Press

Over 100 AFT Massachusetts members served as delegates at the AFT’s 89th biennial convention, with union delegates addressing critical issues in education and healthcare over the course of four days in Washington, D.C. 

AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang was re-elected to serve a two-year term on the AFT Executive Board, topping the ticket among the 43 elected Vice Presidents. This was her third election to the Executive Board and third time topping the ticket. President Tang was also re-appointed to the Board’s 10-member Executive Committee.  

Delegates debated and passed resolutions on a range of pressing issues—from reclaiming the promise of public education, to protecting immigrant communities, to rebuilding public health, to preparing for the age of artificial intelligence, to tackling the affordability and student debt crises. Dozens of breakout meetings and receptions covered rural issues, faith and religion, international solidarity and more.

In July, AFT Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union hosted a book giveaway as part of the National AFT’s Summer Reading Cup, which is giving out more than 30,000 soccer-themed books across the country to build upon the excitement of the soccer matches and promote summer reading. 

Players from Boston Legacy Football Club, the 15th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League, helped educators distribute over 5,000 free soccer-themed books. The Kick-Off Into Reading event included a World Cup watch party featuring Match 97 between Switzerland and Colombia. 

The Summer Reading Cup includes its own World Cup-inspired bracket to see which book takes the cup for students this year! After reading eight books, students can score them against each other, find their winning book, and upload their bracket results for a chance to win a back-to-school pizza and book party for their school, as well as a classroom collection of books for their classroom next year.

In July, AFT Massachusetts and the Boston Teachers Union hosted a book giveaway as part of the National AFT’s Summer Reading Cup, which is giving out more than 30,000 soccer-themed books across the country to build upon the excitement of the soccer matches and promote summer reading. 

Players from Boston Legacy Football Club, the 15th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League, helped educators distribute over 5,000 free soccer-themed books. The Kick-Off Into Reading event included a World Cup watch party featuring Match 97 between Switzerland and Colombia. 

The Summer Reading Cup includes its own World Cup-inspired bracket to see which book takes the cup for students this year! After reading eight books, students can score them against each other, find their winning book, and upload their bracket results for a chance to win a back-to-school pizza and book party for their school, as well as a classroom collection of books for their classroom next year.

Communities across Massachusetts are barely holding their heads above water, forced to choose which public services they can continue to fund and which residents will have to go without.

With ever-growing costs, increased needs, and funding formulas that don’t keep up with inflation, what we are expecting our school districts, libraries, and colleges to shoulder is not sustainable. 

The degree to which the state invests in public education will have lasting implications on our collective future and strength as a Commonwealth. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented action.”

In the coming weeks, we hope to have continued discussions with Legislative leaders and the Healey Administration on ways we can provide additional support to our public schools, libraries, and universities and the millions of residents they serve.

AFT President Jessica Tang joined legislative leaders, policymakers, students, and Governor Maura Healey for a ceremonial signing of new legislation designed to improve student literacy across Massachusetts and provide schools and educators with additional tools to support early reading success.

“Teaching children to read is one of the most important things we do as educators. Ensuring educators have the tools and resources they need to improve reading instruction will always be a priority for us,” said President Tang. “Having educators involved early and often as regulations—especially those around professional development—are crafted and implemented will ensure these new guidelines and support are provided in an equitable, realistic, and timely manner.” 

“The AFT Massachusetts fully supports evidence-based literacy curriculum and will continue to work with our partners in the State House to realize the full potential of our students,” continued Tang.  

Haitian residents, like so many other immigrants in the United States, are an integral part of communities across Massachusetts and have been for decades. 

They live here. They’ve raised their families here. They’ve sent their kids to our public schools. They’ve given back to our neighborhoods in immeasurable ways. They’re vital members of our local economy, especially in our state’s numerous healthcare settings.

Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court to strip protections from our Haitian neighbors and others living here legally through a program that has been in place for nearly 40 years is devastating and inhumane.

Sending Haitians, Syrians, and others back to countries they fled because of violence is irresponsible and cruel. 

“We stand with our Haitian neighbors who make our Commonwealth stronger and brighter today and every day. We urge all elected leaders in power to use all available resources to protect the Haitian community, our immigrants, and all others impacted by this reckless and depraved ruling.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision on June 18, 2026 barring the proposed income tax cut ballot initiative from appearing on the November ballot.

The ballot initiative would have cut the state’s income tax rate on long-term capital gains, but the constitutionally required summary of the initiative omitted this key element, and in fact erroneously stated that long-term capital gains taxes would not be impacted, hiding a massive tax break for the state’s richest taxpayers from petition signers and voters. The court ruled that “[b]ecause this summary materially misstates the true scope of the proposal, it is unfair” and that “allowing a new summary at this stage would…call into question the validity of the more than 85,000 signatures already gathered on forms bearing the unfair summary.“ 

“This reckless ballot question would have pushed many families and communities over the edge. Now, it’s time to shift the discussion to what would really support our working families and communities, including strategic investments to support our schools, increase workforce training opportunities, and lift up the things that make Massachusetts a place people want to live and work and raise their families. Our state and our communities need more resources and support right now, not less. Children need more educators in their classrooms and more students are needing greater services. Residents need more opportunities toward homeownership. Working families are having to choose between paying their health insurance bills or their energy bills," said Jessica Tang, President of AFT Massachusetts

"From his commitment to universal pre-k to his call for the federal government to fund special education costs at the level they've promised for decades to his support for strong workforce and vocational opportunities for our students, Patrick Roath is a candidate with a strong vision for supporting our schools, our families, and the communities throughout the district," said AFT President Jessica Tang. "The AFT Massachusetts is excited to support his campaign and we look forward to speaking directly with residents about why educators, librarians, and other public employees are excited to send Patrick Roath to serve the eighth congressional district."

"I'm honored to earn the support of AFT Massachusetts and its 25,000 members," said Patrick Roath. "From the classroom to the college campus to the public library, these are the people who hold our communities together, and they deserve a Congress that has their backs. I'll fight to fully fund our public schools and colleges, to protect the freedom to organize, and to lower the everyday costs squeezing working families across this district. I'm grateful to stand with AFT Massachusetts in that work."

On May 7, 2026, the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust and equal constitutional treatment (PROTECT Act) to safeguard all residents, especially the state’s immigrant families, from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers operating with unchecked authority as they implement the White House’s immigration agenda. The Senate version of this critical legislation incorporates many priorities the AFT Massachusetts advocated for, including a ban on ICE agents from entering schools and childcare facilities. 

“No one should be afraid to drop their child off at school or go to the hospital for care or get essentials at the grocery store because they’re worried about being targeted simply by the color of their skin,” said AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang. “We remain committed to working with the legislature, the Healey Administration, and critical allies to build upon today’s steps and ensure we’re doing everything we can at the state and local level to protect our students and ensure our schools remain safe spaces for them to learn and grow.” 

For more than thirty years, schools, hospitals, and places of worship were considered “sensitive locations” – places protected from immigration enforcement. Under the Trump Administration, those places have been stripped of these protections, allowing ICE agents to target residents and families at their most vulnerable.