Bill addressing teacher shortages signed into law
STATE HOUSE — Legislation sponsored by Rep. William W. O’Brien and Sen. Robert Britto that will help address teacher shortages in Rhode Island’s public schools has been signed into law.
Rep. William W. O’Brien
“Our state is facing a significant shortage of qualified teachers and this troubling fact poses a real threat to the quality of education received by some of our state’s students. This bill will allow seasoned and experienced retired teachers to provide even more support in the classroom to help the dedicated, but significantly short-staffed, teachers and our students who deserve qualified, quality teachers,” said Representative O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence).
Sen. Robert Britto
“Our students can’t learn if there are not enough teachers to educate them. This bill addresses Rhode Island’s dire teacher shortage by allowing retired teachers to step in when needed for extended periods of time without jeopardizing their retirements. Our kids need a stable presence in the classroom in order to learn properly and this bill will provide that for Rhode Island’s students,” said Senator Britto (D-Dist. 18, East Providence, Pawtucket).
The legislation (2025-H 5322A, 2025-S 1048aa) will allow retired teachers to substitute in excess of 90 days and up to 180 days in a single school year in certain instances. The legislation also states that the local education authority must provide the state retirement board with certain information about their total number of teacher positions when asking to employ retired teachers. The act takes effect upon passage and applies retroactively to June 20, 2025.