Governor’s Decision to Close Schools Is the ‘Right Call’

Governor’s Decision to Close Schools Is the ‘Right Call’


 The following statement was issued today by MTA President Merrie Najimy after Governor Charlie Baker announced his decision to close schools for the remainder of the year:

The Massachusetts Teachers Association believes that Governor Charlie Baker made the right call today to close schools for the remainder of the school year. It was a necessary decision to protect the health of our communities across the state. We look forward to working closely with our members, our partners at AFT Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union, parents, and state education officials to figure out the next steps.

Before deciding on additional remote learning guidelines, we need to take a collective pause to assess how remote learning is working to date. We must consider how families are managing the plans, which students are participating regularly, how to reach those who are not, and what additional strategies and resources must be employed to make remote learning more effective.

We also need to work together to figure out how to provide extra support for high-need students and how to prepare for the significant social, emotional and academic needs we expect to see among our students when schools reopen in the fall.

The MTA called for the governor to close schools for the year this morning, before he announced his decision. An updated version of that statement is posted here.