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Sen. Warren’s Office Seeking Feedback on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Please Complete a Brief Survey

Established in 2007 by the U.S. Congress, the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is a critical student loan forgiveness program for public school educators and employees, municipal librarians, other public sector workers, and individuals employed by certain non-profit organizations. The program provides eligible borrowers with student loan debt relief in exchange for a decade of service in their communities. 

AFT Massachusetts and its parent organization, the national AFT, are committed to fixing these problems, and we are working with allies, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, to ensure the program is implemented as intended. 

Senator Warren’s office is conducting a survey to learn more about Massachusetts public servants’ experience with student debt and the PSLF program. All responses are anonymous. The survey results will help to inform future policy.

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AFT Massachusetts and Lawrence Teachers Union Call for DESE Board Member’s Immediate Resignation

“It is impossible for the people of Lawrence, Holyoke or any Massachusetts Gateway City where families struggle for a share of the American dream to have confidence in the Department of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) while Michael Moriarty sits on the board. Moriarty’s recent comment that ‘they can’t change themselves’ is demeaning to parents and cause for dismissal of any public official. Mr. Moriarty must submit his resignation as a first step toward restoring confidence in the DESE board.

“As Mr. Moriarty admits, his language was insulting. His defense that he was taken out of context is nonsense, as any unbiased person who viewed the DESE meeting would attest. We call on the DESE board members who participated in the meeting to denounce his language and join us in calling for his resignation.

“If Mr. Moriarty refuses to resign, we call on Governor Baker to join the growing number of government leaders appalled by the attitude reflected in Moriarty's remarks by immediately removing him from the DESE board.”

 
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Standardized Tests and the Pandemic

"Standardized tests have always measured poverty, not learning. In the middle of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected Black, Latino, low-income, English learner and special education students, we don’t need a test to tell us that those students have fallen behind,” said AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos. “Students need more learning time, not more time spent preparing for and taking standardized tests.”
 
“It’s disappointing that the federal government bowed to pressure and maintained the federal testing requirement, but we’re glad they acknowledged that this year’s test administration must look different, and that no student should be brought back in person just to take a test,” said President Kontos. “Now, the state needs to shorten the remaining test as much as possible, eliminate any punitive accountability measures linked to standardized testing, and reallocate test-related funding to where it’s really needed – in the classroom, helping students learn.”
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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.

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Take Action: Make your voice heard

Make your views known to those in Congress and state legislatures who represent you on the issues that affect working families every day.  Visit the AFT's Take Action page.