Take Action

Share This

Join us in telling Governor Baker that we need to start the year with remote learning until districts and the state can meet our health and safety criteria!

Community transmission of COVID-19 is on the rise again in Massachusetts, and lengthy delays in testing mean we won't know whether a sick student has the common cold or the deadly virus. Years of chronic underfunding have left us with unsafe schools facilities: windows that don’t open, bathrooms that lack hot water and soap, ventilation systems that need upgrading, and nurses that treat sick students in converted closets with no room for social distancing.
 
AFT Massachusetts has outlined several public health and safety criteria that districts and the state must meet before it is safe for students and educators to return to the classroom, and it's clear that a period of remote learning will be necessary before those criteria are met. Read the full statement here, and fill out the form below to tell Governor Baker to prioritize the health and safety of students, their families, and educators by starting school remotely this fall.
more

Take Action To Ensure Full Funding for Our Schools

The COVID-19 pandemic and recession have caused unprecedented trauma and disruption for students and workers in our public schools and colleges.
 
From personal protective equipment and changes to school buildings, to safe staffing levels and additional services for students who cannot safely attend in-person school, we know that a deliberate and careful approach to reopening our public schools will require significantly more funding. But instead, state and local revenue shortfalls are leading to budget cuts, pink slips, and furloughs. We need action at the federal, state, and local level to ensure our schools have the full funding they need. Here’s how you can help:
more

Stand Up for the Winthrop and Woburn Library Workers

"The decisions by the towns of Winthrop and Woburn to lay off librarians is exactly the wrong move in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, librarians in communities across Massachusetts have been supporting the education of children whose schools are closed with ebooks, audio books, and other online services. Now, librarians are ready to offer curbside-pickup, a service that is in high demand from many seniors and other residents without internet access at home. But laying off librarians would hurt students, seniors, and all residents who depend on their public library, while putting state aid and grants at risk. The towns of Winthrop and Woburn should reverse their decisions immediately and save their libraries!" -- AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos.

more

Pass the House HEROES Act

The House version of the HEROES Act is a vital step toward helping our country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The relief package provides valuable resources for testing, tracing, and hospital support to aid safe reopenings, and funds our states, cities, towns, and schools.
 
The relief offered in this package combats the virus by providing $75 billion for necessary testing, tracing and hospital support, which are critical for reopening safely. It also invests nearly $1 trillion in state and local aid, including $100 billion for public schools and public colleges.
more

Boston Public Schools Need Resources and Stability – Not “RECEIVERSHIP”

Right now, the Baker administration is threatening to impose a destabilizing takeover on Boston Public Schools. Parents, educators, and students are fighting back because we know this is another distraction from winning the resources and changes our public schools need to succeed.
 
Across the United States, state takeovers have proven to be destabilizing, unsustainable, and dangerous for the future of children and students.
 
 
TOGETHER, WE CAN CREATE THE SCHOOLS OUR STUDENTS DESERVE
 
more

Get Updates and Learn More About the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance

 

Members of Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA)  are the students, parents, educators, community and union members who stand united in support of the most essential public good, one conceived in our state two centuries ago: universal, free public education.

MEJA partner organizations and activists including AFT Massachusetts believe that public education, pre-kindergarten through college, is the foundation of our democracy. Public education must be protected and “cherished,” as our state Constitution demands.

Click here to get updates and learn more about MEJA.

Subscribe to AFT e-newsletters

 

Need tools to help you do your job better?

Want to keep up with the latest and greatest from the AFT?  Click here to subscribe to the monthly electronic newsletters that match your interests.