In an effort to strengthen our collective power and build upon the tremendous wins we’ve seen at the state and local levels in terms of public education and the labor movement, the AFT Massachusetts hosted its first ever Statewide Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House on June 25.
Over 150 teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, higher ed faculty, and retirees came out for a successful day of advocacy and relationship-building – within our union, with our allies, and with leaders on Beacon Hill. It was a wonderful demonstration of our strength and commitment to strengthening public education throughout the Commonwealth.
While we have a number of important bills we’re tracking at the state level, we spent the day advocating for some of our union’s top priorities this legislative session focused on: (1) supporting our schools; (2) supporting our students; and (3) supporting economic opportunities for all. For more on the bills highlighted, please check out our 2025-2026 Legislative Priority Fact Sheet to legislators.
A number of our legislative allies and local members spoke to the importance of a handful of these bills: Representative Alice Peisch and Senator Liz Miranda spoke to their bills to address Retirement Plus; Senator Adam Gomez spoke to his important bills to support students, educators, and schools in need (Thrive Act 2.0 and the educator minimum wage); Boston Teachers Union President Erik Berg spoke to the importance of adequate school funding (in-district transportation, eliminating the inflation cap, charter school reimbursement reform, and school construction modernization); United Teachers of Lowell’s Kevin Freeman and Diane Maclean spoke about their experiences teaching at community schools in Lowell and the need to expand this model throughout the state; and BTU Paraprofessional Council and AFT Massachusetts Executive Board Member A. Vanessa LaRocque spoke to the important work of paraprofessionals - especially with our neediest students – and how imperative it is that they receive the benefits and fair wages that truly reflect the invaluable role they play.
At the AFT Massachusetts, we recognize that our strength lies in not just the unity of our membership, but our diversity. Each member brings their personal history and perspectives to the table. Bringing everyone together to learn about and from each other as we fight for a common good is something that the AFT Massachusetts is dedicated to fostering. We look forward to having more opportunities to come together to champion the policies and programs that will strengthen our schools and the lives of those in our communities.