When we launched the Fund Our Future campaign, we were told we were asking for too much, and that we would never win the resources our students needed in the classrooms. But we stuck together, we organized, and we advocated, and we won a historic $1.5 billion funding commitment that prioritizes low-income communities that were being harmed by the old, inequitable system.
As an AFT Massachusetts member, you know that we have more power when we join together through our union. We’re most effective when we tap into our most enduring source of power: our collective engagement and activism as educators, finding common cause with parents, students, and community.
Our solidarity is our strength, and nobody can take that away from us. From the Fund Our Future campaign and our work with the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance, to growing political engagement in last year’s local elections and successful contract fights across the state, we’re growing our membership engagement, working with parents and students in our communities, and winning victories for our schools and students.
In 2020, we’re working to pass the Cherish Act and restore funding to our public colleges and universities, ensure effective and equitable implementation of the Student Opportunity Act, and secure a living wage for paraprofessionals. We’re working to increase student access to educational opportunities and supports including social-emotional learning, gain more voice and decision-making power for AFT members in the workplace, and grow our internal organizing and power-building campaigns.
As we continue this critical work, get ready to join us for the 2020 AFT Massachusetts Convention! On Saturday, May 2, we’ll hear from labor leaders and elected officials, present Distinguished Service Awards and scholarships, and further develop our collective strength as educators and organizers.
Save the date, and join your fellow educators and AFT Massachusetts members in celebrating our success and organizing for our future