Public education in our country is in the midst of a crisis. Inadequate funding has led to steadily climbing classroom sizes, teacher shortages, and school buildings that are in disrepair or inadequate. Question 1 on the November ballot will help address these dire issues across the Commonwealth and give our educators and students the much-needed support they deserve.
I’ve been the Secretary-Treasurer of AFT Massachusetts since 2016, but prior to that I was an educator with the Lynn Public Schools, teaching technology and math to elementary and middle school students. Throughout my years as an educator, I’ve worked tirelessly alongside my peers to ensure the best conditions for both staff and students.
The pandemic has tested many of us, and has seen the title of ‘hero’ bestowed on many people, including educators who had to figure out how to keep our kids learning and engaged in unprecedented circumstances.
My two daughters are students in the Lynn Public Schools and I have seen firsthand the hard work and dedication put in by their teachers and school staff. They work incredibly hard for my kids, but I can attest to the dedication put in by educators all across this state. While good things are happening within our districts, some things cannot happen with determination alone.
New facilities and schools are needed alongside new means of getting students to those locations by repairing our aging roads and bridges. My daughters are learning in Lynn because I want to raise my children in a diverse community. The quality of their school facilities shouldn’t be determined by the ZIP code of their school building.
My daughters and all students in the Commonwealth deserve the best opportunities we can provide for them. That begins by investing in education, after-school programs and transportation for students in districts that have been historically under-served and under-funded.
We have roofs leaking in classrooms across the state, and the buckets we are giving teachers to address these leaks already have holes in them. I commend those working hard to plug the holes of an imbalanced education system, but we deserve so much more. Join me in voting YES on Question 1 this November to ensure our teachers and students have the necessary tools and facilities they need to build prosperous futures for my daughters and every other student across this great state.