At the November 19, 2024 meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), city and education leaders from Lynn testified in opposition to KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School’s latest attempt to expand in the city – which would siphon off another $24 million each year from Lynn Public Schools (LPS). 

“If this expansion effort is allowed, it would cause irrevocable damage to Lynn’s public schools, which educate all children. At the end of the day, Lynn Public School students and KIPP students are both students of Lynn and should not be pitted against one another,” said President O’Neil, who has been a teacher in the Lynn Public Schools for 32 years. “Unfortunately, we’ve been put in a position where we have to combat false and divisive narratives from those supporting this effort at a time when we should all be focused on supporting our students and getting back to pre-pandemic learning levels.”

The economic development bill passed by the Massachusetts Legislature includes important steps to promote educator diversity throughout the Commonwealth, something the AFT Massachusetts has been working on for years. Many of these proposals stem from the Educator Diversity Act, important legislation championed by the AFT Massachusetts and other education and community advocates since it was first introduced in 2021. 

“Research has shown time and time again that all students benefit from a diverse educator workforce – one that accurately reflects the wonderful diversity of our communities. We’ve spent years advocating for ways to increase diversity among our educators and we look forward to seeing our students benefit from the provisions included in this bill,” said AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang. “Today, the Legislature made an important commitment to increasing the number of diverse teachers in every district of the Commonwealth while also providing the workplace conditions to ensure their success, job satisfaction, and retention.”

“Last night’s vote (Tuesday, November 12, 2024) is a critical step forward to correct two injustices millions of retired public sector workers across the country currently face, including public school retirees throughout the Commonwealth.

“Both of these provisions disproportionately impact low-income retirees - including tens of thousands in Massachusetts alone. It's set up so public school teachers and paraprofessionals end up being penalized for working a second or third job in the private sector, which many have to do to get by.  

"Not only do these penalties hurt the economic security of those who have dedicated their lives to serving their communities,  but they disenfranchise many from becoming educators as a second career –  at a time when we’re facing a national teacher shortage."

“The AFT Massachusetts stands in solidarity with the teachers of Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead in achieving fair contracts and calls on school administrators to immediately negotiate contracts that are good for students and fair to the teachers and paraprofessionals serving these schools.

"The families in these communities have a right to expect the education and learning needs of their children will be addressed in the public schools. The committed educators in Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead are fighting for their students by demanding progress at the bargaining table on essential classroom issues." 

The AFT Massachusetts, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and unions across the Commonwealth are dedicated to teaching the next generation of trade unionists to build a strong and bright future for the working families of Massachusetts and beyond. As part of that work,  the AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. The scholarships – which are awarded based on results of a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO – honor former AFT leaders Kathy Kelley, Albert Shanker, and Sandra Feldman, and long-time field representative Jay Porter.

While envisioning our future, it’s critical that we never stop teaching about and learning from our rich history. The labor history exam focuses on teaching our children about the history of unions and about groups of people who fought for better wages and protections.