Union Power at the Polls and in Our Schools
Union Power at the Polls and in Our Schools
Greetings,
Despite all that is troubling in our country, we are choosing to emphasize the positive in this edition of MTA Union News.
A year ago, you, our members, helped bring an end to high-stakes testing, with a landslide 60-40 victory on Question 2. We ended the harm of the MCAS being used to narrow the curriculum and deny students a diploma. Now we have the chance to lead the country with a new vision for graduation requirements. See a new report out this week.
On Tuesday, around the country, progressive candidates and issues won in key races – including in New York City.
And here in Massachusetts, MTA members got involved in local races as never before – and won – a lot. Debt exclusions were approved for new schools from Great Barrington to Littleton. One of the largest overrides in the state in many years was secured in Melrose. The union-busting mayor in Gloucester – gone. New progressive school committee members were elected in Waltham. MTA member James Roy won a seat on the New Bedford City Council. Candidates endorsed by the Cambridge Education Association won, ditto in Watertown, and in Beverly (where they also removed the school committee chair who stood against the local union during the strike), and in Quincy.
Our locals and the statewide MTA are taking a lesson from conservatives, who paid close attention to local races over many decades, got involved, and won seat after seat. The MTA and our 400 locals are making sure that mayors’ offices, city councils and school committees have strong, pro-public education and pro-union members.
MTA Events, Opportunities and Solidarity Actions
Take Action on SNAP
It took two federal judges to compel the Trump administration to do what every previous administration did without being forced by a court – fund the food assistance program SNAP for some 42 million people during a government shutdown. Well, not quite – the Trump administration dialed it down from full cruelty to half cruelty, promising only to pay out half of the SNAP amounts to qualifying families and individuals across the country and in Massachusetts. We need to keep the pressure on D.C., while also calling on our own Legislature and governor to make sure people are fed. And please, help out our neighbors with a contribution to a local food pantry – like the Woburn Teachers Association just did, helping 4,000 families who have lost (half, temporarily – who knows with this regime in D.C.) their SNAP benefits.
Take Action This Week in Support of RetirementPlus Legislation
When: Through Friday, Nov. 7
Where: Facebook and Instagram
Join educators this week in a targeted social media campaign to influence state senators to take action on RetirementPlus legislation, which will give educators another opportunity to join the program. The goal is to do this before the Legislature breaks on Nov. 19. Please post your targeted RetirementPlus picture and message on Facebook or another social media page. Shout out to the Wellesley Educators Association, the Burlington Educators Association, and so many other locals that are posting about this key issue. Be sure to tag your specific legislator and use the hashtag #RetirementPlus. Follow the hashtag and like and reshare other posts.
Upcoming Chapter 70 Listening Sessions
These sessions, hosted by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Revenue, are an opportunity for educators, local officials and community members to share their experiences and input on how Massachusetts determines local contributions to school funding. The outcomes of this study could have a direct impact on school finance equity across districts.
Lakeville
When: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Apponequet Regional High School
Virtual Session
When: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 4-7 p.m.
Where: Online
People’s Forums on Graduation Readiness
When: Thursday, Nov. 13
Where: Salisbury Public Library, 17 Elm Street
The MTA has been working collaboratively with Citizens for Public Schools to host People's Forums on Graduation Readiness to hear from more concerned citizens of the Commonwealth. The forums are working sessions that seek answers to three questions: What should students know and be able to do by the time they graduate, how should they demonstrate their readiness to graduate and how can schools support these goals? The next forum is Nov. 13 in Salisbury.
Membership Management Training
When: Thursday, Nov. 13 and 20
Where: Virtual
Interested in learning more about MTA membership processes and systems? Please plan to attend one or several of our upcoming sessions that will provide a helpful overview. These sessions are particularly important for local treasurers and membership chairs, but local officers interested in learning more are also invited. Learn more & register.
MTA Benefits Student Loan Repayment Webinar
When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13
Where: Virtual
Student loan repayment procedures have undergone several significant changes over the past three years. Please join our benefits partner, Martin Lynch, of Cambridge Credit Counseling, to learn how those changes impact your eligibility for the Teacher Loan Forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. We'll also discuss your options if you're caught up in the SAVE repayment plan forbearance, and if you have Parent PLUS loans, how they can be forgiven through PSLF. Everyone carrying student loans or who needs to borrow after June 30, 2026, should attend. The webinar is free. Register now.
Help Our Alaska Colleagues
NEA Member Benefits has established a GoFundMe effort to assist NEA-Alaska in helping its members impacted by Typhoon Halong, whose winds caused devastating floods in several villages on the Bering Sea in October.
Register For EMAC Conference: Rooted in Justice, Powered by Unity!
When: Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5-6
Where: Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center
Join the Ethnically Marginalized Affairs Committee at its annual conference. Friday evening will open with featured poet and educator, Princess Moon, followed by the sounds of The KabuJazz Duo. Saturday will include workshops, community circles and a plenary session with Javier Luengo-Garrido, deputy field director for regional engagement at the ACLU of Massachusetts. Learn more and register before the Nov. 19 deadline.
Applications Open for Local President Release Time Program
The NEA-supported Local President Release Time Program was formed to encourage the growth and development of NEA’s local associations. When a local association has the advantage of a release-time president, the local has the opportunity to organize and to grow in strength and influence. The application is now open and must be completed and submitted online by Jan. 20, 2026. Learn more about the guidelines and application process for the 2026-2027 grant.
Political Education
Wednesday morning, we released an important report, written by MTA’s Center for Education Policy and Practice and FairTest, the national leader on standardized tests and assessment. The report outlines a vision for a new high school graduation requirement, in the wake of our incredible Question 2 victory a year ago. The report lays out a vision for graduation requirements and assessments that aims not toward the test-and-punish system of the past decades, but one that promotes multiple pathways to a common diploma and encourages deeper learning.
We urge you to read the report and share your thoughts in this recent Facebook post. In solidarity,
Max and Deb