Are You All In to Fund Our Future?
Are You All In to Fund Our Future?
Merrie Najimy,
President
Greetings,
There were many eye-opening moments at Saturday’s statewide All Presidents’ meeting as Vice President Max Page and I unveiled our statewide education funding campaign: Fund Our Future: Invest in the Schools and Colleges Our Communities Deserve. Our campaign goal is to unleash member power to pass legislation that would increase state aid to public schools by more than $1 billion a year and to public higher education by more than $500 million annually.
MTA local leaders and members shared stories of the foundation upon which they educate their students. In most well-off communities that foundation is relatively stable, while in less affluent towns and cities it is wholly inadequate. Their stories not only highlighted the inequities across the state, but also built empathy and solidarity among members concerning why we all need to fight for full funding of public education, from preK through higher education.
Jaws dropped when I shared the foundation on which we teach in Concord: 16 students in our kindergarten classes, with full-time aides; art, music, library and PE classes once a week; teams of reading and math tutors deployed to every elementary classroom; and full-time nurses, school social workers, psychologists and/or guidance counselors in each building. But for far too many students and educators, years of austerity budgets have normalized circumstances that make what Concord has to offer look like privileged education. It Is Not. It should be the mere foundation. And then our students deserve more!
To learn more, go here to visit the campaign website. Talk to your local president and MTA field staff. Invite Max and me to your local to discuss the details and hear your ideas about effective strategies for winning this campaign.
Protest Education Privatization on Monday
Had enough of seeing funds drained from public schools to fund charter schools and testing? Do you believe that higher education employees deserve a fair contract? Come to a rally in front of the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center on Monday, Sept. 24, to let Governor Charlie Baker and current leaders of the Pioneer Institute know how you feel.
Pioneer is holding its annual gala at the hotel that night. Pioneer is the Massachusetts affiliate of a group of anti-union organizations behind the Mackinac Center’s efforts to persuade union members to drop their membership.
Yes, this is the Betsy DeVos strategy to weaken support for public schools by weakening public employee unions. Let’s let them know we aren’t falling for it. Go here for more details.
Call for Members to Submit Legislative Proposals
We are seeking input from members as we add to our legislative agenda for the 2019-2020 session. We want to hear your suggestions on how to support the MTA’s goals of fully funding public education and ending the tyranny of high-stakes testing, as well as protecting our workforce against anti-union attacks and ensuring that our retirees’ hard-earned benefits are protected.
Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the MTA's Government Relations Committee, which will then make recommendations to the Board of Directors. Once the Board approves a final legislative package, the MTA will secure legislative sponsors and have the bills filed in January 2019.
To propose legislation, please fill out this form by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 5.
In Solidarity,
Merrie