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class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV><A
href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/09/rhode.island.school.battle/?hpt=C1">http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/09/rhode.island.school.battle/?hpt=C1</A>
<DIV
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<H1
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 15px 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 600px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: bold 30px/33px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Graduates
rally for embattled school</H1>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 14px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(102,102,102); FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 1px"
class=cnn_stryathrtmp>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
class=cnnByline>By <B
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); PADDING-TOP: 0px">Wayne
Drash</B>, CNN</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 1px"
class=cnn_strytmstmp>March 10, 2010 4:17 a.m. EST</DIV></DIV>
<DIV
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<DIV
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id=d0b69f3f-6cd7-4a27-a061-7951bd18acac border=0
alt="Graduates of Central Falls High School held a peaceful demonstration Tuesday."
src="cid:0E63F0FFC4F44F28881DBF4E646572E0@Justinscomputer" width=619 height=349
apple-height="yes" apple-width="yes"></DIV>
<DIV
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<DIV
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class=cnn_strycaptiontxt>Graduates of Central Falls High School held a peaceful
demonstration Tuesday.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="POSITION: relative; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; FLOAT: left; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; CLEAR: left; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 166px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><B
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">STORY
HIGHLIGHTS</B></DIV>
<UL
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none; MARGIN: 9px 0px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght">
<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 9px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 7px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial">About
70 young people, most of them graduates of the school, demonstrated Tuesday
<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 9px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 7px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial">Graduates
upset by President Obama's comments about their school
<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 9px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 7px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial">Supporters
say school is improving, despite the neighborhood's many
obstacles</LI></UL></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><B
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Central
Falls, Rhode Island (CNN)</B> -- Graduates of the nation's most vilified
high school descended upon campus Tuesday evening to support the school's fired
teachers. They also had a message for President Obama: Don't bash our
school.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">"He
doesn't know us. He doesn't know the teachers. He doesn't know the students,"
said Nikko Calle, 21, a graduate of Central Falls High School in 2006. "I think
it's a real outrage what's happening here."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Nearby,
Ashley Delgado, 19, stood on the school's steps clutching a sign that read:
"Dear Obama, I supported you, your causes, goals and beliefs. Why aren't you
supporting mine?"</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">A
firestorm has erupted in this Democratic stronghold in recent weeks after 93
teachers, support staff and administrators at Central Falls High School were
fired for the low performance of the school, which graduated just 48 percent of
its seniors last year. The firings will go into effect at the end of the school
year. Teachers can re-apply, but no more than 50 percent will get rehired.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
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<DIV
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class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylccimg300">
<DIV
style="POSITION: relative; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; OVERFLOW-X: hidden; OVERFLOW-Y: hidden; MARGIN: 0px 0px 8px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 300px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 169px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
class=cnn_strylccimg300cntr><IMG
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
id=71f110d3-b145-44c0-a11e-1d282e2b675e border=0
alt="Ashley Delgado, 19, expressed her displeasure with President Obama's comments about the school."
src="cid:30FB3DFCAF8640F2BFAF2E8383AE7FA5@Justinscomputer" width=300 height=169
apple-height="yes" apple-width="yes"></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Ashley
Delgado, 19, expressed her displeasure with President Obama's comments about the
school.</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="POSITION: relative; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; FLOAT: left; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; CLEAR: left; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
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class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylccimg300">
<DIV
style="POSITION: relative; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; OVERFLOW-X: hidden; OVERFLOW-Y: hidden; MARGIN: 0px 0px 8px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; WIDTH: 300px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 169px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
class=cnn_strylccimg300cntr><IMG
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
id=8ef559e4-5d79-415b-b075-8d884c012b66 border=0
alt="About 70 people demonstrated. Most of them are graduates of the school and are now in college or working."
src="cid:CCB017F1E02249499E7674596AA32D47@Justinscomputer" width=300 height=169
apple-height="yes" apple-width="yes"></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">About
70 people demonstrated. Most of them are graduates of the school and are now in
college or working.</DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Obama
weighed in last week, endorsing the actions of the local board. "Our kids get
only one chance at an education and we need to get it right," the president
said.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Obama's
comments further inflamed an already tense environment in this poor Rhode Island
enclave, just outside Providence.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">"I
couldn't believe it," said Delgado, who graduated in 2008. "Ever since the
beginning, I thought firing all the teachers was a ridiculous notion."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">About
70 young people, most of them graduates of the school and now in college or
working, demonstrated peacefully outside the school in the largely Hispanic,
working class neighborhood. They expressed outrage and disbelief that the school
they attended has become a national pariah.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">"We
stand together for our teachers and for our school," said Katherine Lopera, 20,
a graduate in 2007.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Her
classmate, Sindy Alvisures, said, "The teachers are literally like our family.
