Learn about NEARI's lobbying efforts

Your organization practices active politics not only in the voting booth but also before the RI General Assembly. We have registered lobbyists who attend daily, but members like you are called upon at times to testify before committees or lobby your legislators from home.

The program is based on the NEARI Continuing Resolutions, representing the fundamental beliefs and values guiding our organization. Both are reviewed and revised annually by local and state leaders and adopted at the October Delegate Assembly meeting.

Learn more about the legislative issues by category.

Funding/Budget

  • Support an increase in state funding to an adequate/appropriate level for higher education institutions and other state agencies.
  • Support a shift in the reliance of public education funding from property owners to state equitable funding.
  • Support an increase in state funding, above and beyond national funding, for a state adult literacy program.
  • Support removal of the full-time equivalent (FTE) hiring cap from the state budget.

Education Reform

  • Support the establishment of lower class sizes as informed by current education research; i.e. pre K-3 class size of 15 students.
  • Support the establishment of a state funded method to enhance professional development jointly managed by public school employees and employers.
  • Support requiring Department of Education certification for all crisis intervention counselors, substance abuse counselors, student assistant counselors, pregnancy counselors, et. al.
  • Support the establishment of a Rhode Island DREAM ACT, providing in-state tuition rates for graduates of RI high schools at RI colleges and universities, as long as students have attended high school in RI for at least three years prior to graduation and meet all other attendance requirements.

Salary, Benefits, and Working Conditions

  • Support changing health standard "recommendations" to "requirements" in order to create a safe workplace environment.
  • Support increasing compensation to teachers, faculty, and support staff for educational degrees, certification and professional licensing.

Retirement

  • Support safeguarding against any tampering with or deferring payment of retirement contributions.
  • Support the restoration of a cost of living adjustment (COLA).
  • Support allowing teachers at state facilities to purchase out of state credit as all other members of the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI).
  • Support an actuarially sound mechanism for retirees to receive health and dental coverage through the ERSRI.
  • Support insuring that pension rights (defined benefits) are protected in statute as property rights.
  • Support allowing time purchased to be credited as part of the 10-year vesting requirement for each of the member categories in ERSRI.
  • Support revising the pension reforms passed in 2005, 2009, and 2011 by the RI General Assembly in order to be fair and equitable to all members of ERSRI.

Labor Issues

  • Support requiring binding arbitration on all issues, both monetary and non-monetary, when impasse exists in public school pre-K-12 negotiations, municipal employees' negotiations and state employees' negotiations.
  • Support prohibiting municipalities and the state of Rhode Island from privatizing/contracting out any jobs currently performed by public school pre-K-12 employees, municipal employees and state employees.
  • Support protecting the rights of public employees when they are involved in a labor dispute.

Human and Civil Rights

  • Support providing health care for all Rhode Islanders.
  • Support providing immunity for all school employees when they report suspected substance abuse.
  • Support promoting a set of standards and procedural safeguards protecting teachers' rights, including academic freedom and tenure.
  • Support a constitutional amendment to provide a quality free public education for all Rhode Islanders pre-K through higher education.
  • Support allowing state and municipal employees and their spouses to seek public office and to remove all legislative and municipal barriers to such.

Other Rhode Island Issues

  • Support protecting the State of Rhode Island's natural environment.
  • Support encouraging educators, parents, and social service agencies jointly to examine and monitor day care centers for adequate facilities, proper supervision, appropriate education programs, and professional personnel who are qualified, screened, and trained for their areas of responsibility and to seek legislation governing day care center facilities, personnel, and programs.
  • Support any issues endorsed by coalitions such as Working Rhode Island to enhance the quality of life of all the citizens of the State of Rhode Island.
  • Support encouraging the growth of "green jobs."
  • Oppose the implementation of voter initiative, and support a representative form of government in which elected officials make legislative decisions.

Share

Depending on the issue, NEARI may:

  • Draft legislation
  • Work for bill introduction
  • Work for bill passage
  • Work in coalition with other organizations
  • Monitor legislation

Access Your Member Benefits

Use the number on your membership card as your login for the Access Member Benefits program.

National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI)

99 Bald Hill Road
Cranston, RI 02920-2631
Directions

P: 401-463-9630
F: 401-463-5337

Connect with Us
Stay Informed

Sign up for our national newsletters and get educational news and resources delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up now