Central Falls High School, one of the lowest-achieving schools in the state of Rhode Island, has cleaned house. The entire staff of 93, including 74 teachers, has been fired following a 5-2 vote by the Central Falls School Board.

The verdict was reached after the Teachers’ Union refused to accept a reform plan that aims to turn around the chronically failing school.

Recently, advocates of education reform have begun targeting teachers’ unions. As mounting evidence suggests that teachers play a larger role in a child’s education than previously thought, politicians and leading educators have pushed to hold teachers accountable. In the upcoming feature documentary Waiting For Superman, teacher effectiveness is found to be an undeniably huge factor in determining a student’s success.

The mass firing at Central Falls is unlikely to be the last in the country this year. It is merely the first school to act on a federal mandate to overhaul the nation’s many “dropout factories.”

Washington D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is known for her firings and school closings. Though her aggressive tactics have generated considerable controversy, many argue that D.C.’s long-troubled schools have benefited from them.

At the New York Times’ Room For Debate Blog, contributers discuss the draws and drawbacks of getting rid of incompetent teachers in New York City.

Above, a video clip of the speech given by Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo at the Winter meeting of the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition. (Video credit: Anchor Rising)