When I went through high school, I went through a lot of personal problems and
my teachers were always there for me."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Of
the 800 students who currently attend Central Falls, 65 percent are Hispanic;
English is a second language for most. Half the students are failing every
subject, with 55 percent skilled in reading and 7 percent proficient in math,
officials say.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">The
defenders of the school say improvements have been made, but the stats are
skewed against them because the school's population is so transient.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Tuesday's
demonstration was to coincide with a board of trustees meeting, where the
firings were to be the main topic. However, the meeting was abruptly called off,
because the Governor's Commission on Disabilities said the school's auditorium
was unfit for people with disabilities.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">On
the steps outside the school, George McLaughlin shrugged. He cast suspicion on
the reason for the meeting's cancellation. "Unless they mean, it's not fit for
morally disabled people," he said.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">McLaughlin
has been a guidance counselor at Central Falls for the last 15 years. His wife
is a chemistry teacher. "We will lose all of our income."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">He
suggested Obama should summon the 93 teachers and administrators for a beer
summit. The president "hasn't heard our side of the story," said McLaughlin, a
member of the teachers' union. "He hasn't listened to us. He knows nothing about
us."</DIV>
<DIV
style="POSITION: relative; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; FLOAT: left; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; CLEAR: left; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
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<DIV
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/mosaic/60x50_quote_marks.gif); PADDING-BOTTOM: 20px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 100% 100%; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 24px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial">We're
all taking our bumper stickers for Obama off our cars.<BR
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style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT: 10px/12px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(153,153,153); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 8px">--Marcia
Reback</SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
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<DIV
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class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcqrelt">
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; OVERFLOW-X: hidden; OVERFLOW-Y: hidden; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); MARGIN: 0px 0px 17px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 3px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
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<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px"><B
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">RELATED
TOPICS</B></DIV>
<UL
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<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial"><A
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; OUTLINE-STYLE: none; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(0,66,118); FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Education">Education</A>
<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial"><A
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; OUTLINE-STYLE: none; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: inherit; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(0,66,118); FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px"
href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/American_Federation_of_Teachers">American
Federation of Teachers</A>
<LI
style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT: 11px/14px arial; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px 5px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial"><A
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href="http://topics.cnn.com/topics/Barack_Obama">Barack
Obama</A></LI></UL></DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Marcia
Reback, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers, was less
hospitable toward the president.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">"We're
all taking our bumper stickers for Obama off our cars," Reback said earlier in
the day.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">She
said the union supports school reform. She called for an independent mediator to
intervene at Central Falls because tensions have gotten so high between the
union and the school administrators who carried out the firings.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">"This
is unprecedented," Reback said. "I don't think anyone was prepared for this kind
of fallout."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">School
superintendent Fran Gallo said she stands by her decision. She noted the school
didn't graduate half its seniors last year. "Somebody hasn't spoken up for them,
the other 50 percent," she said.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">As
darkness fell at the school, the graduates who had come back said the problems
at the school have been oversimplified and that the rest of the nation can't
understand the importance of the teachers in the tough environment they
live.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Nikko
Calle said one of the most important men in his life was his creative writing
teacher, Michael Occhi. A freshly planted tree stands on the school's lawn to
honor the legacy of Occhi. He was killed in an accident by a drunk driver last
summer.</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Encouraged
by his high school teacher, Calle has taken up poetry. "A lot of these teachers
here helped me through hard times," he said. "They were always here for
me."</DIV>
<DIV
style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 19px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 186px; PADDING-RIGHT: 24px; FONT: 14px/19px arial; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: baseline; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px">Now,
many here wonder what the legacy of the school will be
next.</DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>