To the editor:

Last week, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) fired 13 Teachers for the Visually Impaired (TVI) at the Sherlock Center at Rhode Island College.

We are thankful for the reporting of Linda Borg at the Providence Journal. Her article—“Teachers who serve vision impaired students laid off; state says services won't be disrupted” —was the only news that most parents received.

The article reported that: “the $600,000 line item will now be used to provide teachers with professional training, instead of providing direct services to students with vision impairment.”

Thirty-three of 39 districts in Rhode Island will lose these teachers—the $600,000 will instead be used for “professional training.”

The 33 smaller school districts—like Barrington—will not be able to provide the same level of specialist services for students. 

Rhode Island needs a line item in the state budget for vision services—or this same situation will happen again.

Educational services for the visually impaired should continue to receive funding, and the state should continue to employ the teachers at Sherlock.  Funding for direct instruction from teachers should not be diverted for “professional training.”

Sincerely,

David and Kate Zaluski

Barrington