Rhode Island Rep's Bill Package Supports Public Schools And Teacher

The five-bill legislative package is intended to strengthen and support Rhode Island’s public school system.

By Joseph Hosey, Patch Staff

May 12, 2026 3:06 pm EDT

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Rhode Island state representative is touting a legislative package to support public schools and teachers.

State Rep. William W. O’Brien, D-North Providence, is pushing the five-bill package to strengthen and support Rhode Island’s public school system.

“Our public schools are facing significant challenges, particularly a troubling shortage of qualified teachers," O'Brien said in a media release.

"This critical issue will negatively impact current and future students if this problem is not solved, and a major cause of why Rhode Island has a teacher shortage is the pension system that’s offered," O'Brien said. "These bills will correct this issue, bring our state more in-line with our neighbors, and significantly help retain and attract desperately needed teachers for our students.”

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The bills in O’Brien’s public school legislative package would:

allow teachers and state and municipal employees to retire when they have at least 28 years of active service and their retirement age, when combined with the number of their years of service reaches, the 85
reinstate, for all teachers and state employees who retired after July 1, 2012, their annual cost of living adjustment for retirement plan year 2026
provide that for the period up until July 1, 2027, an applicant for a teaching certificate in Rhode Island would not be required to complete a standardized teacher’s examination as a prerequisite to obtaining a teaching certificate
allow emergency preliminary certificates for teaching to be issued for up to a total of five school years
restore the rights of school administrators and staff members, who have retired to exceed the 90-day cap on post-retirement employment and work up to 180 days during a school year

“Our kids deserve to have the best quality education, but this is only possible if we have enough teachers to educate our students," O'Brien said.

"We must make changes to the current system or risk further and more disastrous teacher shortages in the future," he said. "Our kids deserve better, our teachers deserve better and I will continue to fight to ensure that our teachers have the support they need so that our students can be properly prepared for future successful lives.”