who couldn’t even handle basic math. Today, many students still leave high school unprepared for even entry-level jobs. The state is betting on a new life sciences industry to boost its economy, but skilled workers don’t grow on trees. If students aren’t ready for science and tech jobs, those high-paying lab and research roles will go to people from out of state—again.Teachers’ unions say they’re protecting jobs and funding, but their moves might do the opposite. When schools lose students to charters, traditional schools get less money. But instead of fixing the funding formula, the state’s answer is to stop new charters. Meanwhile, Rhode Island’s cities need money for roads, bridges, and other projects. If investors think the state’s policies are risky, they’ll charge more to lend money—or refuse to lend at all. That means higher taxes, fewer jobs, and even more cuts down the line. The unions’ own power is part of the problem. The leader of Rhode Island’s biggest teachers’ union also leads the state Senate. Ethics rules call this a conflict of interest, but the state’s ethics board says it’s fine. That’s like letting the fox guard the henhouse. Meanwhile, public school jobs are protected forever by “evergreen” laws, making it impossible to adjust salaries or cut costs when money gets tight. The result? Jobs for teachers are safe, but jobs for police, firefighters, and construction workers are at risk. A student who benefited from Rhode Island’s charter schools summed it up best: kids who win charter lotteries deserve better schools, and families deserve choices. But instead of improving education, the state is closing doors. Rhode Island wants a future in biotech and innovation, but how can it get there if its schools keep failing the kids who will fill those jobs?