Sarah Woodard feels optimistic about the Fair Share Amendment, which goes before voters in early November. Since last year, the grassroots campaign to encourage state residents to say "yes" to the amendment has placed her in front of potential voters at events and virtual conferences across Western Massachusetts.
The Commonwealth currently has a flat income tax rate of 5 percent, paid by all regardless of earnings. The amendment would add 4 percentage points — 4 cents on the dollar — to the tax on the portion of income above $1 million.
The proposed constitutional amendment isn’t a hard sell, Woodard explained.
People seem to generally agree that it will create a more just state tax system, with the very wealthy — whose incomes have skyrocketed during the pandemic — paying their fair share.
"I had people coming to me, which is not true of all initiatives," Woodard said. "This is something people seem genuinely excited about and interested in and want. It seems like a no-brainer unless you’re a multimillionaire."
The amendment would dedicate as much as $2 billion annually, in perpetuity, to public education and transportation, including infrastructure. The additional funding would help ensure that public schools get the resources they need — and make high-quality public higher education more affordable. The question will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election.
Woodard, a reading specialist at Hatfield Elementary School, said the message about the amendment creating a stable revenue stream for education priorities resonates with potential voters.
She has spoken with several hundred people since the fall. Sometimes they don’t understand how the education funding process really works, she noted, or what it takes to make a school function effectively. Passing the Fair Share Amendment would mean the state could make big investments where they’re needed.
"It’s really making sure that things that need to receive resources get addressed — that there’s money to do so," said Woodard, who is also an MTA Senate District Coordinator.
"This is something people seem genuinely excited about and interested in and want," said educator Sarah Woodard. "It seems like a no-brainer unless you’re a multimillionaire."
As 2022 began, the campaign to pass the Fair Share Amendment kicked into high gear.
At a virtual kickoff held on Feb. 1 by Raise Up Massachusetts — the broad coalition of organizations and other supporters that is leading the effort — nearly 200 people logged on to learn more about the effort and sign up to volunteer.
Supporters have started contacting friends, family members and neighbors, as well as moving forward to collect endorsements from town and city committees, councils and boards.
More than 14,000 cards already have been collected from people who have pledged to vote for the amendment.
Phone banks being conducted by MTA members are in full swing. In the months ahead, those phone banks will expand beyond members to state residents in general.
Nancy Stenberg is among the educators who are already making calls to fellow MTA members. It’s an easy conversation for the most part, Stenberg said, once she gets past the occasional family member who is screening calls.
"Once I get done with the opening, I’ve literally had like 10 people say to me, ‘Well, if that’s what the MTA wants, I’m voting for it,’" Stenberg said. "Conversation is done. Check them off; it’s awesome."
Stenberg, a longtime union activist who is now partially retired, said one of the reasons the message is hitting home is that MTA members trust each other. They want to hear from another educator.
"These are people who are connected — a lot of people are retirees or partially retired," Stenberg said. "They want to know what’s going on."
Stenberg, who works part time as a librarian at a Springfield elementary school, said that when people ask for more information, the discussion turns to what the schools could look like if they had all of the resources they need. Or how public colleges could become truly affordable.
Her elementary school, for example, is getting federal funds this year through a COVID-19 relief program — which may go toward purchasing new library collections or modern classroom furniture.
That’s helpful. But the Fair Share Amendment would mean a permanent revenue stream, not just a one-year infusion. That can make a world of difference for schools and campuses across the state, which have struggled with facility needs as well as staffing shortfalls.
"That enables you to keep up with maintenance and things that we have just not had any funds for in most school districts in the state," Stenberg said.
When the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition held its statewide organizational launch, activists in regional breakout sessions envisioned what the $2 billion in annual revenue might mean for schools, campuses, student debt reduction, roads and bridges, and public transportation networks.
One of the sessions — for the Southcoast region — attracted more than 35 activists. Among the ideas that they shared in the Zoom chat: free fares for public transit, upgrading infrastructure to respond to climate change, debt-free college education, 15 children rather than 25 in elementary classes, and school substitutes, Education Support Professionals and adjunct faculty members being paid a living wage.
MTA President Merrie Najimy, Vice President Max Page and members of the MTA staff have spoken at more than 100 local meetings since the fall, asking educators what they need for their students. In January, Najimy and Page addressed an organizational meeting of Western Massachusetts activists.
When the omicron variant of the coronavirus spiked in January, resulting in widespread staffing shortages due to educator illness, it was clear that one of the biggest contributors to the crisis was a lack of sufficient staffing and adequate salaries before the pandemic, Najimy said.
"Imagine if we paid Education Support Professionals a living wage and if we paid substitute teachers a living wage. We might have less of a staff shortage problem," she said.
Passing the Fair Share Amendment will assure that schools, educators and students have the resources they need to be successful, Najimy added.
"Winning the Fair Share Amendment doesn’t stop the pandemic or solve the crisis, but it brings us resources to do the things we need to operate our schools," she said. "We need more counselors. We need more paraeducators. We need more teachers to reduce class sizes. And some of that is related to the pandemic — because of the emotional needs and the trauma our students are bringing because of the pandemic — but that has always been true even before the pandemic."
For more information on the campaign, please visit massteacher.org/fairshare and raiseupma.org.
