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MTA responds to Romney vetoes

Statement of MTA President Catherine A. Boudreau in Response to Governor Romney's Vetoes 

Charter School Moratorium

The MTA supports providing parents with increased public school options, but not by unfairly siphoning away state education funds from local school districts. That's why the MTA and many other supporters of public education will work to override the governor's veto of a proposal to temporarily stop the expansion of charter schools while a fairer financing formula can be created.

A review of the method the state uses to fund these schools is long overdue. Even Governor Romney now acknowledges that the funding formula is unfair, yet he wants to continue to siphon away critical education funds from local school districts in the midst of a budget crisis.

At a time when other proven education programs are being cut or eliminated, it is absurd to continue to expand the number of charter schools at the expense of the rest of the state's public schools.

Massachusetts is one of only four states where there is no local school board approval of charter schools. The decision on whether to grant a Commonwealth Charter School and where it will be located is mandated by the state Board of Education, with no appeal process by the host community.

At a minimum, the state should not force communities to use their limited school budgets to pay for a school they did not approve, especially during a budget crisis.  If Governor Romney thinks charter schools are such a worthy experiment, the state should fund them, rather than passing the buck and forcing already squeezed local school budgets to absorb the costs.

$6 million cut to education funds for local communities

The governor's veto of more than $6 million in local assistance to cities and towns will deprive our schools of desperately needed revenue. It will adversely impact schools which, in the face of already severe financial restraints, are struggling to maintain programs and services for tens of thousands of students.

Tuition eligibility for unregistered aliens

MTA deplores the governor's decision  to deny unregistered aliens who reside in this state and have graduated from our high schools the right to attend our public institutions of higher education at tuition rates paid by other Massachusetts citizens.

Many if not most of these students come from the lowest economic strata of our society; many will not be able to afford the out-of-state tuition rates the governor would have them pay. Thus, for these aspiring, hard-working and, in many cases, brilliantly achieving students,  the governor's ill-considered decision will mean the difference between securing a college education and becoming productive and tax-paying citizens or continuing in the cycle of poverty and under- or unemployment that compelled them and their families to seek a better life in America in the first place.

Composition of the Board of Early Education and Care

The governor's decision to deny MTA and our sister union, the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, the right to nominate the early childhood educator member of the new Board of Early Education and Care is regrettable.

The governor's claim that MTA and MFT "are not representative of the early education and care workforce" is at best misinformed and at worst absurd. The fact is that MTA and MFT represent hundreds of highly qualified and certified early childhood educators across the state.